The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
Volume V, Number 1, 1999
Issue Topic: Children and Youth
New & Noteworthy
This section features an annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to the issue's theme.
American Youth Policy Forum. (1997). Some things do make a difference for youth: A compendium of youth programs and practices from the American Youth Policy Forum. Washington, DC: Author. This publication summarizes 69 evaluation studies and reports of 49 programmatic interventions. The document begins with a summary of the basic principles for effective youth programs. The summaries are divided into three sections: Extended Learning; Building on the Community; and Increasing Retention and Postsecondary Education Options. Included in each summary is an overview, evidence of effectiveness, key components, contributing factors, study methodology, geographic areas served, contact information, and update on changes since the evaluation. The publication concludes with an afterword on implications for youth policy and practice. Tel: 202-775-9731. American Youth Policy Forum, 1836 Jefferson Place, N.W., Suite 719, Washington, DC 20036-2505.
DeWitt-Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund. (1995). Strengthening the youth work profession: Resource guide. New York: Author. This guide provides information on organizations and publications/training materials related to the professional development of youth workers. Each entry has a brief description of the organization/publication and contact/order information. Tel: 212-251-9800. www.wallacefunds.org
Fund for the City of New York. (1998). Core competencies for youth work. A guided tour of youth development. The handbook of positive youth outcomes. New York: Author. These three guidebooks, developed and written by the Networks for Youth Development (a peer network of youth organizations promoting youth development as a field of practice and mastery), identify some of the key issues in the area of youth development, based on practical experience. The Core Competencies guide describes essential competencies that youth workers need and outlines what they look like in practice. The Guided Tour operationalizes the conceptual framework of youth development into visible organizational practices. The Outcomes Handbook defines the competencies that youth acquire through involvement in youth development programs. Tel: 212-925-6675. Fannie Olivera, Fund for the City of New York, Youth Development Institute, 121 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10013.
Guerra, N. G. & Williams, K. R. A program planning guide for youth violence prevention: A risk-focused approach. Boulder, CO: Author. This planning guide, by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, details the steps for planning violence prevention programs, including evaluation strategies, building on risk, and protective factors. This publication includes worksheets that can be used to guide communities in (a) defining the violence problems in their communities; (b) assessing community resources; (c) identifying promising programs; and (d) thinking about implementation and evaluation strategies. www.colorado.edu/cspv/publications/papers/CSPV-010.html
Morley, E., & Rossman, S. B. (1997). Helping at-risk youth: Lessons from community-based initiatives. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute. Drawing on the experiences of three national initiatives to help youth at risk (Communities in Schools, SafeFutures, and Children at Risk), this report presents findings and suggestions that may benefit other communities that are seeking to introduce or that already are in the process of implementing such efforts. Intended for both community leaders and program administrators, the report addresses five topics: services integration and case management; parental involvement; using volunteers for tutoring and mentoring; fund raising and marketing; and monitoring program outcomes. The report also includes a checklist of suggested practices. www.urban.org/publications/307399.html
Program Evaluation Newsletter. Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence. This bimonthly publication is designed to assist programs in making decisions around program evaluation issues. It focuses on evaluation techniques and theory, and also provides advice on how programs can conduct evaluations that are meaningful and useful.
Search Institute. (1998). Healthy communities/healthy youth tool kit. Minneapolis, MN: Author. Designed to meet the needs of communities and organizations looking for help with starting and sustaining an asset-building effort, this easy-to-use reference guide offers ideas, strategies, and examples. Included are guidelines for launching and sustaining a community-wide effort; discussions of issues related to mobilizing communities; suggestions on additional publications and resources; ready-to-use worksheets and handouts; and samples of brochures, newsletters, and other awareness-raising materials from communities across the nation. Tel: 877-240-7251. Search Institute, P.O. Box 371, Minneapolis, MN 55440-9732.
Youth today: The newspaper on youth work. This publication of the American Youth Work Center provides information on best practices in youth service programs; career and networking opportunities; coverage of funding and judicial, regulatory and legislative matters; grant opportunities; professional development events; new products; and career moves. Tel: 202-785-0764. 1200 17th Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20036-3006. Email: hn2759@handsnet.org
Karen Horsch, Research Associate, HFRP