Barack Obama's "My Brother's Keeper" is designed to narrow persistent gaps that boys and young men of color confront often and to help all young people achieve their potential in college and career. An important part of this initiative is comprehensive mentoring that supports students in schools and in communities. Because…

As the only federal funding stream that provides dedicated funds for afterschool programs across the country, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative plays an important role in supporting the innovation that takes place in afterschool programs. Social innovation has been defined as "a novel solution to a social…

Emphasizing the intersection of policy and politics, this paper uses Theda Skocpol's polity-centered approach (1992) to analyze two key moments in the history of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program: (1) 1998, when the program's budget grew from $40 million to $200 million; and (2) 2003, when President Bush attempted to cut…

The purposes of Senate bill S.1415 concerning youth smoking are reviewed and a favorable report with an amendment is provided. The background and need for the legislation is analyzed and the legislative history, including hearings and testimony, is summarized. An analysis of Sections 1-10 is presented individually. Discussion of the bill follows…

This briefing paper reviews current Federal policies and programs for youth. It discusses the background and funding of initiatives in five major agencies: the Department of Labor; the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); the Department of Education; the Department of Justice; and the Department of Defense. A brief introductory section…

Sustainability is a critical issue for out-of-school programs. Time-limited grants, narrow categorical funding streams, and difficult economic conditions leave program leaders in a continual struggle to find a stable base of resources to continue their program over time. In the face of these challenges, many out-of-school initiatives have…

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This strategy brief presents a…

America's Promise Alliance recommends that all sectors of society work together to ensure all young people have a 21st century education in which service-learning and civic involvement are components. This policy/practice brief explores service-learning as a place-based family-strengthening strategy that develops the capacity of youth as a core…

This report updates and expands two earlier editions which describe Federal programs which affect children and their families. An introductory section discusses and presents tables of data concerning target groups and participation in the programs; program administration; and program funding. The bulk of the report consists of profiles of…

As required by law, state education agencies receiving funds under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act submitted reports on the number and location of homeless children and youth in their states to the U.S. Department of Education. These reports also include data on the nature and extent of problems of access to education and student…

This report reviews and analyzes programs to educate homeless children and youth. A look at the national perspective describes the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, its passage and content. The paper argues that the Department of Education, charged with implementing the Act, failed to do so. Delays, inadequate monitoring, and…

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs received testimony from representatives of federal agencies as to how the U.S. government might better address the needs of American Indian youth through the development of federal laws, programs, and policies. The hearing was a followup to an oversight hearing 1 month earlier in which American Indian young…

This monograph discusses seven topics regarding ways in which local K-12 school districts could and should relate with the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) Prime Sponsor in their particular geographic area. The seven priority issues were identified by participants in a series of 15 two-day mini-conferences conducted by the Office…

A summary and highlight of the significant developments, major accomplishments and important research findings of the three years of operation of the Honolulu Buddy System Project is contained in this document. In addition, the implications that the research data have generated, along with further directions to be explored are included. Most…

The concept of the school as community encompasses two distinct relationships: the school/extended community and the internal school community. As social needs and conditions change, so does the school role in the community. Topics covered in this book include benefits of collaboration between the external community and the school, the creation of…