Questionnaires completed by 777 participants evaluated 32 pilot summer programs in the United Kingdom designed to help high-risk 16-year-olds make the transition from secondary school to adult life and to enhance eight personal and social skills through outdoor activities. Results indicate the programs had a positive impact, but numerous…

Community groups, volunteers, and local businesses helped a small North Carolina town initiate many programs for at-risk youth including Head Start, DARE, after-school programs at community centers and the library, summer programs, park development, and reduced swimming pool fees. A program that informs crime victims of the status of their cases…

The Tribal Youth Program, administered by the Department of Justice, awards 3-year grants supporting tribal efforts to prevent and control juvenile crime and to improve reservation juvenile justice systems. Programs include mental health programs, research and evaluation, educational programs addressing communication skills and juvenile crime,…

In this article, a distinct type of adult-youth relationship found in some youth programs and characterized as instrumental is discussed. Such relationships focus primarily on joint work on a task or project, or in a discipline, with the adult having expertise and a strong identity in the substantive domain involved, rather than in youth work per…

Young unemployed persons are a prioritised group in active labour market programmes. Such programmes can be regarded as "integrative", facilitating integration into the labour market for young people in accordance with their own preferences. However, such programmes can also be regarded as "defensive", discouraging young…

This article features Woodland Hills's Neighborhood Youth Services. The Neighborhood Youth Services (NYS) program is a community-based program created by Woodland Hills, a residential program for troubled adolescents in Duluth, Minnesota. Principles for building respectful adult and peer relationships developed in the treatment environment were…

One of the many legacies left to us through ancient Greek literature is the concept of mentoring. The ideal mentoring relationship involves three key components: (1) Continuing to carry out other duties while assuming the care-giving role; (2) Serving as a conduit for the wisdom of others; and (3) Developing a long-term connection. Mentoring can…

This paper aims to examine current nationwide youth fitness test programs, address problems embedded in the programs, and possible solutions. The current Fitnessgram, President's Challenge, and YMCA youth fitness test programs were selected to represent nationwide youth fitness test programs. Sponsors of the nationwide youth fitness test programs…

As part of a larger study examining the impact of the "get tough" policy on juvenile crime, we studied the effects of efforts to "get tough" on juvenile participation in diversion programs in Hillsborough County, Florida. Florida legislature budget cuts in 2000 eliminated a primary community service program (JASP), replacing it…

Following a national trend of "getting tough" on increased juvenile crime, the Florida legislature eliminated one of the primary community service-oriented juvenile diversion programs, the Juvenile Alternative Services Program (JASP). JASP was subsequently replaced with four other diversion programs, two of which (the Walker Plan and an…

A core component of Legacy's Statewide Youth Movement Against Tobacco Use is the ability of state and local initiatives to empower youth to effect change in their communities. The authors' conceptual framework proposes that youth empowerment is an outcome of the process by which youths become active participants in local efforts. Youths are…

Austin Independent School District served more than 13,000 students in summer programs during 2009, providing opportunities for accelerated learning, maintenance of academic skills between school years, course credit recovery, state achievement tests, or school-level transition activities. This report summarizes this information.

Now progressing into its fourth year, Learning Clicks is an interactive, dynamic, and informative program to help students in Grades 9-12 learn about the importance, long-term benefits, and opportunities of post-secondary education. This program also serves as a portal to provide students with the necessary information to assist in planning and…

This study of 4,057 students from 52 high schools in Chicago examines the impact of civic learning opportunities on students' commitments to civic participation. The study controls for demographic factors, pre-existing civic commitments, and academic test scores. Unlike prior large scale studies that found limited impact from school based civic…

Brogden Middle School (BMS) is located approximately 15 miles south of Goldsboro, North Carolina, a city of approximately 40,000 citizens and the home of a military base. To decrease the number of discipline referrals of African American males, 10 students who had the most frequent discipline referrals during their seventh-grade year were…