For young people who have dropped out of school, are out of work, or lack connections to family or other caring adults, there are often no easy answers. Their hopes for a better life are frequently no different than those harbored by their more advantaged peers, but their path to adulthood is rendered more difficult by tangled combinations of…

The National Urban League convened its third annual Youth Conference in San Diego (California) in July 1992. Of the more than 200 young attendees, 137 completed the survey that is the basis of this analysis. It examines the attitudes of young African Americans regarding academic achievement, peer-group relations, and social issues. Demographic…

There is universal agreement that a good education for all our citizens is the harbinger of future personal success, a high standard of living, and a flourishing economy and improved global competitiveness. Actions that contradict that postulate must therefore be challenged, exposed and corrected. Remedial academic programs have effectively…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) restructured the delivery of youth services in the workforce system. It introduced several new features, including a focus on more comprehensive year-round services, the addition of youth development elements, mandatory youth councils, Youth Opportunity Grants to distressed areas, and a requirement…

Explores how gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are integrated into society. The sexual minority youth of today have greater opportunities for development and acceptance than older gays and lesbians had, however, gay youth are still at high risk for confusion, societal pressure, and feelings of self-destruction and isolation. (EMS)

Three articles discuss Bureau of Labor Statistics projections of occupational employment growth. Bishop and Carter predict a continuing escalation of wage premiums for college graduates; Kutscher concedes the validity of some of Bishop and Carter's points but denies the shortage. Bishop and Carter respond with census figures. (SLD)

In May 2000, the United States Department of Labor awarded sizable Youth Opportunity (YO) Grants to 36 high-poverty urban, rural, and Native American communities. These communities were among the most economically distressed communities in the nation, all characterized by high drop out rates, high youth unemployment rates, greater incidence of…

This report, the third derived from research out of the National Faith-Based Initiative (NFBI), examines how faith-based organizations designed and implemented mentoring programs for high-risk youth. Focusing on four NFBI sites (in the Bronx and Brooklyn, NY; Baton Rouge, LA; and Philadelphia, PA), the report takes up three key questions: How were…

Fewer job opportunities, rising violence, and failing schools have all shaped the structure of opportunities for both youth and adults in urban communities. However, researchers understand very little about how these factors influence the capacity for adults in urban communities to form meaningful partnerships with youth. First, this article…

This article reviews trends in school-to-work transitions since the 1970s and argues that educational expansion (more young people extending their school and college careers) is a large part of the problem, rather than an actual or potential solution to young people's transition difficulties. The causes of educational expansion are identified as…

The Health Academy and the Media Academy, two innovative high school intervention programs for at-risk youth in Oakland (California), are examined. A collaborative effort of the school district, business, and community, the academies are school-within-a-school programs that engage about 120 at-risk students each in specific academic curricula for…

The Increased Flexibility for 14-16 year olds Programme (IFP) was introduced in 2002 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to provide vocational learning opportunities at key stage 4 for those young people who would benefit most. The programme, which entailed FE colleges and training providers working in partnership with schools to…

This document offers eight case studies - and a number of short profiles - documenting efforts in the United States and around the world, all connecting the dots between youth action and meaningful community change. The publication begins with reflections on why it is often so hard, especially in the United States, for young people to find the…

This guide is intended to help stakeholders make decisions about involvement in youth philanthropy (YP). It discusses institutions that encourage youth involvement in philanthropy and shows that most youth philanthropists are drawn from traditional leadership circles, but participation is gradually becoming more diverse. A discussion of geographic…

A survey of state commissions concerned with educational excellence showed that the majority of these commissions are not involved with the problems of at-risk youth. The definition of at-risk youth includes the following: (1) young people from poor families of all races, including minorities and immigrants, who face discriminatory policies and…