The article surveys the various state-level evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation challenges and strategies adopted for children, youths, and families. The federal government also supports EBP through development and intervention research, training and technical assistance, and evaluation of different planning and implementation strategies.…

Youth workers operate within a professional climate in which competence is perceived to be linked to a worker's ability to respond quickly and effectively to whatever situations clients may present. Many youth workers perceive their own inability to respond in moments of stuckness as indicative of their own failing and lack of professional skill.…

This Research Update synthesizes findings from the profiles of 15 research and evaluation reports added to the Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Database in December 2006. It highlights strategies for assessing program processes as well as key outcomes and features of programs that promote positive outcomes. The Harvard Family…

This report addresses how the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program can be an important source of funding for maintaining, improving, and expanding out-of-school time initiatives. The report is designed to help policymakers and program developers understand the opportunities and challenges of effectively using TANF funding to…

The Blazing the Trail summit provided a unique experience for a national dialogue on actions that need to be taken to improve policy and practice in the youth development and leadership field, and to ensure that youth with disabilities (including those with mental health needs), are included in opportunities available to all youth. The report…

Research on summer learning losses has unambiguous implications for America: all children need learning opportunities in the summer. But how and when policymakers, educators, and youth service providers will fashion appropriate programming are far less clear. At the root of this problem is the need to vastly increase, stabilize, and coordinate…

It may be said that risk and resilience lie at two ends of a spectrum co-dependent on each other for existence. This chapter explores the concept of resiliency noting that it is used interchangeably within and between discourses and that there remains much disagreement around which factors constitute vulnerability and invulnerability. Gordon and…

With increasing demands placed on academic achievement and limited time during the school day, school administrators struggle to implement daily physical education for all students. As this trend becomes more prevalent, community-based organizations need to come forward to offer more after school and weekend programs to assist youth in achieving…

Over the next 20 years, experts predict that the number of Latina/o children in the U.S. will double, so that by the year 2025, one in four school children will be Latina/o (White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, 1998). Yet the academic achievement of Latina/os lags far behind that of other ethnic and racial…

"Learning Around the Clock: Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth" identifies and describes Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) that improve academic performance, college and career preparation, social and emotional development, and health and wellness outcomes for underserved youth. The term "expanded learning…

With most parents now in the workforce, the demand for high-quality out-of-school time (OST) opportunities for children and youth continues to grow across the country. An estimated 14.3 million children and youth return each day to an empty home unsupervised, and with no opportunities to constructively occupy their time. By building strong,…

WorkReady programs offer young Philadelphians not only their first job, but skills for success. Young people who work during high school often master valuable skills that can help them do better in high school and college; learn new things that open their eyes to career possibilities; and earn more money later in life. When young people learn how…

The question of how youth become engaged or motivated is vital to youth development programs, because engagement influences not only program retention but the likelihood of youth gaining the benefits that programs offer. This article reports on an in-depth study aimed at generating grounded theory about the change process through which youth who…

This document presents witness testimonies and prepared statements from the Senate hearing on youth violence, strategies for its prevention, and the appropriate role of the federal government. The hearing stresses the need for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach for youth violence prevention strategies and more coordination by the federal…

This report describes the activities of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services, and the status and accomplishments of runaway and homeless youth centers funded during fiscal year 1984 under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. The report also examines the status, operations, and…