A positive school climate is strongly associated with enhanced student outcomes. With the disengagement of Black and Latinx youth living in poverty being at an all-time high, participation in sport-based youth development (SBYD) programs may enhance school climate, while capitalizing on existing interests. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to…

This qualitative pilot study at a cooperative living facility for young men in the juvenile justice system examined participants' social development following a humane education program. After a course that taught the care, handling, and training of foster dogs, five participants shared their reflections, offering their insights into the ways in…

This on-going ethnographic study examines how a counter-space, La Libertad, introduces Latin@ students to a liberating pedagogy of praxis which counters dehumanization they experience in their high school. This study used Paulo Freire's dehumanization concept as a guide to reveal how Latin@ youth encounter oppression, injustice, and exploitation…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a longitudinal examination of the relationship between sustained after-school participation and a district's Early Warning Index associated with school dropout in a large urban school district. The study included 64,351 students participating between 2000-2001 and the 2011-2012 school years. Data were…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the i3-funded SPARK program on the literacy development of students in kindergarten through third grade. The SPARK program represents a collaboration between Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Public Schools. In the study, two cohorts of students were randomly…

Low high school graduation rates and sharply declining employment rates among disadvantaged youth have led to increasing numbers of youth who are disconnected from both school and work. What programs and policies might prevent these disconnections and improve educational and employment outcomes, particularly among young men? We review the evidence…

The primary objective of Project About Face, a program of Youth Services, Inc., is to reduce the rate of recidivism among juvenile offenders assigned to the program by the Juvenile Court of Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee. Another purpose is to establish a profile of the type of offender who would be most likely to benefit from the academic,…

One unintended consequence of juvenile diversion may be that diversion programs widen the net of justice system control, rather than divert youth from the system. This issue was examined in a group of youths who were randomly assigned to either the Adolescent Diversion Project (ADP) or to a control group who received services as usual by the court…

This paper describes a tool-and-result methodological approach to the practice and evaluation of an urban community development and gardening project with homeless youth. Over 9 months, at least 40 homeless children and teenagers were involved in the program, and approximately 15 were core participants. The paper critically examines the role of…

Delinquency reduction and reduction of the number of juveniles referred to the justice system were assessed for 14 diversion programs in Los Angeles County. A project versus nonproject comparison and a pre-post analysis with archival and other data gathered from 1972 through 1977 were used. Preliminary results indicated that the diversion projects…

In the San Francisco Bay Area (California), community agencies and organizations routinely use teenagers as mentors and teachers of peers and younger children. Despite the literature indicating that teens should derive many benefits from these roles, agency staff have observed teen teachers who appear frustrated, bored, or disengaged, or who have…

Bridge Builders is a 2-year program intended to develop leadership in high school students. Programmatic goals include enhancing the participants' understanding of other racial and ethnic groups, socioeconomic groups, gender awareness, social responsibility, and the value of community service. Bridge Builders participants confronted community…

Community-based organizations that worked effectively with urban youth were found to resemble experiential education programs. The finding was remarkable because the organizations did not identify themselves as places where experiential education took place. A study of four organizations examined ways in which they help youth to become more…

There is a great deal of rhetoric concerning the prevention of violence and related problems faced by youth. A conference speech, this document advocates that rhetoric must be replaced by an examination of available data and experience with school-based prevention programs. This is especially important in light of a growing emphasis on "Safe…

Project Youth, an eight-week workshop for poor minority youths, used theatre exercises to improve participants' communication and self-presentation skills in order to improve their ability to work with others. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, a 2-phase study was conducted using a sample of participants (N=32) from 15 to 21 years old.…