Community Programs to Promote Youth Development

After-school programs, scout groups, community service activities, religious youth groups, and other community-based activities have long been thought to play a key role in the lives of adolescents. But what do we know about the role of such programs for today's adolescents? How can we ensure that programs are designed to successfully meet young people's developmental needs and help them become healthy, happy, and productive adults? Community Programs to Promote Youth Development explores these questions, focusing on essential elements of adolescent well-being and healthy development. It offers recommendations for policy, practice, and research to ensure that programs are well designed to meet young people's developmental needs. The book also discusses the features of programs that can contribute to a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. It examines what we know about the current landscape of youth development programs for America's youth, as well as how these programs are meeting their diverse needs. Recognizing the importance of adolescence as a period of transition to adulthood, Community Programs to Promote Youth Development offers authoritative guidance to policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and other key stakeholders on the role of youth development programs to promote the healthy development and well-being of the nation's youth. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1 Setting the Stage 2 Adolescent Development 3 Personal and Social Assets that Promote Well-Being 4 Features of Positive Developmental Settings 5 The Landscape of Community Programs for Youth 6 Lessons from Experimental Evaluations 7 Generating New Information 8 Data and Technical Assistance Resources 9 Funding and Support for Programs 10 Conclusions and Recommendations Appendix A Fundamental Principles of Human Development Appendix B Theoretical Frameworks for Conceptualizing Positive Developmental Processes Appendix C Biographical Sketches Appendix D Related Reports from the National Academies References Index