In contemporary developmental science, relational development systems models have been used to frame the positive youth development (PYD) perspective, which posits that youth will thrive when there is alignment between their strengths and ecological resources in their context. Evidence from the 4-H Study of PYD indicates that out-of-school-time…

At the heart of afterschool programs are the relationships that form between the children and youth who participate in these programs and the adults who lead them. To be effective, adults working in afterschool settings must be able to engage youth in growth-promoting relationships. This article identifies and describes four foundational ways of…

Service-learning, by its very nature, fosters young people's spiritual development, especially in experiencing a sense of interconnectedness with others and the rest of the world; opening one's heart; and expanding self-inquiry and self-knowledge. (Contains 7 notes.)

Formal programs covering the time young people are not in school (only 20 percent of the time) have burgeoned rapidly in the past few decades as a result of profound societal changes. Although the need of all children for out-of-school-time programs has not been met, millions of youngsters do participate in out-of-school-time programs sponsored by…

The authors introduce the RALLY (Responsive Advocacy for Life and Learning in Youth) approach. RALLY is a school- and afterschool-based approach addressing academic success, youth development, and mental health for youth. Based on developmental and relational principles, RALLY's main goals are to promote students' resiliency, development, and…

Organized afterschool programs have received increased attention over the past two decades because of changes in family demographics and in society's structures for supervising and socializing youth. The number of afterschool programs has been rapidly expanding to meet the increased need. However, not all youth in need are being reached, and the…

In November 2000, the Lilly Endowment of Indianapolis, Indiana, issued a request for grant proposals from public school districts in Marion County, Indiana. It called for school districts to develop innovative, systemic, and transforming approaches to preparing students to thrive in an increasingly competitive, high-tech, global society. The…

In August 2000, twenty people met in a room in Boston to address two questions: (1) How can Boston create a network of community schools?; and (2) Does the action have to proceed one school at a time, or are there systematic changes that can advance the movement? For the next four years, these people worked together, without funding, a road map,…

Although few educators, youth development practitioners, and student support services personnel question the importance of helping children to develop the skills necessary to be successful in the workplace, make ethical decisions, and be engaged and contributing citizens, these skills are rarely taught explicitly and effectively. The pressures of…

A pioneer effort when passed as a bipartisan bill into legislation in 1991, California's Healthy Start initiative now stands out as a promising model for the emerging community school movement. Healthy Start is intended to bring "comprehensive, integrated, supports and services" to California's most disadvantaged K-12 students and…

The first full-service school in Evansville, Indiana, began at Cedar Hall Elementary School in the mid-1990s. In the planning phase of the Cedar Hall pilot, a number of community-based organizations, businesses, parents, and churches were invited to come together to develop a full-service school framework. In 2000, a district council was…