The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development is a Washington, D.C.-based organization engaged in programming, research, and policy development related to youth civic engagement. Its mission is to unleash the potential of youth, adults, organizations, and communities to engage together in creating a just and equitable society. Strong…

Objective: This paper describes the characteristics of instructors at six farm safety day camps sponsored through local chapters of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids. What are their backgrounds and experience? What motivates them to participate as farm safety instructors? How do they prepare and present their instruction? Design: Data from 69 instructors…

Objective: Evidence-based practice is becoming increasingly important in social work and community practice. The authors reviewed existing research to assess the level of evidence available to guide community practice. Method: The authors conducted a review of the literature on community practice intervention research from 1985 to 2002 using…

Although research shows that young children's life experiences impact their kindergarten readiness, there are differences between parents and educators as to what those experiences should be. Schools can help by developing a community-wide understanding of the most important skills and by providing information and education to help families and…

This paper provides an account of the design, development and implementation of a postvention model of responding to the needs of families within a community following the aftermath of a tragic event, including suicide. This model was developed for a specific disadvantaged urban community. The paper includes the context of the need for such an…

Although Latinos now comprise the largest minority in the U.S. population, they continue to be seriously underrepresented in clinical trials. A nonrandomized controlled study of an innovative community-developed clinical trial and breast cancer education program targeting Latinas tested whether use of an art-based curriculum could increase…

Comprehensive Family Services (CFS) is a strengths-based and partnership-oriented approach to casework implemented through multiple initiatives. This study examines the relationship between the practice of CFS and satisfaction of clients, foster parents, and community partners. CFS indicators are paired with statewide customer satisfaction survey…

In the spring of 2005, the Bush administration announced that guidelines for following the mandates of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) had been made less restrictive. More of this "loosening" will follow, albeit quietly, lest the public discover the delusional qualities that went into the original version of the bill. Nevertheless, NCLB has…

The Roundtable on Comprehensive Community Initiatives for Children and Families is a forum in which persons involved in the current generation of community-based cross-systems can engage in discussion about their work. Roundtable members, now numbering 30, meet biannually to share lessons they are learning and to work on common problems they face.…

This guide was developed to help new literacy practitioners in Ontario, Canada, become familiar with designing, developing, and delivering literacy programs in the community. The guide is organized in 10 sections according to subject area. The three sections of part 1 deal with the developmental stages of planning, designing, and launching a…

This report describes the development of integrated community services for people with severe disabilities by Job Path, a New York City agency which currently provides services to approximately 250 people. A current emphasis of the agency is increased consideration of the individual's life outside of the work setting. Critical factors in the…

Some of the provocative issues regarding integrated-service efforts arise from questions about how professional service providers are to go about the business of integrating services. This paper presents findings of a study that examined how street-level bureaucrats negotiate boundaries between the community in which they work and the agencies…

Information is presented to help individuals and groups translate their concerns about youth into concrete, constructive action in the community. At the heart of the guide is a step-by-step process for action. The first section deals with taking individual action, exploring ways that the individual can make a difference. The second part of the…

Truancy is the first sign that a youngster is giving up and losing his or her way. Research shows that students who become truant and eventually drop out of school put themselves at a long-term disadvantage in becoming productive citizens. Dropouts are more likely to be on welfare or unemployed than high school graduates. High truancy rates are…

This chapter describes the history and demise of the service-learning component of a teacher education program. Beginning in 1968, service learning was a self-directed, community-based program within the student-teaching practicum at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. Students were responsible for matching their learning needs with placement…