Parks and recreation professionals can help prevent juvenile delinquency by learning more about why young people feel disconnected with society and developing programs to help them develop strong ties and relationships with their communities. Social bonds can be developed through attachment, commitment, involvement, and positive beliefs. A sidebar…

The president and chief executive officer of the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA), Fred Engh, discusses the status of the NYSCA today and how recreation professionals are trying to make sports fun for all children. The NYSCA's training and certification program for volunteer coaches is highlighted. (MT)

Review of the research on at-risk youth and resilient youth (successful youth despite adverse family and environmental situations) focuses on environmental protective factors such as positive relationships and youth participation. Application to park and recreation systems suggests leisure systems can provide such positive factors as a caring…

Describes a survey conducted by the Washoe County (Nevada) Library to investigate youth services programs, using a planning grant from the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, "Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development". Discusses education and tutoring programs, including homework centers; career development and mentoring…

Characteristics of youthful offenders are described, and the role of the individualized education program (IEP) in a training school is considered. The bulk of the paper discusses Project Adventure, a therapeutic program for offenders which emphasizes physical fitness games, risk taking activities, initiative taking, and group cooperation to solve…

Describes Detroit's Youth Restitution Program which combats juvenile delinquency using self-esteem-building leisure programs. Developed through county juvenile court community service programs, it places youth in recreation centers where restitution workers assist them with tasks like supervising children's activities and beautifying the center.…

A therapeutic recreation program in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, for 24 emotionally handicapped students (grades 5 through 12) provides extended day services within a public school setting. The program was designed to meet seven goals: providing structured activities beyond the regular school day, reinforcing the students'…

Describes how several libraries are encouraging children to participate in summer reading programs by bringing them to childcare and recreation centers. Discusses reaching out to teenagers; starting a program and gauging summer reading program participation in the community; and securing funding and partnerships. (AEF)

The Caravan House program, the group home for adolescents sponsored by the Palo Alto Adolescent Services Corporation, is described. Included are suggestions for developing a resource file of appropriate recreational and vocational resources. The materials reviewed cover the following areas: (1) group home residents' needs for employment and…

A list of five publications providing ideas for programs is followed by descriptions of 24 library programs for young adults which have been carried out at public libraries in Michigan. The type of program, age group, preparation, program description, evaluation, and a contact person at the library are included for each. (CWM)

This monograph, one of a series on youth with disabilities and the juvenile justice system, focuses on the role of recreation in preventing juvenile delinquency and recidivism among youth with disabilities. Section 1 addresses factors involved in being at-risk for juvenile delinquency. These include exclusion from recreation activities, limited…

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the child and youth care field in Canada. It covers a spectrum of key concerns within the field of child and youth care, and presents an analysis that spans a variety of program areas. The 12 chapters in the book are: (1) "The Scope of Child and Youth Care in Canada" (Roy Ferguson and…

Ways in which young people have delivered needed services to their communities and have improved on previously established systems for delivering these services are described. The forty projects suggest some of the ways to provide teenagers with learning experiences that meet their own particular needs and, at the same time, offer a genuine and…

This information package compiles several resources for supporting children and teens with severe disabilities in integrated recreation/leisure activities. The package contains: (1) an overview article by Pam Walker titled "Supports for Children and Teens with Developmental Disabilities in Integrated Recreation/Leisure Activities," with…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of OPTICA (Our Path Together Initiating Cultural Access) programs. For each program an information sheet indicates the goal, total participation, status of the goal, and activities of the program. Programs included: (1) Hands On: ASL Creative Story Telling, a program that used children's…