The need of American youth to be responsible and contributing members of society has led to the rise of "youth participation" projects across the country. Various programs have been established to enable young people to participate in meaningful activities. (JN)

Some educators contend that students who engage in activities related to school subjects learn more efficiently and more effectively, and remember what they have learned much longer than students who do not. Service-Learning (S-L) can provide a central focus around which educational change can occur. Moreover, S-L enhances the ideas promoted by…

Studies show that afterschool programs improve academic achievement, reduce grade retention and increase student attendance and interest in school. Across the country, afterschool is a key element in strategies to turn around under-performing schools. The superintendent of Philadelphia and the governor of Virginia have used afterschool to turn…

With the nation's recent emphasis on student test scores, The Children's Aid Society fears that schools are missing the opportunity to be the institutions that help turn out successful young people. School climate and connectedness are the key ingredients for creating healthy schools that produce successful students. These factors are worthy of…

The community college should be the catalyst to reverse the downward trend of community change. A community renewal college would serve as a change agent for the betterment of life conditions at the local level. Such a college would unite and improve the community by bringing its residents together and teaching them the attitudes, skills, and…

This brochure, one in a series of four, is designed to assist people working in schools and in the community as they work together to encourage girls in mathematics, science, and engineering. Six sections discuss the reasons for and ways to work together to make changes. The first section describes what special programs can offer schools, and…

This brochure, one in a series of four, is designed to assist program directors, teachers, and evaluators evaluate programs to encourage girls in mathematics, science, and engineering. Seven sections cover the why, the what, and some of the how of program evaluation. The first section explains why programs need to be evaluated. The second section…

This brochure, one in a series of four, is designed to assist school, community, and university personnel as they develop and refine programs to encourage girls in mathematics, science, and engineering. The information is divided into seven sections. The first section discusses four reasons why programs that encourage girls to enroll in…

This report describes efforts by Portland State University (Oregon) (PSU) to undertake administrative restructuring, reinvent the curriculum with an interdisciplinary focus, and initiate experiential learning programs that benefit both students and the community. By reducing support staff and middle management, PSU freed up funds to create a…

The 10 papers in this report review what the United States has accomplished for late-adolescents and young adults in the past decade since publication of "The Forgotten Half." The consensus from the 15 authors is that many developments have not been encouraging. "Today's Forgotten Half: Still Losing Ground" (Samuel Halperin), a review of…