Examines if literature for urban youth can reflect reality and validate the significance of the minority individual as well as give them a vision for a better future and a sense that it is attainable. Identifies a strong correlation between the fictional experience as expressed in 20 novels and the characteristics of the urban life of minority…

This publication presents essays written by seven young, urban, minority students participating in an intensive writing workshop given by What Kids Can Do in collaboration with the Margins to Mainstream project. The goal of the workshop was to coach students to create short essays suitable for use as a newspaper column, radio commentary, or…

This directory lists 24 locations for various "rite of passage" programs. These programs are designed to empower youth at a time of life transition, especially during the middle school years, when children feel most vulnerable and are most "at-risk." The directory gives a brief description of each program and provides the names…

Educational research often defines educational goals narrowly by reading levels or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and equally narrowly correlates student success in these areas with the content of the curriculum or time spent in learning. According to Rutter et al., secondary schools with a good ethos create students who perform well…

Pennsylvania's House Resolution 43 of 1995 directs the Joint State Government Commission to report to the General Assembly on the feasibility of creating a voluntary residential school program for disadvantaged children. The Commission assembled a Working Group to consider this issue, and the group focused on poor children living in high crime…

This annotated bibliography lists publications (both books and articles) relevant to "rites of passage" youth empowerment programs. It provides resources for use by teachers, organizations, and others in preparing and administrating such programs. The bibliography's 104 items were published between 1961-1994, with the largest percentage…

Urban conservation and service corps units, which provide jobs to disadvantaged youth and engage them in activities beneficial to the wider society, such as building or restoring city facilities, are discussed in this document, which contains two separate reports. Report 1 describes the origin and basic features of urban corps programs in New York…

Studies educational experiences and attitudes of 200 Chinese secondary school students in Manchester (England). Findings support the claim that most were confident in their school work and most liked school. Incidents of racial bullying may account for the low self-esteem of some of these students. (SLD)

This report provides findings and recommendations on youth unemployment that were presented at a public hearing conducted by the Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations. First, the report summarizes the testimonies of 20 youth from schools, community based organizations (CBO's), and job training programs who described their difficulties in…

In the late 1960's, educators and researchers became concerned with the dropout problem in large urban school districts. In Philadelphia, the Division of Pupil Personnel and Counseling (PPC) is responsible for collection of this data and reports this information to the state. The process has been computerized to cope with the large volume of data.…

Describes Outward Bound's adventure education and leadership training programs. Describes Outward Bound's history, goals, and participants' reactions, emphasizing benefits for urban Hispanic youth. Describes efforts to recruit more urban minority students, instructors, and at-risk youth. Mentions other Outward Bound programs meeting special needs.…

Examines African American youth's encounters with three forms of violence--eyewitnessing, victimization, and participation--to determine its spread in urban schools, the types of violence encountered, the sociodemographic factors associated with the encounter types, and whether there is any overlap among those who witness, are victims of, and…

Collaborations between high schools and colleges have emerged during the 1980s as a means to increase enrollments and academic success of low-income minorities in higher education although their benefits have yet to be clearly demonstrated. This review surveys the literature on the effectiveness of these collaboratives. The report is comprised of…

Equity in vocational education cannot be addressed until the question of urban cultural pluralism has been fully analyzed. This question involves problems of minorities, the disadvantaged, and those with limited English proficiency. Barriers facing urban youths enrolling in vocational education include close-knit ethnic pockets attempting to…

The Summer Academic Skills Enhancement Program was funded by the Private Industry Council (PIC) of Franklin County (Ohio) through the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) to provide JTPA clients with the reading comprehension and language mechanics skills required for employment in entry-level positions. The program was coordinated by the…