Out-of-School

Youth Activism Project -- This site targets young people, and calls upon them to engage in shaping the future. Everyone--especially teens and tweens--are invited to email or call the toll-free hotline. Also, a national nonprofit clearinghouse provides information and resources to youth workers, mentors, teachers, principals, policy makers, parents, and organizations that want to support young advocates. Source: Youth Activism Project.

US Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Center Program -- This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children. Source: US Department of Education.

What Works? The Need to Evaluate Programs Targeting Out-of-School Youth: A Connect for Kids Summary -- The July 18, 2008 Capitol Hill forum, “What Works? Evaluating Programs Targeting Disconnected Youth,” looked at programs for disconnected youth—young people who are not working and not in school—and the evaluations and research designed to measure their effectiveness. The forum was hosted by the Community Service Society of New York and the DC-based Coalition on Human Needs, as part of the Working for Change series.  Connect for Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting concerned adults with children and youth, put together this summary. Source: Connect for Kids.

After School Programs in the 21st Century: Their Potential and What it Takes to Achieve It  -- This research gathers the findings of previous studies to measure whether after school programs work and under what circumstances. The brief poses a number of questions to provoke discussion on the changing role of after school academic and enrichment opportunities. For similar research, visit the Harvard Family Research Project. Source: Harvard Family Research Project.

Youth Voices: Engaging Young People in Dialogue and Problem Solving -- Programs that emphasize communication as a tool for change allow young people a voice in building the future. Everyday Democracy, formerly the Study Circles Resource Center, "helps local communities find ways for all kinds of people to think, talk and work together to solve problems." Source: Everyday Democracy -- Ideas & Tools for Community Change.


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