The Catalyst Training Package was developed by project On The Other Hand, a 16-month project which used two rural Vermont high school districts to field test materials focused on educating youth to reach their full potential, and the roles of men and women in society. Three basic strategies were used to improve educational equity in rural high…

This volume serves as a source of information about the relationship of Teacher Corps Youth Advocacy Project activities to the field of secondary school reform for troubled youth. This document presents major theories about educating troubled youth, theoretically-based programs, and research and evaluation on their effectiveness. Theories are…

The intent of this manual is to provide some templates and direction to schools that are looking for ideas of how to incorporate work experience into their curriculum for youth with disabilities. Hamilton Middle School served as a pilot site for one of the Rural Institute Transition Projects from 2006-2008. The school administration eagerly…

The manual provides information on how to help handicapped youth participate in the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Section I describes the nature of the JTPA, whose purpose is to establish programs to prepare youth and unskilled adults for entry into the labor force and to provide job training for economically disadvantaged individuals and…

Based on advice and information from Peace Corps volunteers, staff, and experts, this manual provides creative, innovative ideas for activities for youth that are founded on development principles. Part 1 provides information about these different kinds of youth a volunteer may encounter in the community: in-school, out-of-school, differently…

Intended as a source of information and guide for educators and business people, this report describes a variety of successful cooperative programs between businesses and schools, explains how they operate, and provides some advice from those experienced with programs about how to estabilsh and operate cooperative endeavors. Chapter 1 focuses on…

This manual is designed to assist facilitators working with members of a school community in forming or strengthening partnerships that will promote greater success for their youth. Participants can identify characteristics that are most important for youth to be successful in their community, consider ways to determine that students are…

Information in this guide is based on published research concerning effective strategies in dealing with at-risk youth. It was written for those communities invited to develop proposals under the Annie E. Casey Foundation's New Futures Initiative in an attempt to alleviate problems that compromise American children's futures. Each of three…

This resource manual has been developed to assist both case managers and management staff in implementing a case management system as an infrastructure for delivering services that will facilitate the positive growth and development of youth and the achievement of individual and organizational performance goals. (The goal of case managers is to…

This guidebook summarizes learning on the role of intermediaries and how to build organizations that perform intermediary functions effectively and efficiently. An introduction defines intermediaries, in the context of youth-serving systems, as staffed organizations that connect schools and other youth-preparation organizations with workplaces and…

To successfully make the transition from school to adult life and the world of work, adolescents and young adults need guidance and encouragement from caring, supportive adults. The best decisions and choices made by transitioning youth are based on sound information including appropriate assessments that focus on the talents, knowledge, skills,…

This document provides a "blueprint for action," based on the findings of Pathways to Employment II, a national meeting designed to identify local, state, and national strategies for improving the opportunities available to disabled youth for education, training, and employment. Following a statement of the problem, and a summary of the…

Focus of this guide is a project to identify best practices and programs in preparing foster care youth for career opportunities and economic self-sufficiency. Foster care program context is described as an economy characterized by jobs clustering into two categories (high wage positions with a continuing career pathway and low wage entry-level…

Intended for the front-line practitioner, this toolkit provides tips, options, and practical how-tos for designing and implementing quality, youth-focused, and business-focused services for out-of-school youth (OSY) who are currently in, or about to enter, the workforce. It outlines an "income growth strategy" (IGS) that addresses what…