Youth development professionals (YDPs) working at community-based organizations are in a unique position to interact with the adolescents because they are neither parents/guardians nor teachers. The objectives of this study were to explore qualitatively what sexual health issues adolescents discuss with YDPs and to describe those issues using the…

Although research on minority youth has established the value of coethnic spaces for safe ethnic identity exploration, research has seldom examined how youth in these spaces draw ethnic boundaries or offered appropriate frameworks addressing boundary-setting. This study uses Berry's acculturation framework to explore ethnic boundary-setting within…

Almost any youth program has the potential to be hollow busywork or a vibrant learning experience. Research has documented important features of supportive environments, choice and flexibility, balancing youth and adult-driven stances, and the centrality of relationships. The challenge for practitioners is to construct and carry out youth…

Violent crimes, especially those committed with guns, have been increasing at an alarming rate among children and teenagers. This manual is intended to help teach young people in Ohio how to prevent violence and to assist individuals, groups, and organizations in planning and implementing antiviolence conferences, forums, or workshops for children…

Describes a teen volunteer program sponsored by the Clearwater Public Library System. The discussion covers promotional activities, job responsibilities and training, program evaluation, staffing, and funding. The volunteer application and guidelines are appended. A sidebar reports the results of a national survey of the public library resources…

This guide was designed to help Hispanic American community-based organizations develop and establish a teenage pregnancy prevention or teenage parenting program for Hispanic American adolescents. The guide does not assume prior knowledge of the scope of the teenage pregnancy problem in the United States, but it does underscore the critical role…

Guidelines and case studies of model programs are intended as resource materials to aid 22 organizations funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to encourage meaningful youth participation in policy decisions which affect youth, primarily in the juvenile justice, educational, and social systems. The first of three major…

Youth courts provide communities with an opportunity to impose immediate consequences for first time youthful offenders, while providing a peer operated disposition mechanism that constructively allows young people to take responsibility, be held accountable, and make amends for violating the law. Dispositions hold youth accountable in part…

This commentary explores the relationship between mentoring and after-school, two fields that have garnered significant policy attention and momentum over the past several years. The question is not which makes more sense--mentoring or after-school--but how can we utilize both strategies to increase the likelihood that young people have the…

This document is intended to create an opportunity for teens and adults to talk together and find ways to make their community a place where young people can grow up successfully. The discussion guide begins with a brief statement of purpose and a brief explanation of study circles and their objectives. The remainder of the guide consists of…

Identifies health risks and other factors that determine the need for health care services among children and adolescents. Recommendations are made to develop reforms through a coordinated care program rather than through competing systems of services. Models for community-based health care monitoring and coordination exist in other industrialized…

Parks, libraries, museums and other cultural organizations represent a diverse array of assets and share a broad mission to serve their communities, however, some may not realize the roles that these institutions can and do play in supporting young people during out-of-school time hours. This issue of the "Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary"…

This guidebook summarizes learning on the role of intermediaries and how to build organizations that perform intermediary functions effectively and efficiently. An introduction defines intermediaries, in the context of youth-serving systems, as staffed organizations that connect schools and other youth-preparation organizations with workplaces and…

Intended for use as an aid by personnel working with handicapped clients, this implementor's manual and resource guide presents model components of the Vocational Habilitation for Severely Handicapped Youth Project. It contains 6 sections (each describing a major component of the program model) and a bibliography/resource guide. Each section…

This guide consists of suggestions, ideas, and tips intended to stimulate development of cooperative summer youth employment programs in local communities. Addressed in the individual sections of the guide are the following topics: tips on where to start, suggestions on how to get started, hints on securing resources, program resources, use of…