The results of a qualitative study funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation indicate that a promising path to improving the lives of disadvantaged families is through more holistic, comprehensive approaches to family support. These approaches combine traditional family support activities with the development of human and economic capital. The…

After-school programs have become an increasingly integral component of youth services. Numerous federal, state, and local initiatives have been implemented or expanded recently, resulting in a broad array of school- and community-based programs. A growing number of peer-reviewed outcome studies and longitudinal evaluations suggest that…

What are "full-service community schools," and what do they have to do with youth development? Community schools are those that have been intentionally transformed into neighborhood hubs and that are open all the time to children and their families. In these buildings, a range of support services is provided by community agencies to help…

The National Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50 and Older was designed to develop a national strategy for the promotion of physically active lifestyles among the mid-life and older adult population. The Blueprint identifies barriers to physical activity in the areas of research, home and community programs, medical…

Youth violence in Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities is growing at an alarming rate as a result of many factors, such as immigration history, intergenerational conflicts, mental health and substance abuse problems, and socioeconomic context. Unfortunately, the issues of API youth are often ignored due to their small population and a general…

This paper evaluates a case-study work-based learning (WBL) programme for final year health studies undergraduates, analysing key characteristics, and reporting benefits and tensions that result. It triangulates evidence from learners, community agencies and teachers. Cross-fertilisation of ideas between the academy and community agencies, and the…

This paper discusses the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence and how it helps improve the literacy skills of all children in El Paso, Texas. The goal of the collaborative is to ensure that all children are successful in school and are prepared to enter and be successful in a four-year college. Its role is to expand leadership and…

A population-based prevalence study in one region of Jamaica in 1987-1989 indicated that about 8% of the childhood population had cognitive (intellectual) disability. Some harmful beliefs and practices persist about child rearing, violence towards women, and child abuse of all types. A lack of knowledge is apparent about the efficacy of home-based…

This article contains an overview of the indoor racquet club as a construction trend, describes the playing opportunities of an average city, and examines closely a successful multipurpose racquet club. (MJB)

This series of articles focuses on the provision of special recreation services in the community for a variety of populations including the elderly, latch-key kids, cardiac patients, physically and mentally disturbed children, adolescents, adults, juveniles, and the multihandicapped. The quest for "recreation for all" on a national level requires…

A joint school and recreation complex in Arlington County, Virginia, is designed to serve the entire community. (Editors)

This article describes the community sailing program established by the Wilmette Park District, in suburban Chicago. This program, without losing money, provides affordable instruction and other services to beginning sailors of various ages. (IAH)

For more than a decade, Florida's Palm Beach County has been building an infrastructure of prevention and early intervention services to promote and support the healthy development and school readiness of children from birth to age 8. The county began this effort with a set of programs focused on serving families in four targeted geographic areas…

Most interventions for at-risk youth are group based. Yet, emerging research indicates that young people often learn to become deviant by interacting with deviant peers. In this important volume, leading intervention and prevention experts from psychology, education, criminology, and related fields analyze how, and to what extent, programs that…