There have been many meaningful studies over the last quarter century that have explored how young people build critical consciousness, how mentors and other caring adults can support that process, and the benefits that young people experience when they build their sociopolitical understanding and work to make the world around them a better place.…

The benefit of participating in Out-of-School Time (OST) arts programs has been widely documented in studies that often reflect impact over short timeframes. Youth arts organisations often bear extraordinary claims about the impact of programs, and the value they hold especially in the lives of those who face difficult social circumstances. This…

UCLA PEERS® for Adolescents is a widely applied program among a number of social skills training programs developed over the years. We synthesized current research evidence on the PEERS program to evaluate the treatment effect on four commonly used outcome measures. 12 studies met inclusion criteria for the review and nine met the criteria for…

The use of peer-to-peer approaches in health promotion interventions targeting youth seems to be a strategy with great potential. The aim of this study was to synthesize and assess the elements and conditions that contribute to the effectiveness of youth-led physical activity interventions. This was done using a scoping review addressing the…

Resilience is understood as interactive processes that strengthen the individual and the family in the face of the demands of adversity or vulnerable situation. Resilience is fostered from a psychopedagogical approach when practices are developed that assist in facing challenges positively, having life projects and developing academic…

Objectives: To use a systematic review methodology to describe the state of the youth participatory action research (YPAR) literature and synthesize findings about the youth outcomes reported in these studies. Methods: We screened and coded studies using a process consistent with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and…

The Voices of Youth Count initiative's systematic evidence review is the most comprehensive synthesis of evaluation evidence on programs and practices related to youth homelessness to date. This document is one in a series of seven topical evidence summaries derived from the longer evidence review brief. Herein, evaluations of non-housing case…

The Voices of Youth Count initiative's systematic evidence review is the most comprehensive synthesis of evaluation evidence on programs and practices related to youth homelessness to date. This document is one in a series of seven topical evidence summaries derived from the longer evidence review brief. Herein, evaluations of individual…

The Voices of Youth Count initiative's systematic evidence review is the most comprehensive synthesis of evaluation evidence on programs and practices related to youth homelessness to date. This document is one in a series of seven topical evidence summaries derived from the longer evidence review brief. Herein, evaluations of economic and…

The Voices of Youth Count initiative's systematic evidence review is the most comprehensive synthesis of evaluation evidence on programs and practices related to youth homelessness to date. Herein, evaluations of outreach interventions for youth experiencing homelessness are summarized. Outreach is a set of activities in which service providers…

This Research-to-Impact brief is the eighth in a series from Voices of Youth Count. Voices of Youth Count is a national research and policy initiative designed to fill critical gaps in the nation's knowledge about unaccompanied homelessness among youth and young adults ages 13 to 25. Voices of Youth Count research estimated that nearly 4.2 million…

Prior concerns have been raised about the ability of schools to access evidence-based practices, however, these practices are instrumental for addressing behavior concerns. This is particularly true at the secondary level, where students are more likely to be disproportionately identified for school removal. This review investigates studies of…

In 2004, the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change emphasized the need for a comprehensive base of information on the effectiveness of community collaborations for youth--an accessible, evidence-rich resource that could guide local efforts to bring about meaningful change. Nearly 10 years later, this need remains largely unmet. In…

Afterschool programs have been operating for decades in communities across the country, and federal investment in afterschool has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s. However, even more investment in the field of afterschool, which includes before school, afterschool and summer learning programs, is needed to keep up with the growing…

Research evidence suggests that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for children and youth. However, summertime can also be used to provide programs that support an array of goals for children and youth, including improved academic achievement, physical health, mental health, social and emotional well-being,…