Mental health challenges for youth continue to be a growing concern. Youth-serving organizations have the potential to play a significant role in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in youth. The Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training course is widely used to equip adults working with youth with skills to support…

Georgia 4-H has been partnering with public schools for over 100 years to provide youth development programming for elementary, middle, and high schools. In 2013, a new state accountability system required the addition of career exploration lessons in elementary schools. Georgia 4-H staff and faculty developed a career curriculum taught by county…

A key issue for string education advocates is the growth of orchestra programs in schools and communities where participants are engaged in learning and performing. There is a need to discover what is personally meaningful to string students so that successful programs can be developed. The purpose of this two-part study was to examine grade 6-12…

Good schools are essential, but not sufficient for the long-term academic, economic, and civic success of our nation's young people. Rather, an integrated set of supports is needed in families, in all facets of communities, and in schools. Research, community wisdom, and common sense tell us that families, schools, and the broader community need…

This report provides a detailed picture of how youth aged 12 to 20 in three American neighborhoods--Austin (Texas), St. Petersburg (Florida), and Savannah (Georgia)--spend their nonschool time and the amount and level of the basic "vitamins" of support from adults and institutions that they receive. The three neighborhoods are the…