This paper reports the results of the experimental use of new remedial education techniques in three urban out-of-school Neighborhood Youth Corps programs. The use of these techniques and the evaluation of the results of these techniques constituted the Accelerated Learning Experiment. The research design called for study groups of 50 each in…

This paper analyzes the politics of a fund established to support the development of urban children and youth outside of traditional classrooms. It examines the fund's effectiveness in establishing after school programs that provide safety, opportunities to connect with adults, and engagement with communities and evaluates implications for urban…

The Youth Fair Chance (YFC) program is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to help young people finish high school, get better jobs, and address personal and family problems. Twelve YFC programs operate in urban areas, and four operate in rural areas, including a locale with a high proportion of Native Americans and one that is home to many…

In 1992 legislation enabled the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a program of Youth Fair Chance grants to provide comprehensive services to youth in selected urban and rural high poverty areas. The legislation also asked to an independent evaluation of the 16 urban and rural programs these grants funded, and this evaluation was undertaken by…

The authors provide examples of sports-based youth development programs and offer information about program mission and vision, program design and content, evaluation results, and program sustainability. The four sports-based youth development programs presented are Harlem RBI, Tenacity, Snowsports Outreach Society, and Hoops & Leaders…

The Roundtable on Comprehensive Community Initiatives for Children and Families is a forum in which persons involved in the current generation of community-based cross-systems can engage in discussion about their work. Roundtable members, now numbering 30, meet biannually to share lessons they are learning and to work on common problems they face.…

The purpose of the Nature Computer Camp (NCC) is to provide sixth-graders in District of Columbia Public Schools an opportunity to explore and appreciate nature in its natural setting. The program also aspires to develop computer proficiency, enhance students' social and interpersonal skills, stimulate group interaction, and strengthen students'…

This report provides program funders and providers with an overview of what children and adolescents need to be successful and grow up healthy, and it examines the role of youth programs in healthy development. It presents a review of effective programming, the relevant literature on youth outcomes, and ideas and suggestions for evaluating…

The Urban Leadership Program, a Federally funded program consisting of three 10-week sessions for sixth graders in the Einstein Public School, Chicago, Illinois, provided a career awareness program of action learning to bridge the gap between students' economically improverished neighborhoods and the mainstream urban community. The community…

Effects of a 52-lesson, class-taught, social-problem-solving training program for third-grade children were assessed. Program children improved more than controls on several cognitive skills, including problem identification, alternative-solution thinking, and consequential thinking as well as on behavioral problem-solving performance.…

Describes progress made in recent years in addressing the educational needs of homeless children and youth in America and notes concerns that remain, including awareness and perceptions of homelessness, early childhood educational needs, interventions, interagency collaboration, and the need for comprehensive evaluations of educational efforts for…

Reviews six federally funded in-kind public assistance programs designed to mitigate effects of poverty on children: (1) food stamps; (2) the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children; (3) school nutrition programs; (4) Medicaid; (5) Head Start; and (6) housing assistance. Evidence indicates these programs achieve their…

Presents findings from the evaluation of the Keep Youth in School program, which was designed to address the drop-out problem among high-risk youth in an urban community. Discusses what was learned during a three-year period in the program's development. (PCB)

Examines six mentoring programs conducted by fraternities and other organizations to ascertain the perceptions of participants of the effectiveness of their involvement. Results with 51 mentors and 54 African-American male adolescents support the positive impact of mentoring programs. Mentoring can be an important component of multifaceted…

This paper explores how youth programs, particularly programs that try to prepare young people for the world of work and higher education, are organized and implemented in the field. It is argued that, in many cases, the needs of program practitioners are overlooked by the research community. The focus is on the field of "second-chance"…