4-H youth development programs throughout the United States can be planned and delivered more effectively in their states by assessing demographic data and following research-based theories and models of positive youth development. A review of the research literature determined current youth development theories and models to effectively guide…

The Texas Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) is the program administered through the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants. The Texas ACE Boys and Girls Clubs of Austin Area Cycle 10 program is composed of a compilation of activities at 9 Austin Independent School District…

As part of an ongoing, multi-million dollar Wallace Foundation initiative to improve and expand arts learning opportunities for young people, the Wallace Foundation, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), developed the Youth Arts Initiative (YAI) to deliver otherwise inaccessible high-quality arts programs to low-income…

A 2013 Wallace-commissioned report pointed to 10 principles that small, high-quality, arts-focused youth organizations appear to share. Four years later, an investigation into Wallace's Youth Arts Initiative showed that the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), a multi-faceted federation of more than 4,000 clubhouses around the country, could…

Pediatric physical and occupational therapists are in the unique position to provide therapeutic and health promotion interventions to children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) including those with chronic conditions (such as overweight and obesity) in a variety of settings. In this commentary, the authors share their experiences…

This handbook details how group leaders can adopt Project EASE (Exploring Aging through Shared Experiences), a program designed to provide opportunities for older adults and young people to interact in ongoing activities. Although the handbook is geared for children ages 9 through 13, it is adaptable for other ages and can be used in the…

Intended to motivate and assist librarians in taking a new approach to library services for adolescents of junior high and high school age, this handbook (1) outlines the benefits of youth participation in school and public libraries; (2) describes some existing programs, including youth participation in library planning and policy, publication of…

A survey examined the involvement of 11 voluntary agencies in providing employment-related services and programs for youth. A field-tested survey was completed by 1,005 respondents from corporate units of the following organizations: American Red Cross Youth Services, Boys' Clubs of America, Boy Scouts of America, Camp Fire, 4-H Youth Programs,…

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…