The purpose of this study was to research teacher and student perceptions of the impact of an advisory program at a large, suburban high school. The advisory program on which this study focused was created in August 2004. Kottler and Kottler (1998) note "it is through your relationships with students that you affect and influence them most…

This article begins with a 12-year-old girl's story that serves as an example of how "caring coaches" in the schools contribute greatly in helping schools become hopeful places for children. Helping students become more hopeful is rewarding for the students, teachers, school psychologists, counselors, parents, and other caring adults. Twenty years…

In this article, the author describes his experiences as a Mexican living "illegally" in the United States and how Esperanza Community Collegial Academy has given him a second chance to find himself and his place in this world. At Esperanza he is part of a program that promotes higher education, MEXA (Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de…

This study explores differences between Outward Bound (OB) and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) participant perspectives on programmatic factors and their relation to outcomes. Although OB and NOLS are assumed to be similar in many ways, as each program offers wilderness expeditions for students in backcountry environments, the mission…

Using longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study (analytic sample N = 712), we investigate how age, adult role acquisition and attainments, family resources, parent-child relationship quality, school attendance, and life events influence support received from parents in young adulthood. Parental assistance was found to be less forthcoming…

This Yearbook chapter, a compilation of multiple sources, presents both the history of action research and an analysis of reported action research in the professional development school (PDS) between 1992 and 2010. The history begins prior to the inception of the PDS and provides a theoretical premise for action research in the PDS in subsequent…

Research has highlighted the challenges that women face as mature-age students in higher education. The challenges are particularly acute when a woman is the first in her family to go to university. Many women begin their journey as students with considerable self-doubt and lack of confidence. They may also face an ongoing struggle to find a way…

This article makes a case for the use of blended learning in teaching human development as a means to encourage higher-order student learning outcomes. The authors review literature regarding the use and effectiveness of blended learning, discuss an illustrative example of a redesign of a human development course, present outcomes from a…

I use the metaphor "zebra crossing" in my reflective narrative to describe my plight and struggle as a non-white person growing up and working in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the apartheid era. This article considers and compares the notions of culture, diversity and identity as I now work in a tertiary institution in Melbourne,…

Conceptual development requires learning. It requires learning to make discriminations that were previously unavailable to the subject. Notwithstanding the descriptions of learning available in the psychological and educational literature, there is no account available that shows that it is so much as possible. There can be no such account unless…

Outdoor and adventure education has been shown to result in positive psychological outcomes. This paper connects positive psychology--specifically, strengths-based education--to important outcomes in outdoor and adventure education. Strengths-based education encourages participants to intentionally use their talents to achieve success in the…

All organizations are different in nature, culture, programs, and services. However, every truly successful enterprise ("successful" meaning their mission statement and strategic goals are followed and achieved) that the author has encountered: (1) Employs strategic leadership; (2) Is organized in a way to promote maximum individual staff…

This paper explores the role of narrative in the Stoneleigh Project, an outdoor retreat approach to supporting marginalised young people in becoming agents of personal and social change. The metaphor of a journey, developed by sociological writers, is applied to the transition of young people to adulthood. Undertaken as a narrative enquiry, the…

This article reports on a three year case study and interview project of a federal initiative to help low income students access college called individual development accounts (IDA). The study focused on partnership development between community agencies that offer IDAs and postsecondary institutions, examining challenges and facilitators. A set…

Much controversy surrounds the consequences of adolescent paid work, with researchers coming to diverse conclusions about work's impact on youth. This article summarizes findings from the Youth Development Study (YDS), a long-term, ongoing longitudinal study that has followed youth from middle adolescence through early adulthood. The YDS findings…