In hoping for a brighter future of self-government and self-determination, Canadian Aboriginal communities have placed great hopes and expectations on their youth. The complexity and uniqueness of career-related issues pose a formidable challenge in the development of career counseling programs for Aboriginal youth. This digest describes the…

The author describes the Mentor Academy Program (MAP) a skill-based model for training gifted high school students as mentors and thereby becoming leaders in processing information and networkers creating and sharing information. Chapter 1 offers historical and philosophical, gifted education, and high school perspectives to stewardship (the dual…

This paper discusses the challenges of effectively matching the needs of youth populations with program services. An introduction reviews some broad issues that shape the discussion, namely whether youth is a period integrated into the course of life or a separatist culture. A second section proposes an ecological approach to youth services, which…

The concept of wellness is defined and the importance of establishing a healthy lifestyle is discussed. A description is given of the Rochester Institute of Technology Wellness Program, which is typical of the many current programs covering varying aspects of wellness. These programs are offered by private agencies, educational institutions, and…

The unemployment of youth and adults has surfaced as a problem and a challenge to Asian Third World governments. Industry and business continue to experience a shortage of skilled and technical manpower. A manpower development conference was held in the Philippines on topics which included: (1) the role of private educational institutions in…

Adult illiteracy is a complex, costly, and growing social problem. Three common areas of controversy related to the problem are: (1) definitions of adult literacy, (2) characteristics of illiterate adults, and (3) the purposes of literacy education. Illiteracy can be understood only in relation to a culture's definition of literacy. Due to…

According to a national survey, about 80% of American Indian and Alaska Native youth have experimented with alcohol or drugs, compared to about 50% of youth nationwide. Particular risk factors for Native youth include low self-esteem, post-traumatic stress, and culture conflict arising from differences between traditional Native values and values…

Obesity is one of the most prevalent health concerns currently facing industrialized nations. Psychological, social and emotional problems result from excess weight, and those who fail in their weight-loss efforts become extremely depressed. The obsession to be thin, particularly in the United States, is a boon to weight-control programs, both…

Rather than viewing youth as an isolated and alienated subculture, it is more useful to view the needs of youth as largely determined by where and how they live, and to recognize that they differ from one another just as adults do. Professionals and volunteers in community youth programs need to understand how the youth they work with experience…

Provided in this document are case studies of representative and exemplary innovative environmental education programs from various regions of the world (North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania). The case studies provide information on the environment and environmental problems and concerns…

This paper explores the issue of establishing and evaluating objectives for local career education programs. It presents a perspective on the state of the art based on reviews of the literature. Although it is addressed principally to local program developers and managers, the paper is also aimed at state career education coordinators. After a…