We present a dialogue between two community-based scholars in Tio'tia:ke/Montréal, who are examining the experiences of low-income Black families and youth, and gender-diverse, homeless youth. We argue that success must be understood differently in light of the systemic discrimination many youth navigate in schools and explore how research may…

The purpose of this study was to describe community partners' (CPs) perceptions of an out-of-school swimming program (OSSP) for under­served children and youth. Participants were four CPs associated with the OSSP during three consecutive summers and parents of the children and youth who participated in the program. We employed a theoretical…

Youth of Color, especially those in households with low income, experience multiple stressors and trauma that affect their well-being. Few studies examine the impact of youth engagement in leadership and organizing to address systemic inequity on their mental health and well-being. In a community-based participatory action research design, three…

The Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), supports the growth of effective programs, and the development of innovative approaches to solve the country's most intractable problems. The SIF directs resources towards efforts in the areas of youth development, economic opportunity, and…

This report analyzes case studies of "more and better learning time" efforts around the country. With support from the Ford Foundation, America's Promise Alliance looked in Grand Rapids, MI; Louisville, KY; Memphis, TN; and Rochester, NY to see how time spent out of the classroom improved outcomes for students in low-income neighborhoods…

Background: Due to the rising demands for a Canadian workforce with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related education, there is a need to increase youth engagement in STEM education and programming. Research, however, has shown that youth residing in low-income communities are disproportionately affected by psychosocial barriers,…

Summer learning loss has been documented in the United States since early in the 20th century. These early studies measured differences in test scores at the beginning of the summer and at the end, and discovered that students did not retain information during the summer. Studies conducted throughout the 20th century confirmed this. Later studies…

Academics from diverse disciplines are recognizing not only the procedural ethical issues involved in research, but also the complexity of everyday "micro" ethical issues that arise. While ethical guidelines are being developed for research in aboriginal populations and low-and-middle-income countries, multi-partnered research…

Behaviors that warrant school discipline (e.g., fighting, victimizing peers) is detrimental to school climate and the learning process. This study examines the effectiveness of preventing school disciplinary incidents in middle school through an experiential, social and emotional learning (SEL) program. A community youth development organization,…

A meta-analytic review of 33 studies and 41 independent samples was conducted of the effectiveness of community-based mental health and behavioral programs for low-income urban youth. Findings indicated positive effects, with an overall mean effect of 0.25 at post-test. While this is comparable to previous meta-analytic intervention research with…

In this article, I explore what happens when digital media activities designed to stimulate science conversations are introduced to an out-of-school-time (OST) space usually reserved for talks about girls' issues. The goals of this study were to provide a space that values youth voice and creates positive emotional energy around science-related…

Engaging parents and family members in their children's lives is critical to youth's success in school and life (Terzian & Mbwana, 2009; Mbwana et al. 2009). When families are involved, youth receive higher grades, attend school more frequently, perform better in standardized testing, show improved behavior and are more likely to graduate (Marks…

The purpose of the exploratory study was to understand what youth motivations in the Michigan Youth Farm Stand Project (YFSP) offered by the C.S Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University. The qualitative study included interviews and observations to explore the motivations of youth participants. An opportunity to earn…

In a nation where 42 percent of children live in low-income families, too many schools face the challenge of teaching students burdened with unmet needs that pose obstacles to learning. Community schools that align schools and community resources are a promising strategy for improving student outcomes by providing wraparound services that meet the…

Primary support programs may be identified as programs, places, and activities beyond schools that are available to and appropriate for all children and their families and that supplement the family's own capacity to promote its children's safe and healthy development. This report examines 77 quality youth-serving programs that provide some…