This article focuses on how 4-H youth participants are building social capital, or connections among individuals and community members, through their 4-H experiences. These experiences can be seen through the lens of such 4-H delivery modes as the traditional 4-H club, after-school programs, and school enrichment programs. In addition, other…

For youth to benefit from many of the developmental opportunities provided by organized programs, they need to not only attend but become psychologically engaged in program activities. This research was aimed at formulating empirically based grounded theory on the processes through which this engagement develops. Longitudinal interviews were…

This article considers and assesses a youth exchange project between two community-based youth centers: The Purple Thistle Centre in East Vancouver, British Columbia, and the K'asho Got'ine Youth Centre in Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. Both centers serve primarily low-income youth, but after that the similarities are very few. The…

In this study, the authors tried to understand the types of dilemmas that adult leaders of youth programs encounter in their daily work with young people. The dilemmas come from an in-depth longitudinal study of ongoing experiences in twelve high-quality urban and rural programs for high school-aged youth. Transcripts from 125 interviews with the…

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…

On September 30, 1991, the House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families convened to celebrate National Children's Day and hear the testimony of youth ambassadors, teachers, and congressional representatives. This record of the congressional hearing includes the spoken and prepared statements of Representatives Patricia Schroeder, Joseph…

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…

WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF RURAL YOUTH ARE FOUND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM FARMS, MIGRANT STREAMS, SMALL COMMUNITIES, AND ISOLATED HILLS IN APPALACHIA. YET, A COMMONALITY FOUND IS THAT THEY ARE YOUTH AND AS SUCH THEY SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AS TOTAL PERSONS AND NOT AS GROUPS. GOOD EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION PROGRAMS, SUCH AS THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S…

This publication provides a variety of information on prevention and intervention programs for rural and urban children and adolescents. Drawing from a rural sociological perspective, the introductory paper defines "rural," discusses rural-urban economic and social differences, and lists indicators of risk for rural youth. It discusses the extent…

This report presents the results of an 18-month research project that studied the effectiveness of youth work with vulnerable young people. The research, representing six distinct geographical areas of Scotland characterized by disadvantage, focused on young people aged 13 to 16. In each neighborhood, the project examined the experiences of young…

A SYNOPSIS IS OFFERED OF SIX DIFFERENT OUTWARD-BOUND PROGRAMS, EACH OF WHICH IS AN ADAPTATION OF THE BASIC OUTWARD-BOUND PHILOSOPHY OF HAVING YOUNG PEOPLE RECOGNIZE FOR THEMSELVES THEIR PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL CAPABILITIES SO THAT THEY WILL DEVELOP A STRONG SENSE OF SELF-RELIANCE AND INNER STRENGTH. THE ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO,…

Extension educators teach the same information to disadvantaged youth and their families as to any other audience, and those being helped are just as willing to learn. The difference is that families with limited resources have many barriers that slow the process of change to self-sufficiency. As extension educators plan and implement programs,…

Research supports the value of youth service, but indicates concerns about the diminishing interest of young people in giving of themselves. New justifications for community service include the following: (1) documentation of the educational value of service; (2) greater understanding of environmental and human needs; and (3) greater understanding…

The International Learning Group on Youth and Community Development (ILG) was formed to examine the convergence of youth development and community development. In 1999, ILG commissioned a set of papers from young people involved in national efforts to engage youth in the political processes of their countries and brought ILG members together for a…