To address the tension between public education norms and the lived experiences of racially marginalized students, this study examines how Brother to Sister (BTS), a community group, promotes sense of belonging and college access among Black high school students using the school as a primary dialogical space. Specifically, through qualitative…

Because researchers know so much more about the brain and development than they did when the 20th-century U.S. education system was designed, this knowledge can now be used to design a system in which all individuals are able to take advantage of high-quality opportunities for transformative learning and development. This playbook suggests a set…

We report data from the first year of a three-year collaboration between a sport-based youth development program, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), and a university-based research institute. The theory of change of PCA was tested with youth athletes, representing multiple sport types (e.g., individual/team) and seasons (e.g., fall/winter), who…

What are "full-service community schools," and what do they have to do with youth development? Community schools are those that have been intentionally transformed into neighborhood hubs and that are open all the time to children and their families. In these buildings, a range of support services is provided by community agencies to help…

Describes six community-based service-learning projects that are available to students as an alternative learning environment. Presents goals of service learning, including academic development, civic responsibility, personal development, social responsibility, career development, and ethical development. Discusses research indicating that…

Designed as a course to help senior high school students find their place as adults through involvement in the community, this unit allows students to work together, do volunteer work, recruit class speakers, participate in field trips, and help plan the class. This unit is divided into four sections: (1) organizing the class, (2) using the…

The Concordia University Inner City Youth (CICY) program links university students with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in a way that is beneficial to both groups. Through the project, students in Concordia's Leisure Studies Program provide recreation activities for youth from Montreal's inner-city areas. Positive leisure experiences offer…