The public image of adolescents tends to be very negative, and there is a disconnect between adults and youth. However, numerous examples of what is right with today's youth exist. Many communities are formally or informally involved in youth initiatives. Stresses the importance of adult involvement in adolescents' lives, noting social norms about…

Examined organizational and professional correlates of the integration of the ecological approach in Canadian public health organizations' youth tobacco control programs. Surveys of 110 tobacco control programs in 90 organizations indicated that organizational environment and staff preparation played a critical role in adoption of the ecological…

Describes a New York Girls Club program designed to educate children and young adults about AIDS. Program involves use of prevention posters, puzzles, compositions, simulated game shows, debates, problem-solving and role-playing exercises, risk assessment exercises, and rap groups. (RJC)

Presents a variety of living arrangement options for foster adolescents, many of which are designed to promote self-sufficiency and independent functioning. Describes existing options beginning with the most structured and restrictive environments and moving toward options that require lesser amounts of adult supervision. (RJC)

Describes a South African project to develop an on-the-job training program combining education with productive, income-generating work in inner-city Johannesburg. Discusses partnerships, recruitment, and evaluation. (SK)

Examines characteristics of informal outdoor education offered by youth programs and human services agencies. Discusses the nature of curriculum and whether it is necessary, relative emphasis on process or product, experiential learning, appropriate use of activities, the importance of dialog in stimulating critical thinking, and client reflection…

The South Yorkshire Outdoor Pursuits Trust manages an unstaffed residential facility that is used as a base for outdoor activities by various youth groups and by social services and mental health providers. The Trust sponsors an annual three-day outdoor leadership training event for staff of statutory and voluntary agencies. (SV)

Notes that community mental health programs are an expanding force in the promotion of mental health and that this has implications for the roles of counselors who are becoming more involved in consultation, training and education of volunteers, and program planning and evaluation. Describes community group counseling health promotion program for…

Briscoe's article explains how PennServe, Pennsylvania's youth service program, converts young people from a problem to a community resource of which to be proud. Silcox explains various facets of a Philadelphia high school's PennServe program and shows how school-based service has changed attitudes, values, and relationships and enlivened…

Community service, widely touted as the cure for youngsters' political apathy, teaches little about the art of participating in public life. The service language of "caring and community" provides no antidote for today's youthful cynicism about politics, because it fails to reveal the public world extending beyond personal lives and…

Part-time youth workers (n=128) participating in a youth leadership training program in Northern Ireland evaluated their training, which integrated traditional curriculum with competency-based methods. A synthesis of the two methods effectively met learning needs and also led to improvements in the youth program. (SK)

Describes a theater for children and youth on the island of Aruba and the celebration of the project in a youth theater festival. Outlines the goals of the theater project. Discusses the development of the festival plays, the themes expressed in terms of metaphor, and the communication through objects used in the plays. (CR)

Describes the author's first visit to Bulgaria to visit classes, attend student performances, and talk with the faculty at the National Academy of Theater Arts and Film. Discusses their use of theater technique, such as puppetry, as a therapeutic tool and the vitality and expertise they displayed in their play performances. (CR)

A module was developed to inform youth and community workers of the challenges to local and global environments. The experience-based program used real-life community environmental examples and considered race, gender, and disability environmental issues. (SK)

Recounts the story of one young man's wraparound team, composed of and organized by his friends, to illustrate the positive influence that peers can have when they are involved in the wraparound process. Provides practical suggestions for recruiting peers and for roles they can play on the team. (Author/GCP)