Media education is a cultural framework that can be applied in different contexts: schools, families, informal educational environments, along with pastoral work. With Pope Francis' championing, there is an increasing need to bridge pastoral care and the media, which can become new important forms of proximity and open opportunities to connect and…

Common typologies frame youth participation as something that exists at different hierarchical, or linear, levels or stages. In these models, non-participation is positioned as something negative or not addressed at all. Scholars have critiqued these typologies for ignoring contextual specificities and complexities, nuances, and power dynamics…

Critical social analysis is a foundational sociopolitical learning experience which supports youth development and social action. While practical guidance for facilitating critical social analysis exists, there is a need for empirical work exploring educator and participant experiences. To understand how urban educators implement critical social…

Background: Black youth are five times more likely, Latinx twice as likely, and Native American youth three times as likely to be incarcerated as their White peers. One of the dire consequences of the prison-industrial complex is that countless youth of color have been disenfranchised and cast out of society. Purpose: The purpose of this study is…

In this thought leader commentary, we review the potential devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, including trauma, impacts on mental health, socioemotional distress, and changes in academic learning. Stating that 4-H is uniquely positioned to mitigate these effects through intentional positive youth development efforts, we…

Wraparound is a care coordination model that has shown effectiveness for serving children and youth with significant emotional and behavioral health needs and their families. The current study evaluates a statewide wraparound demonstration with the goals of reducing the use of residential care and increasing access to outpatient mental health…

In a one-day count in 2018, an estimated 37,529 youths resided in juvenile placement facilities across the United States. While the estimated number of juveniles in residential placement facilities has dropped by more than half over 20 years, alternative placement to other government juvenile facilities continues to remove youths from their…

Whether they are in a leadership program, participate in an organization, or engage in school-based extra-curricular activities, there does not appear to be a shortage of leadership development opportunities for youth. Despite the prominence of these experiences, the lack of youth leadership development models available for educators can pose a…

The authors explored the influences of a youth-focused Leave No Trace educational program on participants' attitudes, behaviors, and nature connectedness. The study employed an experimental, equivalent control-group design and included survey and direct observation measures. Pretest and posttest surveys provided self-report measures of attitudes…

In 2014, a mudslide devastated a small community in rural northwestern Washington State, taking 43 lives. The disaster created ripple effects that affected families, economies, transportation, and employment in neighboring communities. This article provides details of the state land-grant university's efforts to help affected communities recover.…

In May and June 2017, the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) conducted a national survey on Frontline Professional Development Needs among Youth Service Providers. NCWD/Youth received 74 survey responses from youth service professionals in 20 states. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents identified as the…

Employers in every sector have emphasized the need for a well-rounded, highly skilled workforce. Recent survey data indicates that over 90% of business leaders think American workers are not as skilled as they need to be. 1 According to the Business Roundtable, CEOs around the country have noticed a particular gap in "employability…

Civic engagement starts with our nation's young people, since engagement in adolescence increases the likelihood of engagement in adulthood. As 3 in 4 superintendents agree that preparing students for engaged citizenship is a challenge for their district, it is important to recognize that afterschool and summer learning programs are critical…

Dance -- created by a moving body over space and time -- creates space for non-verbal communication and self-expression. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may particularly benefit from the use of their bodies to convey their needs and desires. This research presents the experiences of individuals involved in two recreational dance programs…

This article presents case study data from a 2-year ethnography of Southeast Asian youth engagement within a grassroots community organization that serves immigrants in North Carolina before, during, and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Specifically, this study focuses on the ways in which five adolescent young women, who self-identified…