This paper reports a survey of 59 able children (grades 4-8) that found a correlation between student life-skills scores and mothers' involvement in community service, leadership, or other creatively productive activities. The paper then describes development of an extended-day program at a private school, that provided stimulating after-school…

Describes a group of participants in a highly productive, nonformal learning environment that exemplifies the practices of a collaborative community. Diverse elementary students and university undergraduates participate in entertaining educational activities within an after-school computer club. The club focuses on hybrid literacy practices and…

Jon Gilgoff is the Boys Services Manager of the Youth Justice Institute in Oakland, California, and a former Robert Bowne Foundation Fellow who researched Boyz 2 Men through his work with the Educational Alliance in New York City. Boyz 2 Men aimed to provide a positive alternative to drugs as a means of coping with the multiple challenges young…

Lunar Nautics is a hands-on curriculum targeted to youth in grades 6 to 8, that allows the students to design, test, analyze and manage a space mission from initial concept to project funding. Lunar Nautics provides opportunities for development of problem solving skills and critical thinking skills that are needed to design, organize and manage a…

Colorado traditionally has ranked as one of the healthiest states in the nation, a claim that reinforces a culture of activity, community and well-being. Though Colorado is ahead of the curve in this area, Coloradans aren't immune to the growing trends that threaten the health of people across the nation. One of the most concerning elements of…

The concept of critical media literacy expands the notion of literacy to include different forms of mass communication and popular culture, as well as deepens the potential of literacy education to critically analyze relationships between media and audiences, information and power. The authors argue that critical media literacy is crucial for…

All over America, young adolescents' experiences of growing up have changed dramatically in the past two decades. Family life for adolescents has changed, adolescents face greater risks to their health, and greater risks of being poorly educated for the next century. Families, schools, and community organizations, the three pivotal institutions…

In 1994, the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund made a commitment to school-age care by launching the MOST Initiative--a $6.5 million, multi-year project aimed at systemic community-based change to improve the quality and availability of out-of-school time for children in three cities: Boston, Chicago, and Seattle. The MOST Initiative was…

This report describes the first operating year of Project Support, a 3-year gang/drug prevention program aimed at elementary students in six inner city schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The project involves the implementation of nine strategies described in the research literature as being effective in drug/gang prevention. These…

Based on interviews with those involved in the adoption and implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and its Youth Service Centers, as well as on analysis of program data gathered by state and local agencies, this first year assessment is intended to highlight successes in the early stages of implementation, raise appropriate…

This report evaluates nine supplemental education programs of the Newark (New Jersey) school system receiving funds from the Education of the Handicapped Act--Part B. The projects variously deal with academic, cultural, psychological, social, and service related concerns. Evaluation was conducted through interviews, on-site observation, and…

This report describes after-school programs available in the Houston (Texas) Independent School District (HISD). Fifty-nine sites offer either after-school child care or instruction to elementary school students in the HISD. Magnet's Extended Instructional Day program is the largest and the Houston Committee for Private Sector Initiatives'…

This report summarizes research on the problems of young adolescent latchkey children and describes 18 programs designed to address their needs. There is growing consensus that young adolescents (10 to 15 years of age), as well as elementary school children, may be at risk when left on a regular basis in unsupervised settings. Children in sibling-…

Recognizing the need for a strong family housing program to support a student body composed of many nontraditional students, Texas Woman's University converted a traditional residence hall into a family housing unit with an after-school and summer recreation program. The majority of residents in family housing are single mothers with children who…

The purpose of this report is to describe the programs that make up Oregon's Disadvantaged Child Project (DCP) and document the ways in which students benefited from participation. The DCP was established in 1967 to provide supplemental services to children in low-income and culturally deprived areas. The project contains three major components:…