Out-of-school time (OST) initiatives, defined as programs that operate in and out of school settings, serve young people, their families, and the communities around them. These initiatives are often created to close opportunity gaps that can exist for at-risk students and to meet the needs of previously assessed concerns for communities. For the…

This article examines arts participation as a context for youth to develop purpose. Two analyses were conducted of interviews with arts-involved youth to explore the relationship between their arts participation and purpose, which was defined as an "intention to accomplish something that is both meaningful to the self and contributes to the…

Youth civic engagement occupies a central space in applied developmental science. However, understanding of the processes and contexts in which early adolescents become civically engaged is still limited. This study draws on a sample of approximately 4,000 students from 11 urban middle schools in Tennessee to address several gaps in the civic…

This document enumerates and discusses needs for community service and continuing education programs in the state of Tennessee. Its contents are based on the Statewide Report drawn up by the State Agency for Title I in Tennessee, and on responses to 800 questionnaires mailed to recipients of the Report requesting the identification of other…

The study's purpose was to determine the degree to which homogeneous rural youths living in an economically impoverished region might be vulnerable to anomia, powerlessness, and deviance given varying levels of perceived limitations in opportunity and self-ability. Comparative data relative to earlier studies in rural areas was also provided.…

In response to the escalation of violent crime among youth in Knoxville, Tennessee, two partnerships have been developed by Pellissippi State Technical Community College (PSTCC), a university and the K-12 system in the Greater Knoxville area, and community leaders to provide non-violent alternatives for youth. The first effort, the annual Greater…

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES A PROJECT WHICH IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY PROBLEMS IN TENNESSEE BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA. ACTION RESEARCH WAS DIRECTED TOWARD (1) THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STAFF MEMBERS, (2) THE IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES CAPABLE OF…