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001. paper
Discussion paper re: school leaders (partial) (2 pages)
n.d.
P6/b(6)
002, email
Judith Weitz to Ellen Lovell re: Arts and Teen Development (partial)
(1 page)
04/1312000
P6/b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Domestic Policy Council
Andrew Rotherham (Education)
OAlBox Number: 21293
FOLDER TITLE:
Teen Conference
2011-0103-S
rcl43
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�SUSAN GADDY GREENE
Please deliver immediately to:
of:
(9·73 J
J B Buxton
The White House
Fax number:
1 202456-5581
Voice number:
1 202456-5567
.Fax received from:
of:
Fax number:
Voice number:
SUSAN GADDY GREENE
SPIRIT DANCE WORKSHOP
. (973) 642-0027
(973) 642-4625 .
Date:
4/20100
Time:
5:26:31 PM
Number of Pages:
Subject:
2
Susan Gaddy Greene bio
Message:
J B if you need any more information just call me. Thank you for the
Susan Greene'
642 -0027
p. 1
�APR. 18. 2000 3: 27PM
DEPTED/OFC OF SEC.
NO. 9467
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Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
Discussion paper re: school leaders (partial) (2 pages)
001. paper
RESTRICTION
DATE
SUBJECTffITLE
P6/b(6)
n.d.
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Domestic Policy Council
Andrew Rotherham (Education)
OAlBox Number: 21293
FOLDER TITLE:
Teen Conference
2011-0103-S
rcl43
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concerning wells [(b)(9) ofthe FOIA]
I
.
I
�Q
School as ,the Hub of ree~l Lif~: How can we ruake it a better place for OUI." kids to
learll and tbri:ve?
High school classes andexttacilitiCitlar activities often serve asthe ir1tellettua:i, social,
and emotional center ofa teenager's:life.School iswi1ere'teens leam about subject
matter content and seek to be ch(lilenged. Theybeginto tl1inkabstractly, leam by doing,
and recognize the diversity of people and jdeas. School is where teens tend to make theil~
friends and build personal relationships. In building these relationships, they WOITY about
their body and appearallce, clumsiness alid diet, mask their true feelings, and admire
heroes that clemonstrate characteristics of friendship a/i.eI romance. Because of these
wOlTies; teens also experience peer pressure at school beinglTIOi"e influenced by peers
than parents, feel anonymous in large school settings despite their neeclfor more freedom
and pJ'i.vacy, and long for lilore persomilized attention from thcachiltsin their schOOl
community becatise they need adult praise and recognitiOil; In addition, safety coilcerns,
concerns about.respect[orothers and their own self-l'espect, as wellas OptiOllS; foriheir
future arc on the minds ofteens at school. 'Ihls panel wotlld try to address many of'these
themes,
Sub-The.rues and :Discussion Leader.s:
• High School Reform and Small Schools Bring Learning Alive, Build Relationships,
__..".~and Makes School Safer
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Dr. Bill Ayers, University of Chicagjo
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College As the Pathway to Hope
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l\1li Hispanic Parent Whose 'Ieen Attended Project Gtad in HOllslon, 'IX
~ Foundations, lnc.-- Rhonda Lauer, fOImer Surperindent of Schools .in
Phil.adelphia and CEO Who Runs AfterschooiPrograms and Provides
'Iechnical Assistance
•
Teacher-Student Relationships Are Key to Finding Out. Who Teens Are, What. 'Ihey
Believe, and How They Handle Conflict
II Suggestions from Mary Beth Blegan
Bruce .Penniman
1999 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year
High School Eilglish Teacher
Amh erst, .M assathusetts
c.ool1
Ulrry Hnrt
1999 Indiana Teacherofthe Year
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High School Art TeaGhel'
lndianapolis Public Schools
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Disney Teacher of the Year (Joycr:Brisco,- New Mexico; Pat Taylor,Vi'rginia)
Pat Welch, TC Williams, Alexandl:ia, VA
arid DoingWell.in High SchooLMay Be h1)poltant Enollgh to Change the Bus
Rotite
II Pamela Eakes, Mothers Against Violence, Seattle,Wilshingtpli (formet chief'
of stafffor Mrs, Gore)
II Minneapolis exal11ple~that's where the concept is being tested
• Sludent Survival Guide: One Youth's Experience
m High Schabl Survival, edited by students Greg Gottesman, Daniel Baer, and
friends
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Julie K. Anderson
04/19/200012:15:01 PM
Record Type:
To:
Record
John B. Buxton/OPD/EOP@EOP
cc:
Subject: Arts and Teen Development
Please see below.
---------------------- Forwarded by Julie K. AndersonlWHO/EOP on 04/19/2000 12:14 PM ,---------------------------
MaryEllen C; McGuire
04/17/200001:56:14 PM
Record Type:
To:
Record
John B. Buxton/OPD/EOP@EOP, Julie K. AndersonIWHO/EOP@EOP
cc:
Shirley S. SagawaIWHO/EOP@EOP, Ann O'Leary/OPD/EOP@EOP
Subject: Arts and Teen Development
JB/Julie- we thought it might be· nice to have an arts representative in your breakout group. Attached are
some recommendations from Ellen Lovell, Director of our Millennium Council.
------------------~--:_ Forwarded by MaryEllen C. McGuireIWHO/EOP on
04117/2000 01:55 PM --------------------------
Ellen M. Lovell
04/13/200007:00:21 PM
Record Type:
To:
Record
Shirley S. Sagawa/WHO/EOP@EOP, MaryEllen C. McGuireIWHO/EOP@EOP
cc:
Subject: Arts and Teen Development
names for conference who would be wonderful on the subject of creativity and youth development;
positive alternatives to destructive behavior. Arnie April! runs a celebrated program, recently the subject
of an indepth study by Harvard, that integrates the arts into the schools day -- he is a terrific presentor and
has real results to show. Shirley Brice Heath is "an anthropologist who did a long-range study of youth in
after-school programs, and found especially effective results in the lives of teens involved in the arts.
Would be aa good invitee. Mark Smith has invested in after-school arts over time, has extensive
knowledge about how they change kids lives, and I hear he's a good presentor - could be a pop-up or just
an invitee. Bill Strickland is famous in the circle of people who run youth programs -- his Manchester
Craftsmen provides a variety of programs for youth at risk - from cooking to pottery to jazz -- and
something astonishing like 80% end up going to college. " He's been studied over and over; i? now
�, ,
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DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
002. email
DATE
SUB.JECTffITLE
Judith Weitz to Ellen Lovell re: Arts and Teen Development (partial)
(I page)
04/1312000
RESTRICTION
P61b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Domestic Policy Council
Andrew Rotherham (Education)
OAlBox Number: 21293
FOLDER TITLE:
Teen Conference
.20 ((-0 103-S
rc143
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PI National Security Classified Information [(a)(I) of the PRA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
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concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
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�creating a .similar profram in San
:spokeaf the launch of the Coming Up Taller study in the, East Roem
four years ago; is African-AmE)rican, a powerful, unforgettable speaker (and .can say a lot in 3 r:ninutes.)
Claudine Brown runs the l\Jathan Cummings Foundation, which has done a lot of funding' in '~hjs area, and
speaks very well about arts and youth development -- very convincing -- also Afric81'l-American. Judith.
Weitz research$d and wrote Coming Up Taller, and has srayed ,abreast of thetield. She should be invited
as an audience: member: She. send other nam~sfor us ,to consider, but the above are the strongest i8 my
opinion. I am happy to supply more information. I have the studies that Ireferre(j to. The·evaluation of
Aprill's Chicago program, and Shirley's research .are both recent a.ncl
well thought of they appeared
in a nE;lwpublicatioD "Champions of Change" and were funded by the
Fund: and the McArthur
Foundation.
~--------------------- ForWarded by Ellen M. LovelllWHO/EOP on. 04/13/2000 06:34
"Weitz, Judith" <JWeitz@neh.gov>
04/13/200010:19:41 AM
Record Type:
To
Record
Ellen M. Loveli/WHO/EOP
cc:
Subject: Arts and Teen Development
Arnold Aprill
Executive Director
Chicago Arts Partnership in Education
111 N, State Str-eet·! 11th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
Shirley Brice Heath
Department of English
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2087
415'-723-2635 (w)
Coo'L'1
H. Mark Smith
Program Ooordinator
Organizations Department
Massachusetts Cultural CounCil
120 Boylston Street
2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02116-4600
617-727-3668 X 253
617~727-0044 (f)
William Strickland
President and CEO
ManchesterCraftsmE)n's Guild
PM ---------------.--.-.-----
�1815 Metropolitan Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
412-322-1773
412-321-2120 (f)
Assistant: Nancy Brown
Claudine Brown
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
1926 Broadway
Suite 600
New York, NY 10023
212-787-7300
212-787-7377 (f)
Other Options:
Irene Oliver-Lewis
Executive Director
Court Youth Center
PO Box 7027
Las Cruces, NM 88006
505-541-0145
505-541-0146 (f)
Irene was at the Gore Family Reunion Conference and spoke passionately from
the audience about the role of the arts in kids' lives. She runs an
impressive arts center and is part of a 21 st Century Learning Center (DOE) •
after-school partnership where the arts are a central focus of the
partnership.
Abigail Adams
Artistic Director
The People's Light and Theatre Company
39 Conestoga Road
Malvern, PA 19355
610-647-1900
610-640-9521 (f)
Abigail founded The New Voices Ensemble, one of several Project Discovery
Projects. New Voices is a collaboration between professional artists and
young people from an impoverished city whose purpose is to nurture the
personal and creative growth of the children involved. It is an excellent
program with a clear youth development focus. The Coordinator of Education
Programs is Nancy Shaw.
. Nancy Carstetedt
Executive Director
Chicago Children's Choir
Chicago Cultural Center
78 East Washington Street, Floor 5
Chicago, IL 60602
312~849-8300 X232
312-849-8309 (f)
�This artistically superb choir took seriously the President's Committee
report, Coming Up Taller, and engaged.the Chapin Hall Center for Children,
University of Chicago, to develop a training program in youth development
for their staff. Recognizing the cultural context within which youth
development occurs, they are applying developmental outcomes to their
programs and organizational goals. They also have engaged a child
psychologist to be on call for providing guidan~e re the identification of
problems some of their at risk kids face in their lives that are shared with
choir 'staff. "Conductors are among the most stable and concerned adults in
the lives of many of our young people." And they are about to undertake an
internal audit to create a strategic plan for the future that builds on
their current artistic and youth development programs.
Susan Warner
Curator of Education'
The Experimental Gallery
The Children's Museum, Seattle'
305 Harrison Street
Seattle, WA 98109-4695
206.-441-1768
206-448-0910 (f)
In partnership with the state Dept. of Social and Health Services, Juvenile'
Rehab. Admin, have created arts programs --visual arts, exhibition
preparation, theater --in juvenile detention facilities around the state.
Semi.-finalist in the Kennedy School of Gov. awards program.
Judith H. Weitz
Coordinator, youth At Risk Projects
President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
Suite 526
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506
202/682-5409
�#,' • 'l'
•
~
WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON TEENAGERS
Program Draft 4/13/2000
10:30 Opening Video: Montage of a diverse group of parents and teens speaking about their
lives. Gets out key messages: how they use their time, kids don't feel listened to, parents
don't think their kids listen, kids are stressed, parents are worried, hopes and aspirations.
The overall message is that whatever their background, families have similar hopes and
concerns.
10:35 POTUS and HRC announced into room together with keynote speaker(s), Cabinet
members attending
10:35 HRC Speaks: Provides interesting statistics and trends about today's teens and their
,families, explains that this conference is the bookend to the Early Childhood Conference,
puts it in the context of post Littleton. Underlying message: While there is much to be
happy about in terms of trends over the last seven years, there r~main'serious challenges.
Parents are key, but need support from the community.
10:43 POTUS Speaks: Talks about the Administration's accomplishments, budget, and
deliverables. Acknowledges all cabinet members attending. Underlying message: Youth
are resources in their own development, but we need to support them and their families in
order to maximize their potential.
9:53 KEYNOTE:
Our first choice would be ajoint keynote by a parent/teen combination - we have a good
lead on an African American father and son who would be perfect for this role. They
wbuldtalk about their own lives, illustnite the themes of the day with real stories, and
give credibility to the researchers and experts who will follow.
11 :00 PANEL I takes the stage. HRC to moderate.
,11:05 Who are todays teens? What do they need? [4 min/adults, 3 min/teen] ,
• Adolescent Development- present stages of development, peer cues, behavioral
pressures, need for independence, Jacqueline Eccles
• Brain ResearchlPhysical development- recent research suggests that an important
phase of brain development occurs around puberty and that what happens now
matters and can set the stage for later successes, Dr. Giedd
• Assets- all teenagers need a caring adult, healthy habits, safe places, good education,
opportunity to serve, Karen Pittman
• Media Images of Teens -Susan Bailes
• Teen Girl- offers personal perspective on challenges of adolescence
11 :40 Panel I leaves stagelPanel II seated. HRC to moderate.
�11 :43 What can parents do to help teens? What can communities do to help parents get
teens what they need? [4 min/panel, 3min/speakers from the audience]
• Parent Expert- someone to synthesize what we know about good parenting of
teenagers, Laura Sessions Stepp, author of Our Last Best Shot, which David Hamburg
calls the best book ever written on parenting teens
• Avoiding risk behaviors - Robert Blum
• Parenting & the New Media - Steve Case
• The role of the community in a teen's life - Geoff Canada
Speakers from the audience - expressing specific ways that the communities can
help/support parents in raising responsible and resourceful teens
• Youth as resources- how yourig people themselves can make difference,
AmeriCorps member
• Religious Community- importance of religion/values in raising teens, Representative
ofThe Ten Point Coalition in Boston
• School- importance of parent involvement in middle and high school, high school
reform, afterschool programming, Jay Engelin- Principal ofthe Year
• The Family Friendly Workplace- how does the work world need to change to
support our raising families, Ellen Galirzsky
• CBO- ways youth organizations can involve families, Ben Casey, YMCA Dallas
If time permits ...~
• Health- Dr. Angela Diaz, Mt. Sinai/Children's Aid Society
• Employers of youth- Dr. Kathleen Newman
12:43 Reflections/Closing: HRC Thank you and good bye, mentions breakouts later in day,
invites people to lunch, invites satellite downlinks to continue talking into the day within
their local communities.
12:45 End
�White House Conference on Teenagers:
Raising Responsible and Resourceful Youth
Despite many positive developments in the last seven years - including declining rates of
teen pregnancy, decreases in crimes against youth, and increases'irt student achievement
and college access parents oftoday's teenagers express significant anxiety about the
well-being of their children. In many cases, teenagers themselves feel alienated from
their communities and insecure about the future. And recent tragedies have made parents
and teens of all backgrounds feel helpless in the face of school violence.
The White House Conference on Teenagers will respond to these concerns by:
•
Providing a snapshot oftoday's teenagers, based on the latest statistics;
•
Bringing; to the public cutting edge research, including new brain research, about
teenagers and their development;
•
Acknowledging the' challenges and opportunities presented by,new technology,
the changing workplace, and the increasing diversity ofthe youth popUlation;
.
.
,
•
Presenting advice from the nation's leading experts on youth development about
what works and offering tools for healthy development to parents and teens;
.•
Focusing attention on ways that families and communities together can teach
.
good values, promote healthy behavior, and support positive youth development;
and
"
When will the conference occur?
Tuesday, May 2, from approximately 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. We anticipate that the opening
session, featuring the President and First Lady will take place from approximately 9:30 to
11 :30 am. This session may be followed by lunch, breakout sessions for discussion, 'and
a closing reception.
Who will ,attend the conference?
,Approximately 150 individuals will attend the conference. (The size is limited by the
available space at the White House.) The on-site audience will include a diverse group of
parents, teenagers, policymakers, youth workers, educators, and representatives of faith
based organizations, media, business, and foundations. Additional individuals may'
participate via satellite at locations around the country. We encourage organizers of
satellite locations to show the opening session and then host interactive discussions
among participants. We regret that due to scheduling constraints, the timing of the
opening session will make it difficult for the west coast to view the conference live;
however, we hope that interested organizations will consider taping the event for later
VlCWll1g.
�INVITE CATEGORIES
WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON RAISING TEENAGERS
MAY 2000
Invitation List
The conference will focus on all aspects of adolescent development - health, education, jobs,
after-school activities, risk behaviors, community service, peer interaction, community groups,
faith, and family. To be considered for attendance, suggested invitees must be submitted with a
priority designation [A or B] and all of the following information: name, title, organization,
address, phone, two-three lines on who they are/why they should be considered, information that
will help us ensure a diverse group of invitees, and the category for which the individual is being
recommended. Invite categories are as follows:
1. Parents and teens [s'ee information below]
2. Organizations that serve or support youth
a.
National nonprofits
b.
Foundations [that fund youth-related research or programs]
c.
Grassroots organizations
d.
Religious organizations
e.
Educators [middle and high schoon
f.
Parent organizations
3. Research/academics/experts on adolescence
4, Work and family
a.
Employers with exemplary support programs for parents
b.
Employers with exemplary policies for teenage workers,
'c.Experts on work/family issues
5.. Media
a.
b.
Members of the media that reach parents or teenagers
Experts on the media's role in influencing youth
6. Policymakers
a.
Federal [Congressional or Executive Branch]
b.
State
c.
Local
Parents and Teens
At our conference we would like to feature American families with their teens. These parent/teen'
combinations [can be an adult with parental responsibility even if they are not actual parent] will
be chosen across all segments of society and represent the variety of issues today's te,enagers
and their parents are facing. If you have a family you would like to nominate for recognition, or
�.
'
.
\
to participate in a possible panel discussion; please provide us with a brief account of why they
should be considered [what issues are they facing in their lives that other American families will
be able to relate to], along with their contact information.
*All invitation lists and "parent/teen" nominations are due to MaryEllen McGuire in
OEOB 101 by COB Friday, March 17th for review.
\
.
,
,
\
i
�Julie K. Anderson
03/16/200009:39:31 AM
Record Type: ,
To:
Record'
John B. Buxton/OPD/EOP@EOP
cc:
Subject: Notes from meeting on 3/14
J.B.:
Thanks again for the copy of the new Safe and Smarr publication. Here are some notes from the
education,outreach meeting with the First Lady's Office on Tuesday, March 1,4. As you know, this
meeting focused on generatirigideCls for t~eupcoming WH Conference on Raising Responsible
Teenagers.
Big Ideas:
*
*
*
*
*
*
Emphasize support network~ for parents and teen~
Include immigrant, homeless and migrant youth
'
Focus on the lack of civility in our society--how do we raise a civil society?
Address the sense of alienation or "lack of belonging" that most teens experience
Address the dropout rates in our public schools--African American, Hispanic, Native American
Highlight positive partnerships between teens and adults
I hope this is helpful.
Julie
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WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON YOUTH
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DATE"EAST ROOM, APPROX.200 PARTICIPANTS
. DELIVERABLE
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MANAGER(S)
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Goals and Objectives
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Shirley/Ann!
DEADLINE
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MarchI
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Consult with Experts in Field
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Shirley/Ann
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March 1-15
Agreeto Goals and
Objectives
• . Meet~ith Eric,
Tom, Gene, Bruce
• Meet with Loretta,
MaryBeth, Maria,
VP, TIpper staff
-Memo to HRC -for
•
sign off
• Hold focus groups
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Determine Conference Programi
• CoITrl1lll location and date
• Select title'
• Create format-number of sessions, ,speakers/town
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halVpanels, agenda, etc.
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Shirley/
MaryEllen!Ann,
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Identify deliverables
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March 15
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STATUS
Ann
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March15
March 30
March 30
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•
Date/location
confirmed with
POTUS and
FLOTUS
Title Set
Format Determined
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~\ d\ rtJfOU
~,,~. ~6Lv "i'~(Jv+I
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• Draft Budget/Secure FiscaiAgentIFe4 Agency
CoSpon~or . . .
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• IdentIfy. contact and confinn fiscal agent(s)
• Identify, contact and confinn Agenc~ CoSponsor
• Draft budget
• Recruit in-kind support
,
Shirley/
MaryEllen.
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• Research/Create Invitation List
• Detennine categories of invitees
• Identify individuals/entities to invite across
categories
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• For each invitee provide: contact n a m e , .
organization name, address, phone, faX and email;
and briefly describe why person sho~d be invited
• Detennine ideal percentage of invitges groups
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0
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Mar~h 15
March 15
Marfh 15
•. March 15
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• . Secure Satellite Dow~link Partners
' . Identify satellite specialist and set up uri
• . Detennine need for uplink.
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• Reach out to satellite partners/ save the date letters
•.. Establish Registration process
• Launch website.
• Provide satellite coordinates
• Provide satellite test pattern
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Asaf
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TBD
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•
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Brainstorm &
approa.::h Fiscal
Agents/CoSponsor
FinaliZe Agent
FinalizeSponsor
praft Budget
Determine in kind
needs
Identify Staff
Support .
URI. set up
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•. ~nvit:e categories
IdentIfied
• Lists.due
'. .First Round of cuts:
! . Determine diversity
• April 25
needs'
: . Second round .
additions and cuts
• . May 1
• Final list due to
L -_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~L__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~. _~M~a~y~IO~__~~L_~S~o~c=i~=J~O~ffi=I~c=e___ __
_
Max:Ellenl
• March 15
SOCIal',:
• April15
,
• April 20
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�• Mail Invitations
• Research/Select Speakers
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• . Based on agenda items, research possible speakers
• For each identified speaker, gatherdontact
.information and bio
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• .Locate prior speaking engagements!~icles written
. 'as a means to preview
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Shirleyl
MaryEllen
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April 10
April 14
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• ' Conference Video
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• Determine need for Conference Vid~o
• Contact video producer " .
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• Finalize video concept and list of interviewees
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• Complete filming.. "
• Edit and deliver rough-cut for first review
• Generate List of Research Needs!
Polling Needs
e· Identify necessary information (e.g.J visuals,
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handouts, etc.):..
• Surveys on peoples' views ofparenting (youth and
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'adult}
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• ,Latest researchon adoles~ent devel~pment
• Latest researchonparentmg: challenges and
techniques
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May 15
• Shirley!
• MaryEllen
Shirley!
MaryEllen
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April 30
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• Speaker.research
complete
• Decisions made
• Reach out to
speakers
• Speaker Bios due .
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• MJch 10
• I
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Determine need for
video & vendor
:
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• March 20
• . Aprp 10
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• May I
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• Mailed
• Develop list of
research needs
• Commission
needed research
• Research'
collected
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Outline Promotion Plan
e Brainstorm press partners' '
e' Comprehensive press plan
o Determine Timing
Shirley/MaryEllcn!
FLOTUS&
POTUSPRESS
Create Conference Materials
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• Generate list of what to include I
in conference
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packets/press materials (e.g., research data,
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resource lists, graphs, contact names, follow up
information,. etc.)
• Entering packet (stiggest~d):
• Welcome letter from HRC ,I
• Agenda'
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• Speaker Bios
• Note pad'
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• Exiting packet (suggested):
• Research overview (i.e. pie wedges, etc.)
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• Write-up of announcementldeliverables
• Counsel approval of packet~ "
., MaryEllen!,
Ap~ll
•
April
•
Contact possible
press partners
Develop plan
•
April
•
List due
•
Opening letter
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• ,May
• May
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draft~d
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Research for
folders collected
Clear through
Counsel
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DeliverableslFollow Up Plan
• Work withDPC for Admin Deliverables
• Work With private sector to developfoutside
deliverables
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, Shirley
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Continual
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Seek out'\new research to release
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Assist Speechwriters
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Shirley!
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Late May
.~ ~
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• Research key issues
Provide acknowledgments/talking points
• '. Manage Overall Logistics .
• Detennine Social Office contact
• Follow up with porus request
Detennine VP participation ..
• Detennine audio and visual needs
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MaryEllen!
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ASAP
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ASAP
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ASAP
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March·
•
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Update Weekly
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• Create overall workpl~-with deliverables and
deadlines
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MaryEllen
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Social Office
Contact set
Submit for POTUS
scheduling
Submit to VP
People
AudioNisual/
Satellite Needs'
Workplan drafted
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�Internal draft - Do not circulate
White House Conference on
Raising Responsible Teenagers in the 21 st Century
',"
Despitemany positive developments in the lastseveil. years -including declining rates of
teen pregnancy, decreases in crimes against YDuth, and increases in student achievement
and college access - parents oftoday's adolescents express significant anxiety about the
well-being of their children. In many cases, teenagers themselves feel alienated from '
their communities and insecure about the future. And r~cent tragedies have made parents
and teens of all backgrounds f~el helpless in the face of school violence. '
The White House Conference on Raising Responsible Teenagers in the 21 sl Century will
respond to these concerns by focusing attention on ways that families and communities- - ----- "-,- ,- ,
can teach good values, promote healthy behavior, and support positive youth
development. Against a backdrop of broader societal changes (the new technology, an
, increasingly diverse population, and a significant "opportunity gap" for low-income and
minority youth), the Conference will bring to light research on positive youth
development, emphasize the importance of substantial investments in youth" and
highlight the Administration's achievements in this area.
,
,
,What problems will be addressed through the Conference?
• Parents that feel dIsconnected from their children and lack information to
respond to the challenges they face.
• Teenagers feet alienated from their families and communities, and may choose ,
·their values and behaviors based on peers and the media.
,. Low':'income and minority teenagers face an ~'opportunity gap" iIi many areas.
,
,
--~ •-'-Pio blemsof youth- re'quitec6mprehensiVeancl'ihtegrate'd sollitiohS~ but'often ---'-~--'---,-----
are addressed through programs focused on a single issue.
'
• There is only limited research on "what works" foradolescents, and that
research is not well known .
.. 'r(;"M
What do we hope to accomplish?
• To ~ngage parents and communities in a conversation about how we can do a
better job working together to raise our teenagers. _
• To showcase the accomplishments of the Administration, and advance the
, President's budget request, in the area of youth development.
• " To encourage more effective, integrated servicesJorand by youth at all levels
'of government and in the private sector.
�'~
.r·'""!i ,.:
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• To provide parents and communities with tools and information they can use
to address the needs, of adolescents.
• To enable teenagers to speak out about the challenges they face and their. role
in addressing these problems.
.
,
• To issuea call to action to the pri~ate sector, media, etc. to take responsibility.
" .
for their.effeGt<m'youth,an<;i. to use their resources to promote healthy
behaviors.'
,
Who is the audience?
,I'
• Parents '
• Teenagers
• Policymakers
• 'Youth workers-'---~-----~-
-~----~-- --------:-~---~--~---
-",-- - ,------,----~----- --- ..
• Media
• Business
• Foundations'
When will th,e conference occur?
I
•
• Date to be scheduled pursuant to the President 'and First Lady's availability.
Preferred date May ~2 to take place before school lets out so we candowrllink
to classrooms.
How will the conference program be organized?
..
.
• The program may be organized thematically around "community, opportunity,
'b'l'"
'
.
'and responsl Ilty.
, '
' .. ,
____~~______,- _______ ~-Witllj~!lJ.-t~~ft~~-~QXk,- fu~_f()n()wiI!g I~~1,!~~.!!I~YJ2~_a._(~td!~~~~c1-__ ~_.~---_;,--,_~___~ _____"_
, .
o Health -teen pregnancy, HIV, smoking, drugs and alcohol, and
research on obesity, sleep, etc.
o Education -afterschool programs, 'smaller high schools, impact of
work ori education~ college preparation and access·'·
,.
o Enterprise ~ntrepreneurship programs, school-to-work, technology·
o Crime -violence by youth, youth as victims of violence, gangs
o Values -citizenship, service, philanthropy, character education,
,community 'strengthening, "One America"
,
0 . Integration of services ,
'
•
~u"( or -p.. t'I'll~lr .
What are potential deliverables? .,
• AnnoUnce research agenda '.
• Commission and release parents' guide to recent resear~h on adolescence
.
,
.':
2
�..
;:.
• Budget amplification (pull together all pieces of the federal budget related to
this agenda) "
• Announce upcoming Corporation for National Service youth summit
(scheduled for late June in Florida)
.
~. Explore possible grant announcements through agencies and foundations.
.• . Explore possible research report releases furough agencies and~noi:1Plofit , ...
.organizations
• Explore possible executive order relating to use of federal facilities,
interagency task force, etc.
.
'.
• Announce year 2000 Leader Schools (Presidential awards for schools with
best service-learning programs)
.. lk..'-rJ ;,....j4...
elhriJ I~' ~--:'-~~j !td~iJ!~fi,
2124/00 9:4'1 AM
._--- .. ------
--.--~.-
..
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..
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- - - - - - .--.----.-.~---:-.--.--.--.".---.'--......:..~-.- _ _ _ _----...___." _ _---.--_ _..,._" _____ ~. __.__._ _ _ ~ _ _ _ __...-._~_:--~.~- ........... _:_-"""-"-u,.--.'-..
3
�\-> '
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· YOUTH CONFERENCE ADVISORY MEETINGS
J
Federal Agencies
HHS
Education
, .White House, Initiative,on·Hispanic:EdtiQation -.sarita~Brown , CNS - John Gomperts,Marilyn -Sinitli~'
~
· CDC (health- std's, aids)
,'.
USDA/Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion '
FDA/ Children and Tobacco Program
F c<-·
DOJ
NSF
NIH
.
. .
DOL (School-to-Work,job training)'
HUD_(Youthbuild)
.
.
4- -x--d'--·'-----
[rl~.( I U
iA
Youth ServlDg OrgamzatlOns ~
.
.' ., ,J 1/ II {\ .II {
n
- I ,\.e.r
*Boys and Girls Clubs - Roxanne Spillett
J
*YMCA of the USA - Dave MercerlEden Fisher Durbin'
YWCA
Ainerica's Promise - Gregg Petersmeyer'
Girl Scouts of America
,Boy Scouts of America
"'Save the Children - Charles MacCormack/Catherine Milton
., National Mentoring Partnership- Gail Manza
Girls Inc; - Isabel Stewart
'
'-(-I-{
.. ,
. , . . . ,113 'I J'-v,\r It y'. '
(~dCclfoff
ServicelPhilan Organizations""'-- ... '..
.
*Youth Service America -:- Steve CUlbertson
,
National Youth Leadership Council- Jim Kielsmeier
City year - AJan KhazeilMichael Brown!Ann M~ura Connolly
.-~--¥outhbui1d~"'::.Dorothy~Stonell1an- . . . . .-~--c--- ----c------'---------,-:.~---------.:..
NASCC
' .
,'.,
..
. '.
".. " 5
./1<./'I(
ResearcherslAcademics
Urban InstitUte
Center for Adolescent Studies/ Indiana University
Stanford Center on Adolescents
The Search Institute
~ar:f'ie Cl?uncilon Adolescent Developrrient
'((.. vfl' ~
Parents -:· *National PTA.
J (}
,Nonprofits/Foondations
Carnegie Foundation
�-~'
'-',.
Kellogg Foundatioii
Annie E. Casey Foundation
American Youth Policy Forum - Sam Halperin
~e~
";'I,,;,_.,-_,~NationaLQamp'!.ign to Pr~v:~nt
Teen PregnancY_''hl$arah,Brown,Jsab~lleSawhill
":"*Campaign to End Youth Violence -, Jeff Bleich
NationalCenter for Tobacco Free Kids
Hand Gun Control
eenter for Substance-Abuse and PreventiQIl
, *Children's Defense Fund
/ (/, /' -)
M
child Welfare League of America~ 5~( rs ilv"\4 ' l f
Health,
A-
fII M- :r (J
, ,TeacherslEd Organizations /"
.
.
Council ofthe Great City Schools
.' .::..- ;J FlY l(..{
" *National Association of Secondary School Principals:'" Rob Mahaffy ~ "
I"
National Middle School Association (also do parent tips)
~'. " ~~
'7 vJ t
National Association of School Psychologists ' - t: L~c-c-tt~ -... t r
American School Counselor Association'
, Steve Edwards, East Hartford High School Student AssistaIlce Program
~
,I know of an incredible school-based program in Connecticut that brings the community and students,
together to solve problems through peer mediation, cultural programs, career services, violence'
. 'prevention initiatives, etc. The program's founder (the school Principal) has won several national and
state awards and is a tremendous speaker (natioll-wide) and thinker on school based community
programs (Tirozzi used to workwith him and so have I). Jfwe are interested in these types of
'replicable programs I would highly recommend bringing steve in, eveq in just an advisoryrole. '
-:i1~G~~--7t7 . .w..~ll
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Youth
"
,'.,
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f1-.7r i~;;-TBD (~hould we use pubHc,1iais~n's youtll counclIs)81Media
Seventeen
YM/Y oung Miss
,
Center for Media Education
National Institute on' Media and the Family
[women' s magazines] ,
, I J
'
, Teen :people ,
' , ,() I C. eF( t... • ,.Cd ""
. Sports Illustrated for Kids
V', -.
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Yv'-,~ ~4J7
'dx!cY/\' ,
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�/
lllunity Counts
,"
,; ,
".
:
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"
�Communi~ies
and their youth seem to
;-:
.be growing apart just at a time when they need to be pulling together. Troubling
: signs are everywhere that youth of all descriptions-not just so-called ,disad
,
".
' , '
vantaged youth-find insufficient supports in their 'communities to be able to
move confidently and safely toward adulthood. Many schools lock up tightly at
J p:m" sending children and youth into empty houses, barren neighborhoods,
. street corners, or malls. Youth interpret a local landscape void of engaging
things for them to do as adult indifference; For in~tance, when ,we asked' one
youth how his midwestern community sees him, he replied, "They don/t. I feel
invisible." We heard a version of this assessment from youth everywhere. But
in a number of communities nationwide, adults are working to develop and
sustain youth organizations that provide youth placement and opportunity~
.
.'
breathing new life into their communities as a result.
�.. ' ~
The fmpressive accomplishmeiJ,ts
.' if t~ese y oun8people "', .
.from'di~erse cO I12 n1unitiei
....·'.. around the' country warrant .community~ftio~.'
;:
..
"
'.,
"
Interviewer:
Youth:
Interviewer:
Police officer:
What~
it liKe to grow up in this ,ommunity?
It's boring, boring, bori~g! There's nothing' 10 do and nowhere tc go,
How do you see.kids in this community?
. Kids are different today, They have no respect. They don't want to work hard,
Most adults are famifiar with some, version of teenage~s' , years for moral development, these youth miss oppor
, tunities to find satisfaction in work for-the good of their
complaints of boredom. In some cases, such complaints
community. Society loses out when youth fall through
reflect little more than an adolescent's contrarian cast of
tije cracks in !nstitlitions t,hat could prepare them for a
mind. But for many, if not most, of America:5 youth, this
productive future. Comm~:mity counts~fo.r better or
assessment of the dearth of interesting things to do in
worse,..-in its response to these institutional gaps and
their community reflects reality. And. in the absence of
youth's unmet needs for support, care, and opportuni
organized activities and inviting youth-focu~ed places,
ties for healthy development.
young people make haphazard choices for themselves.
Many teachers, law enforcement officers, sociai'service ,
Tge odds a:re lrigh that a young person growing up in
one of the county's troubled urban communities will dp ,
workers, and other ad~ts believ~ ~t todaY's youth are dif
poorly in schooL For example, in some urban centers, up
ferent from yesterday's. They are widely perceived to be le~s
engaged, less motivated, and more likely to get into trouble. to 600/0 of African-American bOys will not graduate'at- ,
all.' The odds are high that a young person growing up
Have kids changed, or has the sOciety changed? Well,
in one of America's struggling rural communities will
both. Communities have changed, fainilies have been trans
move onto welfare rolls, rather than into' productive
formed, and workplace demands are fundamentally differ
ent from what they were a quarter of a century ago. Because
employment. The odds are lrigh that youth with nothing
families, friends, communities, and religiOUS or ciVic
positive to do and nowhere to go will fmd things to do
groups no longer assume primary responsibility for making
connections,a gap forms in Society's supports for its youth.
Youth lose out. Young people with notlring to do
during out-of-school hours miss valuabJe chances for
growth and development. During the most critical
and places to go th~t negatively influence their develop
ment and futures.
Tlris institutional discontinuity exists for young people
of all soci""l backgrounds. Even in well-to-do suburban
communities, ma~y youth find themselves adrift.
�.~
,1
,
'r
:',-.:
prOvide ways to spend free time in ways that contribute
Significantly to their learning and their social develop
ment. In this way, these organizations, in youth's views,
were not "typical" ofthe other organized opportunities
that may also be available in their cO!nmunities-activi
ties youth judged as uninteresting, not appropriate for
them, or otherwise off-putting.
Neither are the youth we came to know in these,
community-based organizations (CBOs) "typical"
American youth, either in terms of the schools they
attend, the communities they inhabit, or their family cir
cumstances. We found in these CBOs engaged youth who
are typically hard to reach, designated "high risk," and
often most i!!olated from, community. Almost without
exception, the urban youth we got to know came from
low-income, high-r~sk family and neighborhood settings.
Young people we met m
these mid-sized towns were typ
ically,oflower-middle Ot lower class and, like their urban
counterparts, they came from families struggling with
unemployment and social disruption. The rural youth
who participated in our research were generally from
poor families and wrestled with the unique aspects of
their rural 'communities.
Our research, reports numerous accomplishments
and successes of active young people engaged in commu
:nity organizations; Of greatest importance for society is
the compelling evidence from the experiences of these
, 'youth that' CBOs can playa critical role in meeting the
neeqs of today's young people. They can fill the gap left
by families and Schools that are stretched to capacity to '
provide supports to, young people. One of the most
appealing' aspects of these CBOs is that th~y' give young
people the opportunity to engage in positive activities,
to develop close and caring relationships, and to find
, value in themselves'--even in the face of personal dis
. ruption, poor schools, and neighborhoods generally
devoid of supports.
The impressive accomplishments of these young
We wanted to learn about "effective" community
people from diverse communities around the country
based-organizations, and relied on youth to define those
warrant community action. Community-b~ed organiza
terms. They led us to diver~~ organizations they identified,
tions ~ffe~ a means for reaching youth and they can have
as good places to spend their time. l These organizations
a Significant impact on the skills, attitudes, and experi
engage young people in challenging but fun things to do,
ences youth need to take their places as confident, con- ,
offer a safe haven from often dangerous streets, and
tributing adults.
Some youth are lucky enough to haye someone who can
pay for fee-for-service activities and shuttle them back'
and forth. Other youth are fortunate en01.igh i:o live in a
community with sufficient engaging, worthwhile activi
ties in the afternoons, on weekends, ~r during the
stretch of summer months.
But for too many youth, the odds seemel stacked
against hopeful futures when their communities offer
few resoilrces for them. F~r the majority, there are no
adults around for sustained active learning oppor~ties
during their nonschool hours. Moreover, many commu
nities lack supervised, educational places to go when
school is out. In one community we came to know, youth
noted with ir~my that the only public facility open in
their community was the county jail. In another urban
community, the neighborhood was so barren and dan
, gerous that, said one youth, ,"even the pizza man won't
deliver."Young wOmen growing up in urban neighbor
hoods like this one told us that they stay inside locked
apartments after school for fear of violence on the
streets. Young women in some midwestern towns did
not feel much more secure; In resp<?nse to our question
about what advice she would give a newcomer tp, her
midwestern town, one said: "Don't trust anybody. Don't
talk to anyone. Mind your own business. Be c~eful."
Communi~y organizations, can make a pow~rful,
positive difference in youth's lives. A decade of.
research looking into the contributions of community
youth-based organizations in challenging settings pro
vides evidence that community-'-in the form of th:e
organizations and activities it supports-can help'
youth beat the odds assoCiated with'gaps in traditional
institutional resources. 2 In our ten years of research,
this research team has' come to know the rhythms and
work of approximately 120 youth-based, organizations
in 34 different cities, from Massachusetts to Hawaii,
that constructively involve y01.mg people in their nonschool hours.
'
,
j ...
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an
th,
ge
de
di,
an
iti
al;
an
Youth participating in these CBOs ~ccomplish more
A CAD E.M I C 5
than many in society would expect of them and, in fact,
To the majority of the youth \\i'e met in effective com
more than most citizens would ever think possible. Their
munity organizatipns, their local schools fall short both
achievements and triumphs are of many different kinds
as learning institutions and as places where they feel safe
formal and informal" social and academic. Each of these
and valued. Compared to' most American youth, the
achievements matters to youth's journey through adoles
youth in this study are qlor~ likely to experience vio
cence to the futures they can contemplate and claim.
lence in their schools, to encounter drugs, to have
Academic success-in terms of high' school gradua
somethi~g stolen from them, and to feel personally
tion, participation in rigorous courses, and good' threatened at schooL'
grades-plays a major part in a young person's ab~~ity to
Y~t,compared to American youth generally, young
land a satisfying job, or even find employment at aI,I. Even
people who participate in ,the community organizations ,
in today's economy, paths to all ,but the most menial jobs
we came to know achieve at higher levels and hold high
are dosed Without a high school diploma.
er expectations for their academic careers. For example,
But a measure' of academic success alone is not "youth participating in ~e community-based organiza
'enough to motivate youth to tackle challenges, succeed
tions we stUdied are:
on the job, or effectively" navigate the' institutions of
~ , 26% more likely to report having received recognition
mainstream society. Yo~g pe~ple need life skills as welL
for go?d grades than are American youth generally, and
Those skills ,and attitudes include a sense of personal
youth with high levels of participation (several days a
worth, a, positive assessment of the future;' and the
week or some) are more thqn two times more likely to
knowledge of how to plan for it. They also include atti
report recognition for good grades
tudes of persistence, reflection, responsibility, and relia
~ nearly 20% more,likely to rate their chances of grad
bility. Self-confidence and a sense of efficacy are critical
uating from high school as "very high"
, if youth are to strive for success in schooI'and society.
~ 20% more likely to rate the likelihood of their going
Enhancing these life skills, in,addition to sU:pportif?,g
to college as "very high."
more traditional academic outcomes, is at the center of
In other words, despite the challenges they face 'at
the youth organizations we studied. Many of these orga
school, in their neighborhoods, and often at home, teens
nizations, besides ,benefiting young people, also have a
who participate in the CBOs ~e studied generally
positive long-term effect on the community. The young, achieve more in school than, typical American youth.
people express . high levels of civic engagement and a
Further, higher levels of participatio!1 'iIi community
commitment to getting involved.They intend ,to be assets
based organizations are associated with greater likeli-,
to their communities and e:X:aII).ples for others to follow.
hood of academic success.
as:
ro'
de
us
di:
A,:
th
w'
�·/
~ELF-CONFIDENCE
AND
OPTIMISM
Cynicism about the future isa commonplace attitude
among youth in communities where 'local job markets
are unstable, where the institutions intended to support
their development are of poor quality or lacking alto
, gether, or where there is little to suggest that they could
do other than ~ollect unemployment or settle for a dead
end job. The youth we studied stood out even in the most
young people pa~ticipating in community-based orga
nizations are:
- significantly more likely to report feeling good about
themselves;
- Significantly more likely to iridicate higher levels of
.
self-efficacy; ,
'
- 8% more likely to "strongly agree" that they are per~
sons of worth. More notable, those with high levels of
"
distressed settings by expressing hope for their futures
participation in CBOs ,are ne;rrly 15% more likely to
and'talking animatedly about their plans.
view themselves as worthy persons;
Significant numbers of the youth not only had pos
itive ideas about what,the future wquld hold, but they
- significantly more likely to report high,er levels of per
sonal agency and effectiveness. For example; they are
also ha~ gained the knowledge and confidence, to plan
and reach for it.
contrast to the self-destructive
likely to "strongly disagree" with the ,
statement that "chance and luck" are "very important"
assessments of many, ~ther youth from ,difficult envi
ronments-who say things like "the future be dead" or .
doubt the value of trying to succeed because it's "no
to getting ahead;
nearly 13% more likely to feel that the chance they
would have a job that they enjoyed was "very high."
In
n-
Ith
Ife
he
,0
ve
lly
ng
ns
:h
Ie,
:a
a
to
at
ns
ly
h.
y
j-
signific~tly more
Youth who participated in these CBOs, in other words,
express a sense of personal value, hopefulness, and
use"-young'people engaged in CBOs hold markedly
different views from their peers, and evep from typical
American youth.
agency far greater than peers in their community, and
Youth participating i~ these CBOs say that they
expect to have a job they will enjoy, that they can do
" greater even than youth growing up in more representa
tive American circumstances. These youth generally feel
things as well as others, and that plan~ they mai<e will
work out. Compared to the typical American .youth,
proud o~ what they can do and believe they can construct
a positive life.
�pating in these CBOs' are more than two and a half times
do com
more likely to think it is "very important"
These youth generally feel th,ey want to "give back" to ,
munity ,service or to volunteer. Youth work to make
their communities, moreover, that it is theirresponsibil
youth-friendly and safe communities.
ity to do so. In contrast to youth alienated from their
In particular, youth active in community organiza
,community, these youth acknowledge the important role
tions expect to work to "correct economic inequalities"
that community, in the form of their CBO, played in'
or tomake life better forchildren and youth growing up
enabling' their positive developme~t, and they intend t~ ,
in their communities. Especially in urban areas, where
help provide the same opportunities for other young
most 'of the young men in our study, have been or are still
people. For the majority of the youth in our study, com
involved with gangs, this commitment to enabling a dif
munity service has become a habit--one they expect to
ferent, safer path for children, youth, and" families fmds
keep throughOut their lives:,
passionate expression. In fact, this commitment to bet
Youth active in the aommunity-based organizations
tering their community is the reason why many urban
involved in our research' are significantly more likely
youth '~ay they intend to stay in their community and
than typical American youth to beli~ve that it is impor
make it better, rather than move away.
tant to do community volunteer work: For example,
These attitudes of civic responsibility and benefits of
compared to American youth generally, youth particicommunity service are most apparent in those orgam~a
'tions that feature community service as its focus or as an
important aspect of another activity. Youth who have high
SE N S E OF E F F I CAC Y: ,
levels of participation in com~unity service activities--'
"I AM ABLE TO DO THINGS
as part, of arts programs, 'sports, leadership initiatives,
AS'WELL AS,OTHERS"
dedicated community service projects such as "Weed and
Seed," work with elderly residents, or rehabilitation
50.. . . . , - - -
efforts-are eight times. more likely to respond that it is
very important to get involved with community than
'
, were; representative American youth.
C 'I VIC
R E 5 P 0 N 51 B I LIT Y
30.. _Ll.1L-_ _
1
20..
-
;
;
,
~
~
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"
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~
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i
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CEI
u
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to
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inc
to ~
sel·,
nit'
"sa
thei
?A
\Ve
whc
con
fare
WO',
the
int
er~
hig
got
exc
Youth active in community s~rvice dearly' derive
, benefIts that magnified ~ose associated with participa
tion in a CBO. They bask in the praise of neighbors who.
appreciate their' dean-up activities, bright murals, or
inviting. community gardens. This was the first time many
of these ,Youth have received positive feedback from
adults. In fact, many told us it was the first time they felt
valued by their community and that this regard fueled
their self-confidence and 'op~ism about the future.
These youth provided detailed descriptions of the ways
they grew personally as a result of their involveme~t in
community, service activities. They stressed how their
experience, changed their attitudes about personal
responSibility. One said, for ex'ample,
Q.
It gives me a sense of responsibility, like what you've got to be
[when you have a job]. ... You've got to be there on time, work
hard at it, and get done what needs to get done. That's why I'
am part of this [program] because r needed that responsibility.
i.:
.
'
�imes
;om
nake
niza
ities" ,
,gup
,here
: still
l dif
finds
bet
rban
and
.ts of
liza
is an
high
~s-
ives,
,and'
ltion
it is
than
:rive
:ipa
who
, or,
lany
,rom
. felt
eled
ure.
'lays
ltin
heir
)nal
Such comments about personal gains from commu
nity service are strong and find consistent support in
survey responses. Youth with high levels of participation
in community service activities are nearly twice as likely
to "strongly agree" that they feel pOSitively about them
selves. Those with high levels of participation in co~mu
nity service are nearly two and a half times more likely to
"strongly disagree" that they lack enough control over'
their lives. In consequential ways, the benefits of commu
nity ~ervice go in both directions~to the community
that receives it ;md to the youth who provide it.
they would. They own small businesses such -as a sports
park concession stand or carpet cleaning enterprise. They·
work in loCal park and 'recreation facilities. They are
engaged parents: They often continue with the arts or.
sports activities that engaged them as teens. '
Would these youth havemade it anyway? Would they
have accomplished all of these things without the com
. munity organization that nourished and 'challenged them
in their.free time? Little doubt exists in their minds that
the CROs where they spent time after school, on week
ends, ,or in the summer months played a critical role in
nurturing their development and in mediating the risk
"
factors in their schools, neighborhoods, and often their
PATH TO SUCCESS
families and peer groups. These effective community
We have maintained contact with near,ly 60 of the youth
organizations, in th~words of one urban youth :worker, '\
who were part of our original research in three urban ' help youth "duck the bullet," or beat the odds of early
communities. We have had a chance to examine how they'
pr~gnancies, futures lost to drugs, street violence,- or
fared over a decade. Contrary to predictions that they.
derailed by school failures. These CBOsprovide com
would be "dead or in jail~ before they left adolescence,
munity sanctuaries and supports that enable youth to
the great majority of these young men and women, now
imagine positive paths and .embark upon them. These
in their 20s, are firmly set on positive pathways as work
community organizations are learf!,ing environments
ers, parents, and community members. A few went oil to ' that boost the success ofmany youth in school, but just
higher education and are proud college graduate,S. Most
as important, t~ach youth many life skills~without
got some kind of training after high schooL With few
which academic success would mean, little. Without
exceptions, these young ,adults are employed and active' these community resources, they too could have faltered
members of their communities, giving back as they said
on their journey through adolescence.
�What kinds of CBOs' enable these positive outcomes
for 'youth? The community-based organizations associ- ,
. ated with these successes differ in nearly every ~bjec
tive way possible. No one type of program, facility, or
organizational affiliation was consistently associated,
with positive youth development. We found similar,
outcomes across a broad spectrum of type, location,
and size ofCBO. Adult leaders-both paid and volun
teer-came' from various : personal and' professionai
backgrounds. Some have been in the military service.
Others have been tea~hers. Manyh~ve worked in
,church groups or with athletic teams all their fives. '
Funding for the organizations', 'acti,?-ties came from' a
wide range of sources: national sponsoring organizations,
block' grants from local cities, fed~ral job-training
monies, regional foundations 'and local donors, you,th
fundraisers, apd t:h'e pockets of adult leaders. Most; of
the organizations live a hand-to-mouth existence, With
few resources in equipment and personnel. Given
these differences, however, the CBOs are similar in
several ways.'
DIMENSIONS
INTENTIONAL
\
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
The quality and effectiveness of the ,community -basee
youth organizations we studied are not happenstance. [;:
fact, these positive outcomes are not found in most YOut}
organizations or in other organizations that look simila:
on paper. Too many community~based opportunities are
"gym and swim" recreation centers, tutoring efforts, or
drop-in centers set up primarily to "keep youth safe ane
off the streets."While many of these programs make ar,
effort to provide young people with quality activities.
others mefelyprovide ~ place to go ana ,a collection 0:
things to do.
On a casual viSit to a youth organization that attract;
and sustains youth involvement, a visitor might sense it;
relaXed atmosphere and apparently infor-mal relation·
ships among youth and adults. However, the activities, '
environments, and relationships.in the youth' organiza·
tions ~here we found these positive outcomes for youtr:
are deliberate, distinguishing them from casual drop-ir.
centers in both the content of their activities and the
environments adults create and insist upon,
OF
A
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
COMMUNITY
KNOWlEDGE.ceNTERED~
VOUTH'CfNTEReo---~
~~-.)
/iaUrf 2
ASStSSMENT.ctNTEREO
�",'J
,
"
,
,
, Communitycbased organizations with an emphasis
.. on learning are alike in some critical ways. The cor~ ele
ments 'of an effective youth organization correspond
directly to the core elements of an effectiv~ learning
environment as'described by, learning theorists. As dif.
-rerent as they may seem on the surface, the CBOs youth
led us to are remarkably similar in their values and,goals
across different agents, spaces, settings, and activities. All
are youth-centered, knowledge-centered" and assess
d
n
h
d
n
:s
:s
.h
n
e
Contrary to. a "fix then teach" approach (that assumes
youth cannot learn something new or engage in a posi
tive activity until a problem has been remedied), these
progr~ms aim to identify 'what the youth do well already
and develop those, skills. Problem behaviors that may
exist or concerns about school, achievement are
addressed within this positive context.
This positive approach contrasts With what youth
encounter in r1iany communities and their organizations.
, Ma.qy y?uth feel that adults do not care about them, .do
ment-centered.
not acknowledge their needs or worth, and do not like
Youth-Centered. The CBOs that enjoy the confidence,
them; "Everyone thinks of us as being bad," said a young
loyalty, and participation ofyouth put yoyth at .the center..
Adults hold the youth in their visiQn for the organization . person in rural America. "But it is not our fault." A police
and the community. They know youth's interests and what . officer in a mid-sized town underscored his community's
tendency to notice the negative, rather than build on the
they bring t~ the organization. They know about their lives
at home, in school, and in the neighborhood. The CBO's pro
positive. "You have to be bad to be noticed-the 'good
grams reflect this youth-centered focus.
kid' doesn't get any attention." An urban social worker
Respond to diverse taients, skills, interests. Adults make an
observed, "Youth in this community aren't valued, and
ongoing effort to niakeactivities both accessible 'and,
'they have few occasions ,to demonstrate their value.""
challenging for all youth. Effective youth organizations
Effective youth organizations notice the strengths of
offer activities in ways that make the~ appropriate and
young people and build on them.
inviting to youth with a diverse range of talents, inter
(:hoose appropriate materials. Youth-centered organiza
ests, and skill levels. Adults take the time to suggest
tions tailor. their activities to the interests and strengths
activities that are appropriate to diverse skill levels· and
of the youth with whom they work. For example, lead
break activities down into parts to allow youtli with all
ers of Girls Inc. in the Southwest revised materials they
skills to participate. For instance: A theater group bri~gs , . received from .the national office to connect with the
in. novice thespians as px:ops managers, stage hands,
Latinas i~ thei~ organization. The leader of a Girl Scout .
wardrobe tenders, and other roles that allowed those
troop carefully reviewed national programs and curricu
,beginners to watch, learn, and play a vital r<?le in the
'la fr?m the perspective of her high-poverty girls. "It's
organization. A sports team devotes special coaching to
eaSy 'to make assumptions," she said. "Many of our girls
less-experienced athlet~s, and like the theater group,
. d~n't have alarm clocks or even telephones at home, 'so
includes novices in the, excitement of games as important
some of the things we get that assume such things in the
supports for their team members. A literacy program
hmne aren't appropriate for them."
that takes up most of a church's basement with newspa
Provi'de personal attention. Adults in effective youth
per production buzzes with, activities from writing lead
organizati9ns are contemptuous of what one called "herd'
articles, to interviewing sources, to laying out pages. In
programining," where youth move in large groups from
each of these examples, there are multiple ways a young
activity to activity, with little personal attention or con
person can join in, regardless of skill level. Adults in
riection. This description unfortunately applies to many
effective CBOs pay close attention to what the youth can
after-school efforts that provide a safe place for youth to
do and introduce them to engaging activities that chal
gather at the end of the day but have insufficient resources
lenge them to stretch their skills.
to do any more than that.
. Build on strenaths. Youth-centered programs identify
Reach out. Youth-centered organizations actively
and build· on the youth's strengths. Programs do not aim
reach out into the community to let youth' know about
to remedy weaknesses or deficiencies in youth before
their programs. Youth workers in effective CBOs do not
prOViding opportunities for leadership and risk-taking.
Simply put a notice in a newspaper and sit back .to wait
9
:.'
.
�.
,
f
DANCE.'TIL YOU
DROP:
TWO
AFTER-SCHOOL
DANCE
LESSONS
I.
.,
David, the
danc~ teacher, is aboutJo-he is tall, black, dreadlocked.
"These are my babies,:' he tells us. "I was just like them,
rc~me from the saine place
they come from.' The small room buzzes with energy and body motion a~ dancers pour in, peel off their dark'blue and ~hite uniforms and throw on brigh:
T-shirts and stretch pants. When David finally shuts the door, there are '18 dance studentr-all African American, nearly all girls, The three boys maneuver to
the front and ,wiggle for attention. David moves nonstop 'and works upa dripping sweat. The group sails through an hour of stretching an~ shoulder pop·
ping, leg 'raises and sit-ups. A few dancers slip into dance moves they are familiar with, and David gently.redirects them into the routine of the moment. He
keeps them all in view, breaking his routine to squeeze a shoulder or reshape a pose. All eyes are focused intently on him until they· coast to an exhausted
but exhilarat~d halt. Ms. Velez danc~s profe~sionally in the citY~ well-regarded dance troupe. She spends several afternoons a week teaching dance to inner
city African American youth. She has the intens!ty and high expectations of a professional. and she keeps her class focused and busy. Her directions are clear.
:She dances with the students, modeling steps, s'equences, and style,: The gro.uP. splits in two upon invisible command, and facing each other, they move
.
,
,.
'
through a fast-paced, lively hip-hop style dance. After a set of tough moves, Ms. Velez stops the group. "That was better but you must give me-BOOM!"
. Her chest pops out anether back arches pretzel·like. Students take in the ferocious move. Soon they are ':popping" for each other, All students wear kneepads
because, as one student explains, "This is serious stuff!" The line of dancers gradually breaks 'until there are just youth moving in space. It's 3:30, and they've
been dancing nonstop for 45 ,minutes. A girl looks winded. "Five more and then we'll get'a drink of water"':'five, six,
~even, eight.
" Ms. Velez keeps them
moving past the promised time, encouraging, "Let's take it from the top, and then we'll get a drink," The young dancers seem happy to do what she says,
They have an important performance coming up,
for youth to show up. They know that most youth do not
read' the newspaper; They uriderstand that many 'youth
might feel, on the, basis of past experiences, that the pro
gram ~ould not include actiVities tha~interested them..
These adolescents are accustomed'to programs in which
they're treated as children: or that vie~~ them as a prob
lem. M~st of the effective organizati~ns_ we came across
actively reach out to draw. youth in. Adults and partid- '
pating youth seek out other young people to join. Not
: surprisingly, youth themselves are among the most effec
tive ambassadors and recruiters for their organizations.
Feature youth leadership and voice. Youth voice and
points of view help defme youth-centered organizations.
Youth provide leadership and direction, taking a central
role in designing activities, establishing and enforcing
formal and informal rules f?r members. In some organi
zations, each y,ear beginS with a process of members
looking over last year's rules, throwing out unwanted
ones and adding new ones. Youth input into rules adds
. legitimacy and salienc:e to effective CBOs ..
Knowledge-Centered. Community-based organiza
tions that motivate youth and .contribute to their devel- .
opment are kno~Iedge-centered. They point to learning
as a reason why youth ~hould get involved, and they take
steps to prOVide the relevant knowledge.
Clear focus. Having a clear program focus is vital to a
knowledge-centered organization. Each. of the effective
organizations :we examined is about something in particu
lar. They are clearly and intensely about sports, arts, entre
preneurship; community service, or athletics. These central
."topics" prOvide a common purpose and make it possible
.for thdnembers to express their o:wn emerging identities
as artistS, athletes, or young entrepreneurs. Club programs
that appeal to youth similarly offer an assortment ·of
focused, tightly organized activities that may vary acc~rd
ing to the interests of youth! but typically include sports
teams, !=ommunity se~vice, and sometrun'g arts-related,
such as teen drama. These efforts are not. merely loosel~'
organized activities to do with sports or arts' or leadership
that a young person can dip in and out of; they are concen
tratedprograrrls that aim to deepen skills and competence
through intense engagement in a specific area.
One generic activity will not fit all· youth.. Adolescents
are clear about wanting to be part of an organization that sup
�ports their individual interests. As anyone who has wor:ked
,ine place
on bright
neuver to
Ider pop:
ment. He
'xhausted
to inner
are clear.
ley move
·BOOM!"
<neepads
d they've.
eps them
she. says.
extend these skills. For· example, an arts program asks
with a teenager understands, she wants to be just like every
one else, but she also wants to pick her own identity.
..
learn a good deal of history. gain pride in their back
youth to research their cultural history. Young painters
Qgality co~~entand instruCtion. Clear focus is not ~nough .
to hold on to youth, however, if they feel an activity lacks
quality. Not every arts program. sports team,. or leader
ship dub is able to attract the interest of young 'people ..
Striking among the CBOs where youth spend time is their '
high evaluation of skill-building activities. Youth are the
first to notice that good instruction motivates them.
Exemplary teaching and committed teachers show all stu
dents they are learners of promise and a value to soCiety.
High-quality content and instruction. propel youth to
accomplishments beyond those they imagined possible.
.Embedded curriculum. How that focused activity is con
ground, and gain skills in mural making. A dance teacher
encourages her students to keep journ:als and ~ften starts
dance sessions by having students read their writings
aloud. These dancers pick up habits of writing and read
ing while learning to hip-hop or double tap. Or in a pro
ject focused on child care ~n the community, youth read
news articles on the topic and· study various issues relat
ed to child care. They read in textbooks about "stages of
play" and create write-ups based on their observations as
. ,classroom aides.
Even hard-driving sports organizations. fmd ways to
broaden the perspectives and competencies of youth. For
ceived and carried out also matters enormously. We see
example, it is common in many organizations for team
members to come to practice eariy to work with volun
:arning'
~y
take
youth in effective organizations almost always engaged in
activities that deliberately teach a number of lessons~ The
adults within a successful CBO recognize the many kinds of
teers on homework, study for exams, or fme-tune
specialized units related to their sport. Many coaches work
, knowledge and skills thc::ir youth need to succeed in s~ool
and life, and they deliberately try to prOvide them.
NOTE 5
academics into topics of great intere.st to their yqung
athletes, such as nutrition and weight training. One year a
Embedded within the organization's programs are.
activities that build a range of academic competencies
and life skills. Youth leaders take every o~portunity to
.basketball team had six-week units of study on the follow:
ing topics: finances of the National Basketball Association,
physics in the sport of basketball, and neurophysiology.
:al to a
lective
articu
entre
central
,ossible
, l',
LEAR N I N G L I FE.
5K I L.L 5
T H .R 0 U GH
S PO R T S
mtities
>grams
ent of
,ccord
sports
elated,
loosely
lership
oncen
'etence
,.
The Rockets is a winning inner-city basketball team made up of Af;ican-American youth from one of the city's most impoverished neighborhoods. The coach
sees his goal as getting youth ready for life and uses basketball expressly to that end. Students are put in charge of coaching each team. In addition, the
. coach pays explicit attention to involving all students; better players pass to less skilled players ~en when they could have taken shots themselves. The c~ach
,and players work intensely on developing skills and executing ~Iays. Ther~ is no refereHtudents must take responsibility for monitoring themselves. The
post-game wrap-up focuses on questions of sportsmanship and personal growth. "CanC!nyone name something good another player did in practice?" the
coach
~sks. "William passed a lot today,",an eighth grader who was coaching replies. After discussing various players' performance, the program director
says, "It's time for self-evaluation. Get ready with thumbs up or thumbs down." The director then states different criteria, and the participants evaluate them
selVes': 'Controlling body and
mou~h ?" Most youth put their thumbs up. 'A few pufth~mbs down: "Teamwork? Coachabillty?" the coach continues. Half
~nything t~ help someone 'today."
the thumbs are up, the other half dO....:,h. ':Helping others?" One boy who has his thumb down mutters, "I didn't do
Finally, the coach asks, "Outside of the gym, doing things to improve
yo~r~elf?"
seriously as their passing drills and practice at the foul line.
Again. a mixed result. The young men take this reflective exercise as
'
escents
tat sup
-OBSERVATION NOTES
11
�.
.',.
'
LEARN'LNGJO BE
Darryi,
.
A lEAI!"ER
tio:
dk
C~rdinator ofthe high school mentor p~g;am, sta~ theses~iori with a game, Stud~nts divide into g;~ups of three:and each team picks a leader,
'.
.
.
."
.
.
' . . ' ,
He whispersth; rules
,
'
"
cOt
~f the game to the leaders, 'and tells them'to, return 'to their group: Groups get active;:but after a short time Darryl stop,S everyon'e
andremi~ds them that each leader was supp~sed to brief hi;or her team, The game starts Over,No~some team members I~se their ability to speak, oth
, '"
,
cn
me
zal
e~s I~se th~ u~e of' thei~ hands or theireYe~. But the~Ej!amh~~ to corri;"u'nicate. well, enough t~.build,~ blOck tower' t6geth~r, E~ntually the tallest towe~
, 'wins,and Darryl"debriefs~, the grOups about their process,,"What did·it feel like to be a leader? What was iflike working' w~h someone who couldn't see?
.
,
'
, . .:
,
.'
.,~
\,
,
"
'
"
,
;
.
"
,
'
.
What 'made it easier to work as a team? Harder?" OnE! student said; "EverYone can do a job and be important.to the team," Another said, "It was easier
TheytalkaboutieeiingS,s~meonesaid, ;'1 feit all a'!on~; like it was all on ~e, ",Another ~aid, "I felt pressure." Darryl
tht
related the building game baCK to the gr~up proceS!;, and the students' eventual work mentori~g yo~ng students attending the after-school a.rts progr?m
op
po
co'
when someone tOldus':"hat to do.•
. classes~"Com;"unicate with the artists '~ndteachers if you ·arefeeling pressure-ask
1
'.
,
'
,
' . . ' .
,
" _
~hem
for help. YOU' are joining a team." A student says, "I really
, ' .
.:
'
, didn't know I was feeling pressure when i was building;. 1just got really quiet and focused on what I ".Vas doing.': The students are attentive and listen,
"
."
"
"
" ' ,
.
' .
" . . '
'
,
closely to Darryl, and to each other, At· the end otthe discussion the young people record in' their journals what they learned that day about
themselves'and aboutleadershi~ ...
-:OBS!RVATION
NOTES
yo
vic
ph
Or
vic
-:.:r
(
,J
::
, an'
.:
.
"
Each of these units in~luded original research, problem
sets, discussions of ethics, and deciSion-making. For exam
ple, the unit on the NBA covered costs of heal~ insurance,
uniforms, travel, income from tick~t sales, ~es 'on play
ers' salaries, and using probability theory'w iilustrate the
youngsters' chances of making it to the NBA. The neuro- .
phYSiology unit discussed steroids,. heart rate under exer
tion and imder heat ddtydration, anq myths s~~unding ,"
"chocolate highs" and "carbohydrate loading."
Just as important to the,development, c6mpeten~e,
and confidence of ,the youth, however, are the life skills
woven into their .activities. A basketball' coach debriefs
his team after every game on sportsmanship. Talk of per
sonal responsibility and teamwork always come before
.' talk about winning strategies. On the way home from
performances, a gymnastics coach made a point of stop
ping for a restaurant meal "so the guys can learn some
table manners." The director of a Boys and Girls Club
instituted an annual formal dinrier, complete with table
service. The purpose of this evening was to introduce
youth to social situations they will encounter and, as he
put it, "to give the boys some models of how to treat
young women-hold out their chairs, things like that."
Multiple "teachers," In knowledge-centered CBOs we
found many adults acting as teachers. Senior citizens are
there as teachers, Peers teach each ()ther. Community
members help out with homework, bring snacks, or
coach teams. The most visible teachers we observed are
those with formal teaching roles inthe'orgariization-the
coaches, directors, consultants, organizers, and peer
tutors, among others. But these leaders frequently ideritify
other adults and youth within and outside the organiza
·tion as advisors and mentors. Peers are particularly
powerful teachers ii:t high-quality youth organizations,
and youth leaders' ~ow it:Accordingly, they prOVide dif
ferent opportunities for youth to link lNith adult and peer
teachers, selecting different "teachers"'at different times, .
·Assessment-Centered. "How'd I do?" "How's this?"
"What d'ya think?" Learning and development requires
ongoing feedback. Assessment in such varied forms as
coaches' 'comments, public performances, a teacher's
gentlecorrecticin Of a .dance. pose cir mural technique,
, peer reviews, game outco~es,or self-reflecti~n are con
stant in activities that challenge youth, stretch their skills
and experience, and return benefits of pride and personal
,growth, In these youth-centered environments,evaiua
ut'
da
an
ne
in
dE.
se
cc
be
aE.
ni
tif
to
ar.
ffi
1\
tl-.
in
Ie
tI
d:
C<
�in ways other than formal performances. A youth hard
"at work in an inner-city garden and park project said,
for example:
tion is not about competition or one-upmanship.lt is can
did, supportive feedback on how a youth did and how she
:ks a leader.
could do better next time.
Cycles qf plannina, practice, and peiformance. Because
ps everyC!~e
speak.oth
This is how you show responsibility, and for· me, I'm
cycles of planning, practice, performance, aQd assess~
:allest tower
doing something for t~e community which everybody gets
ment characterize most of the effective. youth organi
to see.... ·1 can show people I'm doing it. ... They can just
~uldn 't see?
t was easier' zations.we studied, the activities found there are not of
walk past and see me doing it. So that just builds up my .
self-esteem.
ure."Darryl the "pick up" variety. While many club programs have
rts program . opportunities for youth to stop by and shoot some
,An arts organization sends its members to meet with
IYS, "I really .. pool, have a swim, or find a game on. the basketball.
.the business community to negotiate a ~ontr~ct to paJn:t
eand listen court, joining the club's basketball team commits
murals in a corporate office. A YMCA disp~tches young
day about youth to regular practices and games. Community ser
'men affiliated with the gang prevention effort to meet
vice programs valued by youth also require careful
with local politicians and present proposals for funding,
planning, consistent involvement, ~nd follow-through.
IN NOTES
A literacy effort assigns youth to solicit advertisements
One girls' club was concerned with medical services to
to support its .community newspaper. Each of these
the elderly. They studied costs and availability of ser
as~ignments requires youth to plan what they will do and
~ices within nursing homes, assisted living programs,
ev~uate alternative strategies. Each provides immediate
and the homes of people who received homebound
feedback on their choices and presentation of self.
care. They volunteered in nursing homes, made visits
These culminating events and public displays are
with residents in assisted living, and organized distrib
more than important goals and rewar~s for youth, They
ution of food and gifts to the homebound for the holi
also provide opportunities for youth and adults in their
days. Throughout the activities, youth met with adults
:BOs we
community to see each other in new ways. Such p.erfor
izens are and peers to reflect on their experiences and devise
mances go a long way toward strengthening relationships
nmunity new strategies for work .with the' elderly. Or, youth
among adults and youth in their neighborhoods.
involved in an inner-city rehabilitation project
acks, or
As the'interlocking rings in Figure 2 suggest (see
deSigned and built a modei home and had the thrill of :
rved are
p. 8), the elements of an effective comm~nity youth
seeing their plans,. calculation~, ~n~ decisions ab~ut
on-the
organization are mutually reinforCing. Because adults
construction and design standing proud in their neigh~
.nd peer
focus on youth, the knowledge they provide fits youth
borhood in the form of attractive' hqusing
I identify
interests and needs as dermed in local terms. Because
Feedback and reco8nit.io~. Organizati~ns where youth
Jrganiza
adults assess youth's progress on an ongOing basis, they
·ticularly . accomplish at levels that make th~m and their commu
are able to tailor activities to stretch, but not intimidate
,izations, . nity proud devise activities that culminate in. celebra
youth. Continued assessment 'also lets adults know about
tion and performance. Adults find any number .of ways
.vide dif
the merits of their own prQgram choices: Is the program
'. to showcase the talents of their youth. Ms. Velez stages
and peer
an annual dance recital to show off the accomplish
, engaging? Too hard? Too easy? A youth-centered .envi
It times,
ments' of her young dancers (see sidebar, p. 10).
ronmentmust be flexible-responsive to changing tastes
-'s this?"
Moreover, says the coordinator of the dance program,
of youth and to changes in locallabpr markets, oppor.tu
requir~s
the pride attached to that annual performance spills out· nities, andresources. ,
:orms as
into the community. She notes the special case of a home
~ffective y~)Uth organizations take a broad vie,v of
:eacher's
less family whose, "mother comes to class arid stands
essential competencies. As they dance, balance the
:hnique,
there beaming with pride because she's watching her
.books, or' rebound, youth, acquire skills of leadership,
are con
daughter dance across the stage. That's why we're in this
organization, problem~solving, and persistence. Young ..
eir skills
community."
people working. in their community o~ lobbying for
personal
Youth find feedback and pride of accomplishment
support for their organizations learn political skills and
, evalua
13.
�valuable lessons about how to move through, and with,
the "system." As their peers, youth leaders, and ,the
public assess their products and performances, youth
come to understan~ that quality evolves, and they learn
about the importance of revision, attention to deta~l,
and pride of effort.
The social processes of ;e'flection and ,evaluation
teach youth about alternative explanatio~s of outcomes
and how to deal with, them in constructive ways. They
learn how to move ,beyond stereotypes, for example,
rather than launching into heated debate. Under the
watchful eye of the adults in these organiz~tions, youth
learn elements ofsocial etiquette. They learn how to pre
sent themselves to the community and employers, both
in person and on paper. Giyen meaningful roles in their
organizations, youth learn about trust, responsibility, and
personal accountability. They learn that their actions an4
their inactions matter, They acquire a critical sense of
agency and realism. They: learn that they can mak~
important contributions to .~eir group and their community.They learn they can accomplish SOcially valued
goals. And they form assessmt:;nts of their future and how
to reach for it. This so~t oflearning about self, community, and futures occurs through action.',
Essential to this learning, however, is the presence
of an accepting community within the organization,
Supportive, caring community is the essential element of
an effective youth organization.
"
caring Community. High-quality youth organizations
"are first or second families for many participating youth,
For some youth, these CBOs serve, as a primary source of
,relationships and support. The youth organizatic)ns prOvide
"far:
mar
you
req
the',
urb
"bo'
cen
The
ber,
the!
Par:
atte,
hoc
you
ilv",
DIFFERENCES
S C HO 0 l
YOUNG MEN'S VIEWS
4
AND
con
The
adu
SETweEN
A F.T E R • S C H 0 0 l
S E TTl N G 5 :
of\.
ho\'
der:
the:
'.
YOUNG WOMEN'S VIEWS
,4
strongly agree
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�and
e of
lake
om(ued
how
mu:nce
ion.
It of
ions
uth.
of
vide
:e
"family-like environ.rrlents"-environments that provide
many of the supports that, ideally, a family would.
Safety. Youth fed safe in these orgaruzations. Urban
youth, especially, put security at the top of the list of
requirements for a community-based youth organization
they woUld attend with' confidence. Adult leaders of the
urban youth organizations we studied Understand that the '
"boundaries" most significant to their members are not ' ,
census tracks or attendance areas but gang boundaries.
They take special care to ensure the safety of their mem- ,
bers. One obtained a yan with tinted glass totransport
their youth the three bi6cks across so-aill~d "Death Wish
Park." Another established ·clear rules about hours of '
attendance for rival gang members in the same neighbor- .
hood. As a result of this' close attention to safety, many'
youth report feeling safer and more respected in the "fam
ily" of their youth organization than they do in schooL
Trustins telationships. ,Effective CBOs, where, youth
congregate provide more than a safe haven, hmvever.
They focus on building relationships among youth,
adults, and the broader community.
Many'youth in these organizations talk about the sense'
of unconditional support they find in th,e organization ;m,d ,
how this sense ofbelonging fostered the trust imd confi
dence they needed to accept new challenges. Youth contrast
their experience in these youth organizations with other
experiences where they felt they were being treated as
problems that needed remedy. Youth growing up in the
harsh corridors of urban communities are particularly
adamant in stressing the importance of being taken- .
without judgment-as they are and helped to move on to,
more positive places, Effective community organizations
for. youth focus on building relationships and und~rgird
those relationships with unqualified acceptance.
Clear rules. However" the conditions' of unqualified
acceptance themselves are qualified. Features of safety,
trust, and acceptance are supported by number of clear
rules and responsibilities. An essential set of agreements
and understandings involves the rules of membership.
Many facilities make it known that no. gang color's,
weapons, drugs, foul language, or alcohol may come'
through the door. Almost all of the effective youth orga
nizations we studied set dear expectations for members'
attendance and participation at meetings, practices, or
other group sessions. Several athletic groups have specific
a
15
rules as well as strict· expectations. If a player stops
. going to school, he cannot play.., Missing two practices
means the bench for the next game .. Not showing up in
'uniform means the bench plus push-ups. Youth were
adamant about having and enforcing such rules. For
example, a basketball coach had a lot of explaining to do
when he called a benched player into the game against a
tough' opponent. The coach reasoned, wrongly, that the
team would consider winning the game more important
than sticking to rules. As they told him in angry recrim
i~ations after the game, "rules are rules" and even if it
meant a loss, they should be applied conSistently.
Other critical rules involve expectations for how
members treat each other. "Nothing negative." Members
are expected to be supportive, fair, and keep close watch
on the safety of the group. In groups with a span of ages,
youth care for, mentor, work with, and induct younger
members into the organization just as older sisters and
brothers, might.
We nO,ticed other things about the rules at work in an
effective youth-based organization. They are, in youth's
assessment, fair and key to the sense of trust and safety,'
they felt thet:e. The rules are youth-centered in their flex
ible application. We were stunned, for example, to watch
the coach of a baseball team qUietly retrieve a youth's
mitt from the train tracks, where it had been hurled in a
, sil~nt rage and in direct affront of the dub's rules about
equipment. In response to our unasked qiJestionabout
rules, .th~ coaclltold us about ~ night, of particular
violence in the young rhan's home, how the youth needed
to, "get it out ....We'll talk about it later."
Responsibilities for the orsanization. Youth also have
responsibilities of place. Everyone picks up, 'shares, and
takes responsibility at high-qualityCBOs. One adult
leader explained how he wanted to keep a home-like
atmosphere going that depended on members actively
thinking of the youth facility as a place' where they
belonged. "Tins is their house. There are no 'Boys' and
'Girls' signs on the bathroom doors here any more than
there. would be at home. They should know or ask. They .
shOuld treat this pla~e like th~ir own house .. ~. Keep Jt
clean and know that what they do will determine to a
great extent how people see us. If their. house is a pig pen,
then that's how people are going ~o perceive us." Part of
this responsibility inv~lves taking care of the grqup's
�equipment. Young people in these commUnity organiza
some of whom regularly camp out in his apartment when"
tionS are in charge.of e~erything from the team's basket
balls, to expensive audio equipment, to the club van, to the
, the goi~g gets too tough at home.
A common fmding of research into the resilience of:;
scrapbooks that chronicle anorganization's performances.
youth at ~isk-'-and one, that the policy communit",'
t
Likewise, CBOs that attract and keep youth engage
knows but keeps rediscovering-is the crucial role or.,
them in the day-to-day realities of operating the organi
zation. For example, youth', often have' to raise extra
one adult in enabling a young person to 'manage the,.;
treacherous terrain of dysfunctional neighborhoods and[~
money and help decide how'to spend the gr~up's
families, inadequate institutional supports, and peers:~'
regular budget. Athletic organizations: playing teams
outside' their' neighborhoa'd hand over travel plans
headed in negative directions. Our research adds anoth.;
to older team members. These members decide mode,
difference in the life of a jouth. Thus, effective youth ~
route, departure .tim~s, pick-up arrangements, an~
spending money. The responsibilities themselves teach
youth important les~ons about leadership, responsibility,"
organizations pay particular
ervoice to that refrain. A c?-ring adult can make all thef
attentio~ to sustaini~g ~
connections with]outh.
,:
Social capital. Effective CBOs also build relationships~
among youth, their community, and sOciety~they~
provide youth social capital in such forms as introductions
trust, and decision-making. Beyond that, stron&er
to community leaders, tips on jobs, meetings with locall
businesspeople, and contacts in policy and service ~
systems. A.dults in .the.se youth or~anizati6n$ work. with~'
youth on Job applicatIOns, call friends to set up mter,~
.
.
VIews, and arrange transportation. YIou th·manum ber 0 f11
,.
Constant access. As in the ideal family, adults provide
caring, consistent, and dependable supports for youth
and are available as needed. In reality this usually means
that these adult staff open their lives to youth and are
organizations shadow adults to learn more about their
available to them anytime. In the youth ~rganizati0I?-s we
studied, we ,found blurred bo~daries between adults'
. work'and to establish personal' relationships with some·
one outside the immediate community. Effective commu,
of
or
nity organizations prOvide particular relational resources
or
. that foster links across an othenvise often-~bridgeable
an
gulf between youth and society's institutions.
or
.Figures ,3.1 and 3.2 illustrate Significant differences
m'
in how y~uth see the environments of school and their
professional and'personallives. Organizations with facil
ities provide access to adults and spaces to· meet daily and
often in the evenings and on weekends.fu many of these
places, youth come and go at all hours. Many youth sim
;;'
ply come to. the youth organization after school,'curl up
on the floor or worn furnittu-e, do homework, talk with
friends, ~d wait for rehearsals or practice to begin.
youth organization (see p. 14). These differences are par·
ticularly significant for African-American adolescents,
Some come to work on special projects connected ..yith
a show or product development.
'
,who often experience school as a hostile environment
and their neighborhood streets as dangerous. Effective
For those groups with no facilities, adults usually
youth organizations involving African-American males
seem to provide an especially valuable and rare resource
for their development ~d safe passage through' adolescence in urban America.
'
hold other jobs and meet with the young people only
several times each week, u~ually when borrowed space is '
available or when the weather allows meeting in an, open
field or at a park. Nonetheless, these adults make them
selves access'ible to youth by giving out their work and
Adults tend to think of us as trouble...they just want to get us '
off, the streets and out of sight, throw us somewhere...just let'
them 'do' something,' throw'them a ball; you understand what
I am saying? Nobody seems to give a shit about what would
help us find a good path...
home phone numbers. and being available outside the
, formal activities of the youth organization. One coach of
a winning inner-city basketball team' has to schedule
formal meetings of the team around his job as a high
These youth organizations where young people
school social studies teacher. But hardly a day goes by
that he does not have contact with a team member
imagine, plan, and achieve care deeply about the quality
16
...
"
t
engagement in running the youth organization means
more intensive ties to the group. Shared problem-solving
builds community.
za~
vO'
th
\'C
sp'
ca:
sic
hi~
W,'
sar
an,
pr
n.
�J
f~lld0 ~h{nk ij~saitr~uble ...theyj ust
§tr~e:~sa~d.ou(6J sight, ~
····~;·som~~f1er.~ .. .jusilet them (dQ .sqmethinB:
yocu,; un:~erstap(lW"h(lt 1 :am sayJnB?'
··to'care~bouthelpiI}B usfind a Boodpath ...
.
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... ...,...,...u ...
.
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lrces
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,;.
....
.
.
,
.
of opportunities for youth. For re~sons of fiscal a~d
peopi~ knows that no one answer can respond to all
organizational capacity, or conceptualization; these
questions, ~d no one program will meet' the needs of
organizations are the exception in their communities
~Qse between tlJ.e ages of 8 and 18. Yet some principles
and around the country. Youth led us to programs ~d
of' design are evident. The ~ommunity org~izations
that .encou:age. and enable these positive outcomes are
:nces organizations they considered "best."The social, acade
mic, and civic outcomes we found within those 9rgani
. enviro.nments deliberately created to engage youth in'
their
zations celebrate their many tastes.
'
ambitious tasks, to stretch their skills, experiences, and
parWaiting lists also tell of the special features of these
imaginations: The work o.r. an effective youth organh:a
ents,
youth organizations. Most of the effective'organizations i~
tion is neither easy nor merely just for fun. These
nent
ctive this study are overfloWing, with waiting lists of eager' organizations are comml1I1itiesof learning and care,.
aimed at enriching the individu<;tls-youth and adults
la1es youth. Some of the small groups-such ~ those featl1ring
who belong to them.
urce sports, the arts, or a leadership initiative-have appli
cants numbering more than two times their available
Community-bas~d ()rganizations of the kind we
Jles- .
slots. Perhaps the most dramatic was the high-demand,
describe here may be' the institution of last resort fo~
high-performance urban .ttimblmg team that reports a
youth in depleted inner-dty environments-where fail
waiting list of 3000 young people. However, in these
ure is perceived as insurmountable and young people feel
IS
!t
same communities, other youth organizations go empty
par~lyzed by their lack of belief in themselves. Youth
It
and resources unused because young people assess their
organizations can' provide bridges to other paths and .
d
programs as uninspired and their settings impersonaL'
opportunities to find self-value and success. In all com
They head instead for the streets or empty homes. Youth
munities, youth-based organizations that create engaging
will not migrate to just any organization. Content matters.
learning environments for young people comprise
ople
Anyone who has worked extensively with young . critical resources for youth in out-of-school hours.
ality
�c
':;
.. ;
. ;!
who saw the position as a responsibility to manage rather r,
What does, it take to foster and sustain more of thes~
commUnity organizations where youth can find interesting , 'than a mission'toachieve. '
The prominence of passion in effective youth orga
things to do, security, and accomplishments that equip
nizations Signals the need to identify and back thai'
them for productive lives? These youth orga.nizations we
studied are unusual resources for kids-too many orga
pencha~t and energy in the community. In addition t:
,to supporting established' organizations, poliCies that
nized programs for youth look quite different in what
effectively support youth organizations seek out and
they offer, how they interact with youth, and the kind of
environment they construct. It's not surprising that the . underwrite committed individuals and en;lble their \\'ork
effectiveness of these organizations differs in important' ,with young people. Policies in support of passion for
youth get the word out that funds are available for adults
ways, too. Moreover, t):lese di~erences in progralI! histo-,
in the community who have enthusiasm for working w,ith
rie's and supports run counter to some con\'entional ways
of funding and assessing youth organizations. In order to
young people~
, Yet, most local policies encourage established insti·
make community count for youth, c<:mmunities need'
tutions as carriers of public interest an<;l investments in
to rethink strategies for their youth-directed CBQs.
, youth. This sJrategy may defeat the type of fundamental
, rethinkiIlg urged here. The risk for policy resides in new
LEADERSHIP AND PASSIO'N
forms of accountability, untried relationships, and the
loss of leverage that accompanies relations based in con·
Each of the programs we studied build from an individ
tracts with organizations. Communities need to back
ual's passion-a 'passion for kids, anacthity, or a com
these possibly risky investments. Youth's unwillingness to
mtinity~s well-being.This i~ true even for local affiliates of
get involved in the usual offerings bears witness to the
'national organizations such as the YMCA or Boys and
Girls Clubs. Effective programs are led by adults deeply'
low return on more conventional strategies.
committed to young people and their futures.
These 'youth organizations are not established pri
COMMUNITY' CONTEXTS
marily for purposes of safety. prOviding youth someplace
Guiding principles underlie effective youth organiza
to go, or as a strategy for addreSSing an academic, health,
tions, but there are no cookie-cutter practices, The
or social problem. The enthusi~sm of adults associated
'work of a high-quality youth organization is thoroughly
with the organization brings essential beginnings and ele
local and therefore unique., Surface similarities among
ments of stability. I~ instances when we saw a vital youth
communities mask differences that matter to youth and
organiZ!ltion evolve into the 'dull fare that you~ reject,
the organizations that nurture them. Every community
we saw a change o( leadership. A leader motivated by
has similar' institutions, but they are understood and
passion and commitment was r~placed with an individual
,
I
�· operated in distinctive ways. Schools in urban areas;
, for instance, are sometimes seen as agents of the sys- .
. tern and hostile to youth and their families. Schools in
urban, areas often are impersonal and disconnected
·from the community, since few if any of the profes
: sionals working inside ,them. know much about the
neighborhood or the people who live there. Rural
schools"on the other hand, prOVide c~nspicuous con
I trast to these urban observations. Schools in rural areas
:.often form the hub of the commu~ity. They gather all
generations of community members, and school staff
know not only the children and youth in their care but
also their extended families. Although urban schools
age rather make a difficult and not always appropriate partner to
:yout4-serving communityorgariizations, rural schools
.uth orga· are natural collaborators.
back that
Moreover, within commuruties of similar. descrip~
addition tions, institutions may mean different things to residents.
.icies that We foundsignifi~t differences among urban commuru
out and ties, in particular, in youth's perceptions ofthe local schoo!.
heir work Youth who rate their schools as hostile or unsupportive are
3.ssion for' le~ likely to stay there for after-school functions than are ,
for adults youth who find their schools a c~mfortable, safe environ
'kingwith ment. School may not be safe after school-largely due to
hed insti·
tments in
Idamental
.es.in new
, and the
!d in con·
I to back
ingness to
ess to the
organiza·
ices. The
loroughly
es among
!outh and
.mmunity
tood and
programs will not transfer intact from one location to
another, nor can' they be "taken to scale" by simply
repeating what ,~orks in one commuruty.
COM M U NIT Y ," MEN U "
If one were to judge youthful ideas about individuality'
merely from their choice of clothing, one. might con
clude ,that all young peopl~ want to be the same. The
baggy pants, oversized T-shirts, and backward;turned
hats seem a virtual uniform for American youth at the
end of the twentieth century. Yet the choices and voices
of the youth we came to know advise that individual pref
erences matter enormousiy. Youth's evolving sense of
identity and competence call for programs suitable to
them. The young woman who brightened her neighbor
hoqd's spirits with her cheerful murals would not likely,
join a local basketball team'. The youth hard at work
pl~ting, tending, and selling their vegetables probably
will not be attracted by membership in a drama troupe.
The youth living on one side of "Death,'Wish Park" will
not participate in activities with youth who live on the
other side, even, though the physical distance between
them is only a' few blocks. A necessary strength of the
the realities of street life rather than the ~chool itself.
CBOs attractive to youth ina community is their ,variable
Questions of where to locate after-school activities need . offerings. OpportUnities for youth of different tastes, tal
to be answered by ~e co~muruty, not resolved by stan
ents, and peer affiliations make up a menu of learrung
dardized policy directives. Program location can make. a
fr~mwhichyouth Canchoo~e ..
vital difference in youth's involvement.
'. A surprise early in our research :vas the dearth of
Commuruties around the country also have'different
opportunities fo~ young women. We found only a hand
issues or shortcomings with which to contend. Urban
ful of programs for them. Public and philanthropic dol
areas find space for youth activities in short supply, . lars often focus on the non-school hours of young men,
while mid-sized towns and rural areas generally count
especially African-American boys in the inner-cities
space as an as~et. Rural and many mid-sized towns
who are thought to be most "at-risk" and most threat
·struggle' with inadequate libraries or o'ther cultural
ening to sOciety's goals'. In many coeducational settings ,
resources, resources that most urban areas can build , ,especially formerly boy-serving organizations gone
upon. Problems of inadequate transportation frustrate
coed, girls seem like afterthoughts as plans are made for
plans for youth activities in rurai commuruties where
equipment or activities. In too many, dub programs, for
youth live miles apart down country roads. Urban youth
example, an afterschool activity for girls involves stand~
organizations confront not a lack of transportation but
ing around watching the boys play pool rather that one ,
its cost and safety.
constructed specifically for 'and by the young women.
Therefore, most irutiatives to build effective CBOs
We found both an absolute level of under service to
need to' be based in local knowledge and conditions.
girls overall in communities, and too many instances.of
Those hoping to replicate effecti~e youth organizations , girls being treated as second-class citizens in coeduca
nationwide must work within local c~ntexts. These
tionalprograms. .
.
;"
,
~~~====~==============================================~
19
.\
�~{
overlooked among these accomplishments is the imp or- ~:,
An effective youth organization must be able to
tance of moving beyond the domination of so-called ;'~:' "
expe~ts, both in response to. unique ,resources of other
adults and to community doubts about outsiders' exper· } ,
attend to these differences' and provide occasions fqr
r,
youth to engage as 'active learners. What one youth
leader termed ''herd prowamming"-taking in large
numbers of youth-will not provide effective environ
tise. In urban areas especially, distrust of public institu-
ments for learning and developm.ent: It is unfortunately
tions and their representatives runs deep. CommUnity
the case that fiscal and other constraints in many com
organizations have a vast reso~ce of community mem-
t,nunities apparently preclude support, for the intentional
l{
li
bers from which to draw if they don't limit themselves to
, so-calied experts.
learning environments w,e describe here. While these are
An additional challenge to developing expertise and'
well-meant efforts, and may be' better than nothing for
extending the work of CBOs is the need to provide sup
young people in depleted neighborhoods, communities
must be clear that they ~annot foster the youth outcomes
we document here'.
port for the many roles staff are playing in employment
counseling, job-trainmg, and business development. ,"
These adults need different kinds of training for these ,;'
efforts to succeed consistently. One impediment is that f'
This prescription for varied programs and occasions
for learning runs contrary to such policy virtues as cost
effectiveness. Funding and ~verseeing a few'larger youth
many adults in these youth organizations have no pr~fes- ~
sional identity. Structural shifts that affect institutions , .
based programs without question is a simpler task than
supporting a variety of smaller ones., But the strength 0(,'
typically come from a constituency that has a nationally Li,;:',::,' ,
.il ...,," .
acknowledged role. Teachers, administrators," and par- ,~l ~:':
the effort lies in its SUitability from a youth perspective.
Choice and attention to individual differences are key.
business community can speak to welfare-to-work issues. :i
,
"it:
No such identifiable cadre of supporters currently repre-' i
,
nity to address its diversity-to acknowledge the cultural
"
.
'
t:
sents youth organizations-neither the adults who work ~,
there, nor those who advocate on behalf of non-school !t ,
and gender differences in interests that shape youth
preferences and developme~tal. needs.
learning environments. Adults who work in these orgaDIVERSE
",
'~
ents can push for school reform. Welfare workers and the ~" ','
A menu from which youth can choose also asks a comm:u '
,
t'L
i
l'
~ .
. niz;ltions have no professional recognition beyond the
doors of their organization. Adults who come ,into these ;;
EXPERTISE
ij.
What matters in the suc~essfulorganizations' we studied
organizations do so through their sense of potential in the ' ~ ,
is a commitment to young people, to a community,and
honest engagement with both. Adults having th~se qu.ji
m~ity stakeholders like local education funds can take
youth and in the organization's mission. Established com
fications sometimes have credentials of an obvious
the lead in providing training for adult volunteers. LEFs
work daily with volunteers, parents, and community
sort-:-as teachers, youth workers, social workers. But
many--;-especially insiders with a passion for helping create
better environments for youth than they grew up in
have no such credentials. Some lack a high school
leaders. They have much to teach these fledgling groups
about managing a CBO and its volunteers.
diploma. Yet, as one youth leader put it, these caring and
institutions granted authority to credential rethink pre
competent staff-have a "Ph.D. in the streets." Youth lead
requisites and progr,ams of study to include these young
adults and adults who fall outside the conventional certi
How' then inight the policy comm~ty and those
ers in many organizations point to the critical knowledge
these volunteers bring to the organization. Their experi
fied pathways? How might communities move beyond
ence lies not only in understanding .families, but ,also in
either/or discussions of the merits of lay or professional
ways to get adults involved-how toerigage seemingly
unavailable community resources. A dilemma for policy
makers and funders is how to "certify:' these ,talented
roles t~ embrace and legitimize the contributions of
both? Here, too, LEFs are critical. Local education funds
are currently working to change the face of p~ofessional
individuals in an era of credentialism and legitimate con
development within schools across the nation. If the
cerns about who works with youth. A 'lesson not to be
learning community is expanded beyond schools, the
:~-~~
---:'-===j==============::::::::::===========::=:::::::'
20
�I.
(
•
~~
[
I
r"
i
�lessons LEFs have learned in assessing training programs
for teachers are applicable to training programs for. all
adults involveg in supporting increased youth learning.
II S TEN I N G TOY. 0 U T H
Youth learn qUickly about the supports and constraints of
their communities. Organizations often fail because they
have incorrect information about the lives of the young .
people they serve. This lack of youth perspective leads
adults to make wrong assumptions about such important
things as "safe" streets, welcoming organizations, or pos" ..
... sible partners. A lack of input from youth sometimes
. leads adults to wrong conclusions. For example, the
well-intentioned adult mentor in ail urban setting was
furious when youth from the organization he sponsored
failed to keep appointments he had arranged for them.
What he didn't know,however, was that the young men
did not know how to read or use the city's bus schedule
to get downtown. An adult might .view a youth's poor
school performance or attendance as a sign of apathy,
while youth might explain it differencly-:-in terms of a
violent school setting, indifferent teachers, or boring
classes. Adults may explain teen pregnancies in terms of
insufficient information about safe sex or lack of disci
pline. But the young women we talked i.o referred to'
''having someone to love." Or, one young Woman liVing in .
a home for pregnant teens in the Midwest told us, "It's
boring. What can you do?You
join a gang, ilse drugs,
or have sex. We chose sex. It's free,'and it's not danger
ous." A youth,-cent~red community listens. to the nature
of problems and about positive respon;es: As long as a
community ignores the opinions of youth or sees itself as
. detached from them, opportUnities for youth develop
ment are unlikely :to change.
can
SUPPORT
FOR
CORE
ACTIVITIES
Communities need to invest in resources to engage youth's
free time and attention. These community-based environ
ments for learning matter as much for youth as do
schools and other institutions-in many cases, more so ..
Yet, communities generally· do not provide suffici~nt
support for their youth in nonschool hours. Research and
experience tell us that many youth organizations run on
sheer will, constantly scrambling for funding. They wrestle
with brokell pipes, c:rw:nbling floors, and inadequate space
and supplies. Their adult leaders have to spend an inordi·
nate amoUnt of time searching for funding and thinking of
new ways to make their tried and successrui work match
the latest "flavor of the mo~th" requests from $undations
or other grantmakers.
Moreover, much of the funding for youth organiza.
tions'supports start-up activities, not ongoing opera.
tions. As a result, many youth organizations live from
three-year grant to three-year grant, often directing sig-.
nificant staff resources away from work with youth to·
grant writing. Funding' for· growth an,d sustai~ability
means funding the work these organiutions currently do
and extending the time frame within which funds may be
used. It also means general funding for less glamorous,
day-to-day duties such as background checks for staff,
snacks for par·ticipants, and T-shirts and other symbols of
membership so important to youth.
Funding for youth organizations often comes from
multiple. sources. One organization in our research, for
. example, received funds from over 100 separate sources,
Paperwork multiplies accordingly ~d can strangle small
organizations, with scant time, resources, and expertise
on.
tim
bur
pat:
cor:
M'
We
loe
we
are
are
ane
ser·
cor
the
fee
1m
of
Cc
fo:
Cc
nc
to manage it. The great majority of the effective youth
.organizations we profile here fit into that category-a . _
grassroots group getting by on sheer will and perSistence
hut with few administrative resources. Many of the agen
cies that fund CBOs have similar goals but separate
applications, timelines, and requirements. Private foun
dations run grant progra~s appropriate for youth
organizations through multiple program areas (e.g.,
youth development, community development, and edu
cation). Public funders similarly operate multiple funding
streams out of different offices. A state department
education, for instance; might administer funds to youth
organizations through service learning. and community
service initiatives, after-school programs, school-linked.
services, safety programs, or drug prevention programs.
These uncoordinated good intentions tu~n into a morass
of paperwork and confusing requirements· for youth
organizations. A more supportive system of funding for
quality CBOs would work with the community to coor
dinate funding requirements, technical assistance, and
schedules to minimize the time youth organizations spend
�:==
hey wrestle
on administrative work and fundraising and maximize the
the local budget rather than one contender in annual
quate space
time they spend working directly with youth: BurgeOning
bureaucracies and compliance-based contracts are incom
budget battles. Local e~ucation funds are well-versed in
analyzing budgets-'-and in educating the community on
how to read budgets and req~est changes. Doing so
I an inordi
thinking of patible with the trusting relationships that matter for
, vork match
communities and their local organizations.
foundations
doesn't necessarily require financial acumen. But it does
require a desire to advocate for youth. Over the' past
decade of navigating local politics,local education funds
norganiza-:
M A KEY 0 U T HAL I N E I T E M
ing opera-, We asked leaders in vastly different communities about
local priorities for youth. Responses to our question:
recting sig were consistent across region and community. Yes, youth
h youth to are a priority for the community.. But somehow there
stainability, are always more pressing items, like police protection
lrrently do ; and road repairs, on the community agenda. Youth
have earned a reputation as an impartial advocate for
youth and youth progr~s.
; live from
ods maybe:~ services frequently fall to fourth or fifth on a list of
Jlamorous, ;.1 community priorities, but budgets accommodate only ,
'!
::>
the top three. In local budget struggles, youth have inef
S for staff, ',~
symbols or; fective voice and claim upon community resources.
j Implicit are assumptions that youth are the responsibility
~ of schools and families, not of the entire community.
)mes from;
'1
search, for ',l Communities serious about making community count
.'~
tesources.'
for youth will bolster supports for youth organizations.
Communities serioUs about supporting you~, in their
non-school hours will make that !?upport a line item in
ESTABLISH
OF
MEANINGFUL
MEASURES
ACCOMPLISHMENT
Youth organizations, like other community agencies; are
often held accountable for achieving outcomes that are
specified by agents outside the community. These desig
nated outcomes are frequently unrelated to what they do
day-to-day. Or they call for iridicators that make little sense
in the context of an organization's program. The experi
ences of the effective yotith,organizations we 'studied offer
a number of suggestions for more meaningful evaluation.
Effective org~zational processes-as well as more
locally defuied youth outcomes-should be considered.
Some organizations start in places with few guides or
Itegory-a ii'_ _ _mm~;;;;:;:;:;;:;;;;:;;:;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;W;;;;;;:;;_;;;;;;;;;;;:;;;;;~;;;;;;;;;;;;;:;;;;;:;__;;;;m~;;;;~iim;:::::::===========t::==
Jersistence
fthe agen
t separate
,vate foun
for youth
:eas (e.g.,
, and edu
lIe funding
.rtment of
ls to youth
ommunity
tool-linked
programs.
) a morass
for youth
, mcllngfor
y to coor
ance, and
ions spend
�supports. Just opening their doors and getting youth
involved marks a major accomplislunent.
Meanirigful ~easures acknowledge that many out
comes important for youth to achieve---confidence,
agency, leader~hip, responsibility-are difficult to ll.ss~ss,
especially iri the short run. "Process is Product" in a qual
, evaluations, especially those of the checklist variety.
Evaluations that emphaSize such items as participation
rates or stated progrcim objectives rather than students'
experiences and their assessments of value cannot help
fu'nders or staff members identify 'strengths or areas for .
g:
If
p
improvement.
Youth leaders conSistently point to' problems of"fitn
between what funders ask them to count, as outcomes
a
it youth-centered? Knowledge-centered? Assessment
and the goals they aim to achieve. Many of the outcomes
centered? Doe~ the organization embody a respectful,
affirming community of adults and youth?
p
for which youth organizations are held accountable can
take a Significant amount of time and effort to change.
Some CBOs. are asked about the impact they ,have o~
ity youth organization. Meaningful measures gauge the
environment for youth development-to what extent is
(,
, Looking at esppused organization goals provides
insufficient evaluation. Short-term projects cannot teach
concentration, revision, and persistence. Programs that
are merely "fun" cannot challenge youth to learn new
things, imagine futures, or achieve goals. Moreover, we
saw ho~ programs that appeared the same on paper were
in practice different opportunities. Accordingly, mea
~ures of these organization qualities and actual offermgs
are important indicators of their potential for enabling
positive outcomes for youth. Yet these meaningful mea
sures typically are not captured in grant applications and
school grades when they might be more accurately
judged by their progress along interim measures such as
development of leadership skills, emotional competen
cies, and attitudes of responSibility.
Outcomes might not capture success becau~e they
tend to be static rather than developmental in terms of
the organization. When a youth organization first opens
its doors, it might be forced to provide a range of unfore
seen services in an effort to be accessible and relevant to
s:
its 'neighborhoods. When youth organizations first start
t.
a,
"~i
1'
i~
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I
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il
: .... :~;l,~
...:--'
:~
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c:
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r.
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c
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r,
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�variety. to work with_ youth, some outcomes mig~t show initial
. icipation gains then level offand/or decline as more difficult chal~
;tudents' lenges rise to the surface.
not help
Adults working with community-based organizations
areas for particularly resent the negative frame of many required
evaluations. Some youth organizations are asked to track
IS of"6t" deficits in youth (for example, reductions in incidence of
·utcomes vandalism, school failure or poor- attendance, or teen
,utcomes pregnancies) rather than note _and appraise, the_ positive
:able can youth accomplishinents. Many, if not most evaluation or
change. accountability structures, are based in a "pathology reduc
have on tion" frame rather than one of positive youth develop
xurately ment, in direct contradiction to the character e~sential to
s such as an effective youth organization.Youth leaders in the effec
mpeten. tive organizations we studied agree that "problem-free
does not mean fully prepared.Young people are sold short
use they when sights are set_ so low. Adults must state pOSitively
terms of what their goals are for young people.'"
'
'st opens
-As a consequence of these ill-fitting evaluations, ,
funfore· some CBOs feel pressure to change course in order to
levant to satisfy funders: to prOvide mote direct academic time or
irst start to focus on reduction of high-risk behaviors, even if those
are contrary to the "best practices" of effective CBOs.
GROWING
YOUTH-BASED
RESOURCES
The commuruty organizations we studied are exception
al and generally not part of any self-conscious association
- of resources for youth. The majority of the effective
organizations we came to know were "home- grown"'and
isolated elements in an uncoordinated voluntary, youth
based non-school sector. But these organizations need
not be exceptional_ail? rare, and dependent on the pres
ence of an exceptional leader. Evidence exists ~ound the
country that effective youth-based organizations can be
,
built by engaging community ,members and staff in
;", vision-building activities for youth development, con
necting them to "best practices," inviting genuine youth
participation in assessing needs, designing programs, and
.'
evaluating
contributions.' Public policymakers and
,private funders can realize significant benefits for youth
and their communities though -investments ,in capacitybuilding efforts and organizations. These' investments
might underwrite networks for youth organizations and
youth workers, organizations dedicated to sharing ideas and
',.'
'
.. ~..:,:.,
-',
theu-
strategies, assistance with evaluation and program
design, or occasions for youth to work with community
members on issues of constructing and connecting com
munity supports for youth. Adults working in youth
based organizations express a sense ofdisconnection and
, "going it alone" that cpuld be amelior~ted by resources
dedicated to c~nnection and shared goals. Theseindirld
uals, like the youth they work with, need an intentional
learning environment--:one that is centered on their
needs, focuses on their learlrlng, and prOvides opportu
nities for invention, reflection, and feedback.
COM M UN I T Y YOU T H' _DE VEL 0 P MEN T
Youth development means community -development. "
A community bereft of adults who care about and pro
v:ide activities for youth can prOVide only rocky and
'.
inadequate support for'youth development and healthy
learning environments.
Seeing, youth development ,as community develop
ment refocuses policy and practice'beyond the specifics
of opportunities provided for youth to the community
relation~hips that nurture and sustain those opportuni-.
ties. In many of the community-service programs we
came to know, for example, the relationships among
adults engaged .in the program continued beyond the
specific activity to benefit them and youth. Some of these
benefits to adults are direct, as in the church-based liter
acy program that hires local residents as receptionists,
" aides, or general supervisors for after-school programs. __
Many organizations involve community members as
volunteers. In more than one instance this volunteer
work and the evidence of reliability and talent it estab
lishes gives adults the confidence to seek paid jobs. These
extended relationships fostered in: many CBOs illustrate
the "strength of weak ties"-the ways in which social
networks can contribute to personal success and welI~
" being. These ties are community development at its core,
and they make up an essential web of mutual account
'.
(
ability and responsibility for young people.
,_
Und 7rstanding youth development in terms of com
munity development raises new challeng~s for policy.
One challenge is building on community - assets
strength~ningthosefeatures of community that already
contribute -to the well-being ~f youth and families. -_
"
)
�Strength-based strategies aim to honor, and' e~tend
if a vital context for their growth is to be constructed.
community strengths, so that they can be sustained and , Yet, schools, the so-called "universal institution" for chil
stable' after the life of the grant-'-too often the case
dren and youth, typically are left out of both community
and youth development efforts.
when initiatives are intended only t6repirir .or respond
8
This omission sometimes is by design and sometimes
to community deficits.
by' default. In most urban communities, and in many
As sensible as a strategy that starts from commUnity
mid-sized towns and rural areas, schools and communi
strengths might sound, it can pose chillenges to funders
ties have grown apart. In urban areas, schools and com
and policy pIakers. In many communities, important
munities often operate in a climate of mutual mistrust
. assets sit in faii:h~based institutions, institutions precluded
rather than one of collaboration.:Jn rural areas, policies
from public support by First Amendment guarantees
of separation of church and, state. Moreover, in many' ' that have consolidated smaller schools into larger region
al high schools have fractured the spirit of place many
communities, norms resist.sp~nding public dollars' on
schools held for their communities.
organizations or activities with any ideological stance. Yet
Positive school~community connections are ,unusual, ,
faith-based organizations are often among the most avail
and as one youth advocate put it "there is an abundance
able and sustaining resources for a,community's youth and
of arrogance and ignorance on both sides." Adults
adults. Econo~ic pressures and a growing sense of
working with youth organizations frequently believe that
urgency are bringing churches and schools together in
school people do not respect or value their young
pursuing a common goal of nurturing healthy children.
people. Educators, for their part, generally see youth
Not only are religious organizations regularly the heart
organizations as mere "fun" and as having little to con
and center of ,communities, they often furnish the only
tribute to the business of schools. Moreover, educators'
coherent system of positive values in the distressed con
often eS1:iiblish professional boundaries ,around learning
texts of poor neighborhoods. Navigating the legal and
normative terrain that' sep~tes public support' from , . and teaching, considering them, the sole purview of
faith-based organizations poses a hu:dle for communities
teachers. Yet adults working in community organizations
aiming to build on their assets.
know that youth have many teachers and that learning
does ~o}ltinue in non-school hours.
One particularly ironic challenge to'strateg!es for
. youth development lies in the call to see youth as
, , In many ways, both are" right. We, heard ,many
accounts from adults working in 'youth organizations
resources. The typical "youth as problem" stance ofpolicy
about the damage done in school to the young people
has been identified as a dead-end strategy; yet alte~n~tives
have proven difficult to support. The idea of youth as a
they cared for. "1 need to spend two hours after school
constructive agent rather
'making up for what happens to my kids in school," said
a "target" often discomfits
one. "They are made to feel they're no good and can't
officials and others worried about losing control. Yet the
experiences we relate here make evident that youth are
accomplish anythillg." Educators, commenting on youth '
organizations, say that many of the activities available to
resources to their peers and to their. community-and
effective compIunity organizations intentionally cast them
young people in' their non-schools hours ar~ insubstan
as such. The successful outcomt:s we detail are'based on a
tial, lacking in opportunities for learning.
deep and' articulated faith in the capacity· ~f young people
Yet fostering more creative efforts of cooperation
to be resources, for the community and energetic agents
between schools and youth organizations is critical. Few'
in their own positive futures. Advice to fundamentally
of the groups westudie,d could entertain'this idea, how
rethink the value and ,roles of youth'may be difficult to
ever, for when they had done. so, they ran into bureau
sell, however, especially in violence-plagued urban areas.
cratic snags. In one urban community, school regulation
, precluded cooperating artists from using the spaces they
Still other barriers exist to approaching youth devel
needed. Barred from the gym or hardwood floored hall
opment as community development as a matter of policy
and support. Youth-based community develppment must
ways because of insurance provisions, the dance program
engage all of the institutions through which yoJthmove:
struggled, on a ~oncrete lunchroom floor. Provided no
tJ.mt
.,i
as:,
.pe:
W(
sti,
thr
to
sel'
va}
Sci
po:
fer
no:
mt:
Cr,
n01
ne'
tor
arr,'
OU',
jng
COl:
wh.
am,
cor.
reI:
sh'ir
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,assistance'frem thes~h601'sjaniters, a mural artist des
perat~iy mopped up after her yo~g artists so. teachers' .
would not return to. floors marked with fmgerpaints, '
sticky paper, or other eVidence of youthful creation. By
the artists' reports"school ()ffidals were deaf to req1.lests;
to talk about ways' the after-school programmd the
scheol could collaborate in the interest of youth.
.' The waste of precious, resources deprives youth of
.vciJ.uable opportunities to learn, practice, and, achieve.
Schools 'are repesitories of spaces and materials to sup
port" learning. Cemmunities, on the other hand, offer
fertile resources that can extend the classroom into the'.
non~school lives of youth. More effective school-coin- ,
munity connections must, resolve these tl,lrf battles. .
Creative efforts also require g~ounding' in expanded
notions of teaching and learning oppertunities~These
new understandings await conversations among ,eduCa
tors ,and, community members, discussi~nsthat' cannot
. even begb:t without suspension ef their mutUally held
arrogance and ignorance. Communities need to attack
this culture of distrust and bring s~hoels to the table. The '
challenge for schools is to ~nk about what happens
outside the classrooin and censiderresources for teaching,and learning in the com~unity. The challenge for
communities 'is to think about ways they can 'support
what happens iii the clas'sroom in nonscheel ho~rs.
' In additien to. these largely horizen~alrelati()hships,
among ,:emmunity institutions and their youth, effective
community organizations also must depend on ver.tical
relationships to support their goals~that is, relation
ships between activities at the neighborhood level and
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,those at the city level. Opportunities for youth are
shaped-for better er worse--by larger political and
;regulatory contexts. We encoUntered many examples,
generally negative, of how youth organizations are affected
by their settings.;In one: urban area, fer e'.'ample, youth
were disappoint~d and filially .ingered by the failure of
the city to fulfill its promise of reseur<;~s for their com
munity-servi¢e'preject. Their anger was over more than
just scuttled plans. Ii expressed their r.einforced belief
that, the system had no; respect: for' poor, African~
,American yeuth. They 'believed that "the ',SUitS" did not
honor their pledge and could, not be, truste~. ,Belief ill
adults,constructed within the nurtUring environment'
of the organization '''family,'' is easily eroded by mixed
'Signals and broken promises. ' ,
" Individuals and organizations with cempelling public,
voice will have to become ,convinced of the need for,
',~d 'the effectiveness of, these youth-based organizations,
andtheii" 'potential for creating positive climates for
ymmg people.> Those, interested in education, civic
respensibility,an~ creative apprqaches t~ working with
'youth will have to step forward to acknowledge youth.
based organizations and the, youth they embrace as
powerful,positive allies u1 comm~ty develepment.
,Effecti~e ,community youth organizations .,such, ,as
those .featured here go a long way to answer the concep
tual challenge, of how to make co~munity count for
youth. A more difficult challen:ge is a political one: hoW
to mobilize advocates :with diverse perspe~tives into more
productive relationships aroilitd yquth development and
l.
'opportu~ities for young people.,
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27
r
�How can communities count for youth,developme'nt?9
following is an attempt to translate the previous argu
Support for effective youth organiz~ti~ns will requir~'
ments and findings 'into action steps. The l~rig-term
a coordinated effort across sectors and intere'sts. City
"Strategies indicate the. support youth organizations
councils need to get involved. Schools need to act, as
need to make community count for youth. The short
do diverse community groups, fu~ders, and youth. The
term strategies suggest beginnings.
Y')U CJrt dc~vnloild this publicatioil .:.it
. ':,.'IyV'yV. ru l)! icEd uC ,itio! I. UfO
-...
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�N IN G F U L MEA SUR E S 0 F Y O,U THO UTe 0 M E S
TERM
SHORT TERM
~,
COMMUNITY
, Involve youth and community in identifying,
) Develop local capacity to. assess the needs
of youth on a reg ular basis.
documenting, and assessing opportunities for
Develop a local database of resources for
.
..
1"
youth and supports for youth development.
youth development and concrete evidence
ofconsequences for youth competencies
and attitudes.
j
1
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Make informati,on on YCluth needs and
i.·.·
community resources for their development
a central element of deliberations
on budgets.and policies affecting youth.
YOUTH
) 'Document and share what you do specifically
"
l
Document your successes with youth in
as it rslates to learning outcomes. This does
terms that are meaningful to you as w7"
not onl~ mean expanding·the academic supports
ORGANIZATIONS
as funders, schools, and other potential
"you provide, but studying and understanding
how the work you already do with youth con
collaborative partners.
l
tributes to their performance in school.
Conduct an inventory of opportunities to
record work with youth as part of the regular
day-to-day operation of the organization.
SCHOOLS
') Include the role of youth organizations in
yo~r assessments of what contributes to the
performance of certain youth in school.
) Recognize/reward youth for their participa
tion in youth organizations. For example,
l "
Help youth organiz'!tions access the public
information you have on the' school perfor
mance of the youth with which they work.
This will help them document outcomes
for the youth they serve.
consider awarding community service credit"
for community ~rvice performed through
youth organizations.
1"
FUNDERS AND
1
In evaluations and other reporting require-
POLICYMAKERS
. ents for youth organizations that you fund,
m
give credit for Rrocess 'as well as outcomes.
" Ensure the outcomes that·you measure are
meaningful measures of the performance'of ,
Fund the development of evaluations and
evaluators who can work in youth organizations.
) Help grantees negotiate evaluations and out,
come me'!sures that are perceived to be useful
to the organization:
youth organizations, and ask for strengths
Conduct an inventory of data already available at
based outcomes.
youth organizations and other organizations that
) " Establish channels for ongoing dialogue with
serve your neighborhood youth. Consider these
your.youth organizations and other grantees
sources of available information first when
about what outcomes you should reason
chOOSing evaluation and reporting requirements.
ably expect a youth organization to achieve
after certain periods of time.
, Support collaboration between communities
and universities t'O develop local capacity
to document and assess youth needs and the
outcomes of CBOs.
. 29
,
�===========-======-==::===:=========;:::::::=:=+
l'
SMARTER
FUNDING
AND POLICY
STRATEGIES
LONG TERM
COMMUNITY
SHORT TERM
) Offer a diverse "menu" of organizations
>
Identify assets for youth within the community
and programs for youth.
Provide a web of. reinforcing supports
)
in terms of caring adults, spaces for programs,
and expertise that can assist youth organizations.
for youth thatindudes all the institutions,
that affect youth
developm~nt.
Develop, a local action-base for, youth.
,
. ' .
'
) ,Make youth a line .item 'in the community
.budget.
YOUTH
)
) Access resources needed to provide high
Develop environments that are,youth,
quality programming. This may include
knowledge, and assessment-centered, ,
ORGANIZATIONS
formal professional training, visits to other
) Establish systems within the organization
to document and share promising work.
youth organizations, and joining professional
Important documentation includes
associations,
) Familiarize fundersand schools with,the '
day-to-day practices, outcomes for you~h,
organization's work. Invite them to open
and actual program budgets.
~, '
houses, tours, and performances by youth.
,
.'
.) Conduct an internal assessment of points
in the day-to-day operation of the
'organization where work with youth
!=an and should be documented.
) Expand board membership to include youth,
school principals, school district personnel,
, foundation program officers, and
representatives of citylcounty government.
) Begin to establisb relationships with the
schools your youth attend and other
eligible recipients of state and federal after
school funds,
,
SCHOOLS
'
,
) Include youth organizations and other
) Include youth organizations as Integral parts
community organizations in assessments
of strategies to improve learning, .
,
Provide incentives for teachers to learn about
of resources for learning:
) Establish a dialogue with youth organiza
their students' work in youth organizations,
For example, support professional development,
tions in the neighborhood.
time and stipends or credits to visit youth
) Participate in community meetings:
organizations and other non-school settings
) ,See schools as providers of last resort for
after-school programming,
where youth learn.
) Encourage students to share their work .in
) Develop curricula that integrates community
youth organizations during the school '
resources for learning and teaching.
day. Publicize the work of students in youth
organizations. Consider devoting a regular:
"
,
portion of your, newslet;ter and school bulletin
boards to news of local youth organizations.
') Offer space to youth organizations for perfor
mances, art shows, sports, and other activities. '
30
�l~~·==~~====================~
1
SMARTER
FUNDING
AND
POLICY
SHORT TERM
LONG TERM
FUNDERS AND·
POLICYMAKERS
STRATEGIES
) Fund people, not just programs. This may
mean restructuring funding streams around
fellowships for youth workers and directors,
andlor makin,g funding more discretionary..
) Fund intra- and inter-city networks of youth
workers and youth organizations.
) Support development of alternative
pathways of training and credentialling
) Make a pool of private funds available as
grants or loans to draw down public funding.
) Learn about youth organizations in
the community/jurisdiction. Participate
in community meetings.
) Identity intermediary organizations and other.,
potential convenors of youth workers.
:: .
) Set broad goals for after-school programs and
for youth workers.
policies. For example, be flexible on the number
Reframe policy'debates around after-school
.of youth served, hours of operation, and type
programming. This may include making'
of activities provided. The main criterion for .
community-based organizations eligible for
funding should be that applicants demonstrate .
fedEVal and state after-school dollars typically
that their approach to after-school
reserved for schools.
Ensure that community-based
programming matches the needs. resources,
org~nizations
. are aware of and applying for available
after-school funds.
) Fund ongoing operations, not just start-up
and contexts of the youth they intend to serve.
In grant applications. ask youth organizations
and their partners to conduct an assessment
of their c9mmunity needs and strengths related
costs. This may involve educating youth
to these goals. Ask the youth organizations.
organizations and other CBOs about how
schools. and other community agencies how
they can access existing funding streams
they will build on these strengths and address
in education and other areas.
some of these challenges.
Work with funders of similar programs to
Make planning grants or other funds ~vailable
streamline or otherwise coordinate grant
to schools and youth organizations to conduct
application procedures and eligibility requir
community assessments.
ments. Pursue the feasibility and usefulness
Actively collect information on what youth
to applicants of releasing joint requests
organizations do to sUPPQrt learning.
for fu nding.
) ·Create a local education fund to advocate
.) Put representatives of youth organizations
:i'
on your 'advisory boards for your programs .
for school and community improvements at
in education. as well as community develop
the public policy level.
mentand youth development.
) Research and make connections to other
; graritmakers and policymakers with similar
goals and applicants.
,
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WL E D GEM E N T S
Community Countsdraws upon work supported by grants from the Spencer Foundation to Milbrey McLaughlin !Ind.
Shirley Bric~ Heath 'from 1987·1999. Shirley Heath has been my close coll~ague and collaborator ever since we first
·discovered our shared interest in the role of youth-based organizations. Her commitment to understanding their con
tributions suffuses every page ~f this report. I . The body of our research has been' shaped and i.nfor~ed by many
1;alented i~diViduals over the years. Merita Irby. and Juliet Langman were our original site workers, and immersed
themselves in our three urban sites in the first half of our research. Theif work was aided by a crew of "junior ethno
graphers;" youth who participated in the organizations we studied. Chad, 'Dinesha, Felida, Izzy, Johnny, Manuel,
Marvin~ and 'Peggy played an especially central role both as research collaborators and.by planning a conference for
youth. As our sites expanded, so did the research team that made this far-flung research possible. It included (in
chronological 'order of involvement with the' project) Steve Bait, Jennifer Massen. Wolf, Shelby Anne' Wolf, Ali
Callicoatte, Melissa Groo, Ki~ Bai'ley, Arnetha.8all, Brita Lomdardi; M~ilee Ferguson. Sara DeWitt, Shama BI~ney,
Monica Lam, Ade'lma Roach, Emni~ Leuvano,Joe Kahne, Ann Davidson, and Adriel Harvey. A substudy that focused
on one 'urban neighborhood was directed by·Joe Kahne and in~olved James 9'Brien, Theresa Quinn, a~d Andrea
Brow·n ..The 'boxed;' vignettes used in this report are drawn from their observation notes and writing. Greg Darnieder
and theSteans Family Foundation provided direction and support for that substudy, Rebecca Ba~r at the Spencer'
Foundatipn was encouraging 'a'1d supportive through it ali. Julie Cummer, oui Stanford. University Project
Administrator, was a brilliant strategist in, figuring o~t ways to take often-bizarre requests for reimbursement through
the university system and helping in so many 'ways to keep our •distributed project' together.! Other individuals
made contr/outions specific to this report. Haggai Kupermintz and Ken Ikeda provided,assistance with statistical
analyses ~fthe survey data. Meredith H.enig contributedid~as and text to the s~ion on recommendations.Mich~le
Cahill, Sarah Deschenes, ~eredith Honig; Della Hughes, Ken Ikeda, Peter Kleinbard, M~rva McDonald, -Jane Quinn,
and Sylvia Vee r~ad drafts of this report and it is stronger for their comment. I None of this work would have been
possible without the cooperation; trust,. and openness of th.e youth and adults who invited us into their lives and
.';\' organizations over the years. Their generosity, deep belief in youth and community, and commitment to' a civil
society are impossible to capture in words. I The partners~ip of Wendy Puriefoy and the board and staff of the
Public ~ducation Network in preparing, publishing, and disseminating this report is gratefully acknowledged.
'
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ABO U T T HE AUT H:O R
Milbrey McLaughlin is.the·David Jacks Professor of Education,at Stanford University in. Palo Alto, California.'
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STATE ENTITIES
• California Healthy Start Field
Office. California Center for
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
•
Academy for Educational
Development
Community-School Partnerships . • .. America's Promise
• Child a~ Family Policy~Cent~r, IA ej' Am"e;.icanY6u~tii PoficyForllm-'
•. Children & Families
•
Foundation, NE
Association of New York State
Youth Bureaus
lor '/~j/
Commilnlty
·e·k -~~- "~l-""--'
,')CI100 S
-,
• Colorado Foundation for Families
& Children
• Boys and Girls Clubs of America
., Campfire Boys and Girls
• Foundation Consortium for
School-Linked' Services, CA
•
• Illinois Community School
Partnership
•
•
• Center for Community Change
• Development Training Institute
• National Child Labor Committee
• Center'for Community
Partnerships, University of
Pennsylvania
• New Jersey School-Based Youth
Services/Department' of
Human Services
Center for Youth Development
;m~ Policy Research
Foundations. Inc.
Fund for the City of New York
ii International Youth Foundation
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION
• American Association of School
Administrators
• American Federation of Teachers
•
National Collaboration for Youth
• National Community Building
Network
•
• Office of Family Resource and
Youth Services Center, KY
National Institute for Out-of
School Time
• National Congress for Community
Economic Development
•
• Washington State Readiness-to
Learn Initiative
National School-Age Child Care
Alliance
• Collaborative for Integrated School
Services
•
National Youth Employment
Coalition
• National Council of La Raza
• National Urban League
• Police Executive Research Forum
• Council of Chief State School
Officers
• YMCA of the USA
• National Association of Secondary
School Principals
• National Association of State
Boards of Education
* Not yet a formal partner.
For more information. please
contact:
Martin J. Blank, Staff Director
Coalition for Community Schools
do Institute for Educational Leadership
100 I Connecticut Avenue.NW
Suite 310
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 202 822 8405
Fax: 202 872 4050
E-mail: ccs@ieLorg
www,communityschools.org ,
4
• National Association of Elementary
School Principals
• National Coalition for Parent
Involvement in Education
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• National Community Education
Association
• National Education Association
• National School Boards Association
• NewVision for Public Schools, NY
• Pacific Oaks College, CA
• Public Education Network
• Council of the Great City Schools*
• Learning First Alliance*
1
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FAMILY SUPPORT
1t~
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LOCAL COMMUNITY
SCHOOL NETWORKS
,GOVERNMENT
Local and State Government
• Bush Center for Child
Development and Social Policy
• National League of Cities
• Center for Mental Health in
Schools
• United Way of Greater High
Point, NC
• Achievement Plus Community
Learning Centers, St. Paul, MN
• United Way of Southeastern New
England. RI
• After-School Corporation. NY
• United Way of Southeastern
Pennsylvania
• Child Welfare League of America
• National Association of Counties*
• National Conference of State
Legislatures*
• Chifdren's Aid Society. NY
• National Governors' Association*
• Alliance for Families & Children.
Hennepin, MN
• Family Resource Coalition of
America
Federal Government
• Apple Tree Institute,
Washington, DC
• National Assembly of School-Based
Health Care
• Corporation for National Service
• Learn and Serve America
• Birmingham Public Schools, AL
• Bridges to the Future, Flint, MI
• National Association of School
Psychologists
• U.S. Department of Education
• National School-to-Work Office
• Bridges to Success. Indianapolis. IN
• Communities in Schools
• Education Development Center
• Institute for Responsive Education
• Chatham-Savannah Youth Futures
Authority. GA
• National Center for Community
' Education
• Community Agencies Corporation
of New Jersey
• National Center for Schools and
Communities
• United Way of America
• American Public Human Services
Association*
• Office of Education, Research and
Improvement
• Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education
•
• Office of the Secretary
Ii
• Office of SpeCial Education
Programs
• Safe and Drug-Free Schools
Program
• U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services
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• Administration for Children and
Families
• Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
... Office of AdolescehCHealth
• Office of Assistant Secretary for
Planning and Evaluation
• U.S. Department of HOUSing and
Urban Development
• Office of University Partnerships
• U.S. Depar~ment of Justice
• Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention
2
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
SCHOOL NETWORKS
Community-School Connections, NY
Doors to the Future,
POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Philadelphia, PA
• Children's Defense Fund
II Jacksonville Partnership for
Chiidren,MS
• KidsCAN!. Mesa,AZ
• Local Investment Commission,
Kansas City, MO
• Minneapolis Beacons Project, MN
• New Paradigm Partners,Turtie
Lake,WI
• Positive Youth Development
Initiative,JaJ:~QJ1yi!le" F~._~
• Schools of the 21 st Century
0..'-::'"'"
• Rockland 21 st Century
Collaborative for Children and
Youth. NY
• St. Louis Park Schools, MN
• St. Louis Public Schools, Office of
Community Education, MO
• Joy Dryfoos, Independent
Researcher
• The Finance Project
PHILANTHROPY
• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
• Coalition of Community
Foundations for Youth
• DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest
Fl,lnd -.-~-~
• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
• Polk Bros. Foundation
• Carnegie Corporation*
• Schools Uniting Neighborhoods
(SUN), Portland, OR
3
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nnd !ruck. En~dll Cl'l.,uils Sl'vt'nd I.I( his hISh SdlOl\1 h."iH:I..,I'S and cflilches willl havi tl £;
n'pmfnund inflUCIl((!Ull hi}! rtlIt!cr dwlt'f'!;. Fofluwi nggfmtllilUOJ1
b.ffjh S'('hotll
in 1970, b~ "th!nt/cd Clllnradn elllkg!? gmdtlt1.IiIlH in 1974 with n dcgrct:' ini1iulugj'.
Engelt, cnnlinlll!d his edth:.,thlll at tl\1: Uni\'t.'rsily I)' Cofnl'ffifo, 1\.'l\ere he earned i\
rron,
milster'c5 degree in sLit!I1Cl! C"U[~ lillll.
rn 1974, Eng!!11I Ut'/;.llllti,,\ mrccr ill t~.rm:iltjlln il~ il sdcllce tcndlN aml5tlCC€f c03c:h
in COIlll'.ldu Springs. He IUllt~ht bi(1]ngj' 1Iml 4!l1v;mnmr.:n!ill 5l.icnce !'II Mildu~1I
UighSd'Oltllllld hlll1H1I1 i1llollulllY nml Jlll),sh1rngf a\ noh~rty Ufr;h Sdll'1l1, pladng
1>1 rollg c mphilr.1:; nn slmll'I\! Inlr.:l'<1r\iol\ <lml ill vuh'cmenl in ! h... leanting l~l'l'ri I.!llce.
O/teruelerred (0 as Ll\e "(iJ,lgship of Sdmol Dislricl n," Palmer High s.:htt~t Is,
illul\dElted~i'h r~Ltl~~I!llo ~ttel"ti'the 5monl. Enmllment has nlml1s! doubled Since,
E~dn O!;!lIl1nl!d the mIl! of prindpa~ find ronslll1CUOll pmreL1a ru1! uooerl\'i1Y to
pcolJlrk rIlrilil ies ~h fll .... UZ e nlll'ln.ce the pmgr lIms lit\? SlCtHlul can ~)((fl' ~o its dien.lele.
11,e r,rn,hiallon TOlle hnlli.!!lC'acli\). intle,lSCd fI1ul Ih... dl'IlPOLlt rale ha5 dedinl?d 10
3.4.%. Te;t scores (ACT/SAT niMf 'fAP) lin! am~i"l{!n\lY'lITmjnl:llhl.' 1,\ighl!5l i1\ nil)'
public or ",ivale sdmQI i~ lite lceglon. TIlt! Rrhool's 'repuIAfj'!ll lsnow oi,e oC
ekccllem:e in educ<llinn_
"
Ptilm(!r I-ligh School's mOrt! tltn~ foo hu~ines!1 pi'\I'In~rs 5ltl'l'orl Ihl! st'hoo]'s
enUCflU'1l1a! missiun, In add.ition, Eltg~ln has "~I!t\ tn\'olv<!d,ill 5e\'cr.!l lU\t'_~lIIll
1ll!!'11 nKis (If flbl.aill illf; •
.,upporl/or srhonl prugrn n\:>. nll"t!E! real'S "go, I\I~ .md'5I!VeCdl
slmlen!g dribbre,1 SOCr.L'J' b..dls 20 mill'~ lIl11lillto the 101,110-(01\1 summit 01 I'ike's
renk 10 mise fum's fnr llll! sc\;oollibrM'l" l.ast year, oogeln rilll~ his hicycle 324
"'"sf
miles flC'!'NlS'lhc slate (I( C~~!mfld~) to rilise llUll'I£,y (or plllg rams ailltc SdlOlIl,
(ntl, he pmmised !!lud~!l\ls th'(')' could sh"v.e hl~ lIend H liwy olllL'{'lcd more thiln
16,ntm puun<l.s ttf ftw~1 r(lr the 'ncal rood b.l'11k, Of cmlrse. Ihey uit, ltlsl [1",1.
As MelLifc/NA5.()P Niltiounl Principal or Ille Ye~r, btl~ch, ..viii rc~l\'c a $IO.IJ(JU
grant, which Iw plum; 10 use {C1511rpml staff ilml !'l{ud~!\1 ini!ia1I~·.es 1\...." f(1C:US on
cUlllinttnlly lmprm'ing !:hl(4el1t achicvemclIl' mul sl r~lIfllh~!l'i\1g lh~ ~em(' of
I§l
o
lTmlmunHy Ih.., i.s embraced by the s.chonl. Ik~\l!>4! Ihe stllU t ~lId(;!fl!!i and
<;)
(..>
(ollllnunily mCI\Jj,ers hov(' m"t!C' l~llmel;'llillll SdH,ol what it Is t(ltll1)~ (Ill:}' wlll
play .1n impol'hml roll' in If<!termining !tcw.' IJw grililt will bes~'I?nl. I:I\gcln plilrt.'i to
1I!'i\~ hi... title £IS !\I'lliou.11 Principal o( 4Ilt;' Year 10 ff'in'OJcc Itil:' m{'s!'\~ge uf communil,\' !§1
invohem~nl il1lh~' C'dllmliol1.1t pnlct'ss.
g
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By JAY ENGELN
What do~ 'it take
to bring a sch.~ol
from the brink of
closure to a viral '
model of student
achievement and
.
commuruty
involvemenr?
Srrong leadership
from the principal
and the. dedicariqn
of staff memb~rs,
students,. parent$;
and the loCal
.
conunUIllty are
all needed for
this kind of ,
success.
J;v.~~aJ.r, is '~, ','.. 'dse..
.. " , ,..
Tb4 OVl::r.o.ll stUcieIl t dropOUt Gltc
" :e.s~-i.~2(''1.:~a!l 8.4 percent, .....,jrh high<!r dropOUt
,
"~4~
'.
ratl:S of 14.6
fOr 'Hi.:lpa.nis; stU
"",~-)1~'-'J<~J'~~'''~<l';'' ::~?~, dc;nt'S :md 12.9 pen::eo:t fDr African.
:Sc:l:laol lor::;t,md.:il;I. the: hC:art"of; ~:.. Ame:ricstl !!wd.em:s. among the worst
, }I?,~~~t,;r;.9~~# Sp,liAg:;:; Q.tl5, in city.
Colo. The f:l.cilities ate datcd and '- ,Today, we have bec:otru! the school
rC:I()Wces limited. but ~r::tff and scuclwio: for our c:cmmunh:y. We om!
dents have Ii!. "'can-do'" s.ctitude: mar
now inundated with pc-mit l'CquCSTS
doc:s' (lot let physiCllllmi'btioc:i ddinr
nuc only from our school disrrict, bur
pro'grClls. Worki.ng t:ogah!:r with oW'
also thm. surrounding ~chool disc:~mrn'llnity and building on Dur
'rrLc::t:I. Ou.~ enrollmenti:; capped to
stI'~ngdu hrLve beeil the key rOl:he
preveTlt o'Vt!tclowding by rhe large
rcn:lissano: of Out school.
' numb.:t of students who wane to
Prior to my appoi.Il:~mcm .:I.!i !:he
attend P:lI~C!:f H"lgh School:,.'We btvti'::' ,
principal of 'W'illi:un J. Palmer Hi&h _.' reduced the Hllp~c;- dropoUt"!'3.te w "
School, the ,chool district was ,dis- ': 5 'p~rC-~nt; the' Afri~~n~As;n';ricin
c:wiring closure of the: scbo'lI. Wh~5c:i ',' '4rop.l?utrn!~ 00' 3.9 perceni.":ind'the:,
physiC!l c:nviroDlllent: constm of fow:
-O!ci:al,t~cn~oTaropout' me. '[0 3,4
bWldings on thn!e city bJocks t.h~t are . percc:ni."Tesr scores are among the;
llOl: lI.djaQ.':l'1c co eacll other. In tact, stu.
'
for any public or pri'r.l.te school
dellts have to cross busy city ~;reetS
in cl1.= region. We hi.Yec;-.-co had. aD
every passing period. The downtown
economic impact-the largen
w:b~ high schoollccadon included
incrC::lse in property v:llues in {he
aging buildings. a decWl,ing and tra,n..
Pi.k.cs Pe:&.lc .tc:gion 1:1 in .l1e :mend.a.nc..
sient student population base, and a
u=. se1'Ved by Palmer High SchooL
n~ve imagl: widtin'the c;ommunicy..
There is nO longer me: mlk that was
Parents did not W'anr. to scnr:l cheir
50 pn::valenc not too m;my years ago
chilc:W::n to the idwoL R=.ltOlS, when
Qbout'clos{ng thc:school and selling
s~ a ho.rne .to: the area, would [cil
[he property. Instead, construction
clients th;.; they could always get a
projects are under w;lY to provide
p~rmit to ;1.[tend school !lomewherc
&c::i1itics that' will cM30ce L.lte progr.tm:;
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PCJ:a:nt
�00:27 FAX 202 456 6218
FRI 13:08 F~
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lase sight of the
mat each
and. t::",,::1'1 ~cllv.iclwr.l In the
sch.opl cOlnm\lniry plays an
impot't;ult role in m.aking
the school Clln offer- to' Its d,entc1e,
OW' rePUtation' is one of ~cdlencc
14 education. As ~ot'ed. in USA
:rODA.y, a "'Sinking school bl:c:amea
HlI,g.ih ip-"
, How did ili.i.s ttansfuIllld.tionc(')l'llc
pro~ pOt&1ble.
~,bout? Fim o.f aI1. I muSt 'anphari:.i:: rh.at
cllls was a group effOrL the Pril!dp~
C!Ul.ilot
PartnerShips and
Programs for 5ucceSs
dQ Ir ;)jone. HQWC"VC', when,311
P.arrn=rship prolP'amli have
invoJ.VCiru:nt
me en-hies or du: community come
~ WJllllll.lJlfiy
a.c.d. brou.ght ad'diti~nal
uno cur smooL If a
staff member c.omes [0 me
with. an idea for a. proj ec[
m.:..t bcndits nudents,
we str.'ltcGiz.e possi ble
";rhe Power of
p.umeJ:Shlps. I 1.lS1r.I.lly
Community Service
mak~ the'initial C:on
As s. ~cb.OQl. we fed that givi'll8 to
, 'Cila', shU't! the ic:!.ca, and
tile eommunicy is imPOrtan't. MoM
tacilii::1te dc.vdopmcnt of
bg the: hnporuoc:e of coIl!IDunj~, SCT
the pa.r'Cnership. S'Cdf memben
,icc Wo~ OW' many ~ClOJ projects
then become :responsible: ,for
j,; oni: of r..l~e best wayll ~r 'othel'S' to
maintain~g the rela.tiollship.
s:c: the nl!~d to >:'lork ~ogcther~i,s.t~{:,,' involvins me as Jlct;cssary. '
.w
," . :. ".
'deniS',: 'f:[c:~t~~\,'fJ.:u..n:t~;,: ';u:5\i:p'~~n~: " ,Pa1.tnf"..r'~ p:1tU1Cr progr:uns
.,. . .;t~ . .. :. ,.•~' . . :- .,'
iorlii~.':'''l-'~:i''~~''Iii:lI~:.I.-Y';:.. ~I''-. ·~*"':.~t:\, ( ,t-'_ d cit:
'\I:
,
~!m,conununn:y·p1'OJcx:t::>" . , 'm u
:
::~, .'.:
togc:iliC'f "ith :.i CO~.D. aoa! the pos
sibilities are andld:L It is ''the 5t().if,
,muicIlts, 'pQ.r~nts> alumni.. and. b).lsi
fleiiS p:!ll'tm:rs whodc:serve me aedi, for
tb.c changc:5 that havt! taken.' plac:£:.
mouzc:=;
p
i
,
h,~' hclpt:,d s~Jid.ify-"r,b.is{pl:i:iiOsophr...r, ,', -' • Rena.is~ancc
C'..om.inimi~: 'savio: is reqUired
Sru- ' Program-Morc:
for
c.cnts in the lr:itemaii~ 'Bao;;ak~~
PIbgr.lffi.. National Henor Sod:.y; peer
(;:lu~sc:lor:;, a.nd student' o~nnatiC)ns.
My 1'Ole: in tki$ group c:n.dt::crvor'is to bl':
a car:aly&t, bringil~ progr:am.s, and pt:D- ,
Fie togab.::r tI;I dFea pOsitive' change. I
Qlirn join rnJdcnu St,?,j,p projr:~ sueh
3.:; cleaning up the loczl park. ddi~ring'
,filM baskets lD local :f.uiilli~• .and. visit
, illg senior c!tize:u ~ntC:rs' and the: Red
CroSs shelter, Principals must' prnvid£
d.irection and :i!Jpp'O~t .for inidl&Uves
clur support:, dther di~y Of iruli-'
rr;c:u-y. improvement in Stu
dem achievement .md'
should not
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;'"/; ,:;:. :.:':, :;.>~'.:.,~J
that 100 local
busin~5s~
e:....-'Ir"
a.c.d
.~~"..\,'
_flo::'" , 'i " .
individwili :»
'
E.,'" ,
Prindp;al Jar
, Engten gets ~
hAd 1ba.'ItI'!d .Ifter
Ii'WdIllMl mee£
his dlallenic to
p.ther 16,DDa
Ib5. gt fOod fol'
theloQl
faDd b:anIc. ,
.....-
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OQ:28 f~X 202456 62,18
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a~ involved in mH proSmn' rh.:t~ pro
vides pll.itivc inc:~ntivcs to't students
,h~[ show impn)vc:m'cni: in· :academic:
ac:h.iceVcrnent.
• Colorado Spri~8s A\ltoino/'llc:
De:il<:rs Partnership-A Llllique p:r.rc
nershlp with the aUto d,ca.I~rs a.i1~ our
Nig~r School provides employment
:l.nd tr.I.ini.ng opportu.niti~ for studmLS
in this aIU!l'xudve ?rogr:Un.
• P~r BClurificinon Da~.Each
year, scaff, 5~udetlt5. parents. an'"
alumni come: togedll'!r to ,cl~ up our
sc:hool grounds. Paincing, planting,
" '
OPL
" Downtown Colorado Springs.
Inc:.- Inirial contact Wa.i made: by
.sPOn.s;(lrin€i II b~rd mt:ecing of OaWI!
rown ColoraJo Spring;,; .1'1: our school.
As a mc:'rnber of this d,gwnmwft p.1I1:
ncrship. 1 bve blreC. able
CD
promote.
the important: role our sehool has
played in rho reviclizacionof the
entire: downwwl:\ c:urnmu.o.ir:y. 'B<:aIllS~
of thia involvl!1!ll!C.t, our scha-ol is now
highly ~c;d as: :m in.tl.olr.1tivc..insriru
cion. tha. males
positive CDncri.
many
blirion.~ tD the 'city rilther
ch;m. a scurce
, of problems for business in the: ale1..
uil::na:a i ng, and 'l.Vt:Cding arc c.:omplc;r;d.
with re:tnu of volunt<:er w(i~.I(er:;. Six
yt::ln; ago, B=uti.fi~r:ion Day i~~lved
40-:-50 p~ple. Now the ~erir includes
mort! th:w 22; YQl~ll(em, ~r;h' Spring.
• Corporate Involv¢mcn~-By
bcc.o.cnillg involved in numl:itlus com
munity groups. I have mad~ eoD.tacti;
'Wirh 1oc:.aI corp',nations and bUsin~_
',Putnc:rship$ developed ,during die' p:tsr
.;:0:: y~:irs have brought in 'rasoun:;c;,
voh.mtcXr:s. 3.nci m:h.nlc'::l c:xperrlSe thaI
fnhano::d pro~, \r;.e 4lC, able to offer.
,
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CreUing an In..lusive
School Climate
Worki.ll; collabo.rarivdy with ~uff
is ab50lurdy cs5cncial for a sch.eol to
be: succ.euful. At Paltnc:r High SchooL
\:hi.I; process =kc:s on twO asp~. onc:
formal and the other rno~ infolmlll.
Fonnaily.
We
, to indudi;: _
have worked. dilii~ntly
in the gciVcinacce af t:bc
, involvi!!d wiu on,c;or mOre ..Crlvi!!
schonl COrn.t:ftlttec:s. The &Clarions.I:Lip
of these: c;onunicree& to t.hc::
[otal sc;hool opc~aclon is
, deady outlincd and. their
recommendation., arc
impon:a.lH in die d~<::i5ion
~C:b dep~rcmcnt: 111
1:
repre
$cnrcd on .he Curriculum
and Instruction Ad.visory
';
Commi;'tec. AI:#lugc: repre·
sent:nion fOr all stalf'is also
i:
:~
~chicved chro~sh me Cur
riculum SpccialinlSn.ff
Development Commlttee.
. My personal belief is b;ing a
Strong l.::ada is having c:onfi
lumce in oUtc;.tS to .also lead.
Of c!quru imporun.g: is
the iMorcl:!.1 aspect of col- '
lsborative intcrac:dlHh Statf
members must fei:! comfort
able in openJy discussing
isrucs that are c:rltial to ow:
continued. succcSs., W~ CI.D.
not' affotrl
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We have worked hard to enhance:
th!: seDli: of community that is pn:va!en.
a[ P."lmer High Sc:hool.This philn.'lO
phy a~iyely involves 5mden~ pro~
granlS :IJ:Id. plac:c.s strong emphasis on:
. '. High pr~me recognirion of nu~
dt!D.t achic:.vemerll:
• SUPPQrt of high-risk.srud.;ots [0·
increase their 0PPofrunitle.s for
SUCce::.9
4
school. "Virtwilly eve:s.y sm.ff D.'tea\bc:r is
mak:i.ng procc::ss. In addition.
p
"
learning be undermlned by a school
clhnl1tc ro.:lC does bot 'allow for open
:llld hone:lt communication on the
m:lnY i:>sue:s facing us in eUlJcarion
mday: If we ClncaWllcr a problem. it is
c:ssenc.iaI that We: move b<!yOlld men:
recognition of the: CQncern (0 adck:ss'
the issue and sc:ck mcrh,Qd:l fo r
impwvcmcDc in
tUturr- FC!edbac.1.:
from $~aff. xtudc:nts. parents, ;:md
(!olllmuniey members is used ::I. ';e
condWfal!y re-v1s1:' anJ ~ne our goals
to meet: srudmr needs.
.0
let Student
Redu:cdo1'l. of class lilie in the
'ninth gtAlde
.. htcn:zcd cOtnalu.oit:y inVOM:ment
~
Support of tc::acb.l!!r in.iciaciv¢s to
imp:ove achievement
• Open d.iscussion:l with. srudents on
, how ~ can improve OILC schooL
As principal. r ~m involvc:ci with
srud.ent lUnch disc:ussiotl. groups. r
, ha.ve attended t~ts ",ith nudcnrs.
joined ill athletic: pracrit:~, parcici.
. pated in dr:am.:t productions, rode .1
bike across Colorado with the Cross
Counrrr re:un
\'0
ralse N.nds for the:
school. wrc!('''Tc:d tb.~ orchestra,
shared lUl'l.~h with
:l.tI,c:I.
in cllt:
caf'eteti. Tbes.e ;u:riviriE:$ may appe.ar
mlaot. but they have proven to be h!y
. elc:lll¢l:m in the c:n:::arion ant;! ,CJ.ai.D.r.e
!lanee of a positive schoo! dimare, !l
cllmacc: thar. :ill()'INs srude.o.ts to achlev-c
tc their fiillelr potential.
lIrUdCIHS
Media Relationships and.
PUblic RJalations
M:\intai.n.ing pcririve r..:larioru:blps
with the ncws mo=dl:l is auci.:d for get
ting our pOsicive ,a:u:ss::tge about :UJ. the
programs and p.utnmhips, 3.!j wdJ. as
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04/18/00 00:29 FAX 292 456 6218
04/14/inl' FRI 13:10 FAl",
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mdem ~chic:'Vc:m'=l1'i. This ffi/:;J,n's
with rbem Otl srori;;/i ,the
·~·Qrking
:chao! waIl!S m publicize ana w-dlas
rc:sponciins [0 their ql.le!:tiO"ru on' c:an
rTQvcrsiotl tClpi.;s. Our ICl~tio~ in tIlr:' '
"heart: of dOWTI[(JU."Il·' m~ P:u~ is
onen the foeu .. of n~ stones :lbout
,:duc:1.tion. Cooperating with the
media has enhanl::cd our pO'si.ion
'vhen we acnd ,hem press 'rc:IC::L.~C:$
:.bout positive n~£
!dtool.' .
and ~CntS at tli~
,"
Smdents a.nd s,i:iU:f member!: also
dcvdoped a school profile rbir we: eIls
lTiDUtcd to
all local bllSitleS!:~ and rc:al
t:S:ll.re offices. The profile cozluins fac
l'~al information th... 'disPels any nl!S"
. ;,dve myth:; from th~ p,a,!:C. After me
pcofut:S :l.I.'e mailed [0 bUsinesses and
community lead.ers. 3. followoup
phone call or pe:rEJ)DaI
'£estill! positive
imp~mc:m:li TO .he &cilit}~ j)"lc:r~
. ing our ability tosctvC' oW' :;rudc::nts.
P:Umer High S~ool is pan: of the .
is whlch it e.xis!S.. Through.
I!:n\~ronmi:nt
.uu".a ... ",.,
at Palmer High
~£!Tesl;rve
in seeking
reso1l.OC5. Our rue
provm when orga
.uiz:ttions come to
~.I,.:~~
th
.........."!P how ,t:y
em bl!!.Come u'lVOI1(ej:L. In addicion. wr:
did some uniq
t\-l:rl!!':~':"'dribbling
top of l'i.l.:.c!!
Coun'o:~' m(:k:
der run-thar l:I,Q;U;;I:ilT:CU
revenue:. posiciv~'
business mUT'n<"'<Si,
had fun~
bcqlll<:alP.ed.
a l,miqu(.'; combination of programs,
we ~ve been a.ble t() ~nsrQrm .. l.ia
bili.y into
asset. w~ h=<lv; built on
the m31l.Y rCliout'(;CS thal: an:: virtu:!.lly
in our backyard. bucked th~ nc!f.1rivc
tr~nds of .many dOwD,ou'n high
s',hools acros~ the: country, and
become a valuable: parme:r in m:!in
taining a strong 31l.d:v.i:abk dO'Mlt:own.
an
. Jay Engl/m,
principal oj,WilJJ.arn j, .
p(..lm,,"'" High S(,;J:m(J/, UJa..~ .>;:lec:Jed a-,
she Mell.Ye./N..45.t;P 200<) Prlnaj;al ojIht'!
l'har. ,Hit can i)e 1'e£lcb(ld t%l U'Win111 I
l'aJIi1t?r'lIigh St:bool, Sal Navada. Ave"
CaJ~do Springs, CO &0.9Q3. I:2'Zl
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1\ivo years a,go. Palmer's popularity led enrollment to sky
roClCet !O 2,017. But the Board of Education forced ?Iillrner to
cur enml.lm:elli. because of space UmimtiollS.
CurrellPY.
are l,840.!:.mdems. lnclu4i.n8 BOO ia illS! 10 ca
.reer Qc:a~mie5. The lreshrilan fail~ rate has been cur in haU'.
Arid ttie di'oPOUt
~ cto-a:1l [Q 3.5%, including 5% for Hispan.
ulere
rate
ics
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, ' Ehgeln: The PIi~cipaJ of 'MUlero, J. i"i!lmer J.U9h',S.:1iooI is being
.. rtiW~I~ fer ci.Jildir.g cU5in~ 5UP~ at)d ~1liI ~
A sinldngsch901
bE~comesa iJ.Qgsbip
',;' ·c;.:olorado prihcipru;s'le:g\vorkreverses
e~olJment de~~e~ cuts ~op01.i~ tate
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'W.-1.S:amCTON ...:.. The ~~ tri.iii~:iru~,'maYJind prtnCIPal
"1Oj' E.ng~ln SC:aij.ca ~es pe.iti ~Q.~e:sclioOi',1\iIli:1s·orseekIng
student ulIernshll'S wlthIOcal'employetS. But It
won't tiru:.1 hl5
as
?Ct,nool mdanger of closing do'lifri or on'jllaw-perfOn:nlng llst.,
I a,nce was.,.
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That'S why £rigeln. P,rii:l.cip~ ot William 1. P~er H1gb
SeMol ,In COlOrado Springs. !las bee.c. named [he 2000 National
Prlnc.if~ :>i,tf'.e Vear by the ~~tiop.91 ~n,~ Seconq:uy
, School Pnncl'pals (Nf\SSP) and lrisUranc:e company Metl..i!e.: '
-On~ of the biggest problems i.n ¢du.eai:ion ~( 'Ili:Iw is 1fe
m.USt n:Store confidence in' public ~ducatioti· ,Engeln says. -I
Ulin.1{ W =can 0.0 it, bu t it muSt be 2. concerted' effoi1. It must be
"
to go to Palmer.' That was verynormaJ co!!\;e~tion:
To ~pplementthe school's budget Etlgew and !lis students
raised. aDout S10,1)00 dri.bbllng soccer balls 2.0 miles upb.ill to
me HollO·foot summit of Pike.."S Peak abQur rh:ree yeats ago.
'Ibat amount snOWballed to about 580.000 when a businessman
added SZMOO and a reside:o.t bequeathed funds.
lasI. year. Engelrl1'3i.5ed 58.00 Il when he rode his bicycle 32'"
miles across C.aloraliO. through [he mcum.a!.n.s. He hasn't ridden
since, be c:cntessliS.
Erigeln ~ used the motto '''!oget.'ler. we Cs.! make a differ·
enc!!" during the six years he has headed. Pi!lmer. He says the
SlO,aOo g.ra!3't he receives With the National PrindDal ot the
Year ti ue ",ill be used for pro~ to improve sWdeot achieve
mem and attraa, even more corilmuni!}' support.
Engeln. a native of Evanston, TIL, dei;c::ibes llimself ilS risk,
"'C2ker:mel. gyf> hJ.s biJ!!gest risk. which he never has reg.."etted.
was swikbiiLghis mEllor tram premed in edur::m:iolL He ea...,,!!Q '
a bi,ology, ~ from Co~orn~o College e..,d. a. masrer's .in. sci·
ence eduCatlQll at tile Umver5lty of Colorado.
, "r found. a teadl1o.g 10b right out of coUege and have been do
ing it ever since," En~eln says~
.
;'
.
By Tat:>1:lra Eenry
USA"TJDAY
and 3.9% for blacks,
NASSP ottidals were impressed with d:ie tUrnaround..
,
-nus Is the school mat not tba.t long ago mere was a lot at
ta1k about 'let's dose it dCJ'il1"1l.: " 'Engeln says. -Nobody wanted [0
go there: fit had a) bad repuration. Realtors were continuallY
saying (to home shoppers). ,It you buy properry in this area.
you can s:till~et a penniHo go [D another schoo!. )01.1 don't have
's' urilfled eri:orr.."
,
S~';en· ysars ago; Palmer
"Que of the
big'~est problems
School's earolIm'em: was
I.D~O and'decLining; With. a fail·
High
we
-~
roUe of
~:m
ill the ninth
in ~~ducation right grade. The oVerall studeDt drop"
nol.V is we mllS!
out ratE! was' 8..4%, lnclUl1illg
restore confidence' ,for, b~01C;!IS. RlspmUcs and. '12.3%
11..9~ !or:
,
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in pub!ic
edu~ation."
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Today,'Pali:ner. in
the heartlet
'
: do?~to~~~fOr:ddo'Sprinl5.'is
otEen '~et!il~~, to as '~' ~~
. ,
NASSP judges say.
'
_ Jill" Eilgeln:.
~ri.Qcip.:ll Qr me li:::Jr
ship of )iChool Dlsll"lCt 11,
,
,
, ,'.
Dulin~ rustenilre. Engelllll:!.s
connecred. \'!lith more tbQn IOC busin'ess Pfl!'lIti!115 to support me
st!hOQrs edlolcational o:UssiOl'l. £IlgeLD s~·tI1.e Y3ri.0us 'IIDCIl:ion·
al ,llrtlg:::aITI..s do e. better' job ar'meeting thi.t' needs' of non·
colleg/!·')OWld. smderu:s. who, n~a 'been neglected, He credits
those programs "'"'!;h- Palmers'recent aCeOmpDsllmeri[S.
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BOUND.o\RIES'
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EXPECTATIONS
,Fnmily hlI! I:le;: r.iIcs and I:Cllliequellce.; :!lid monilOrs
,School pn,vidcs del1\' rul~ ;md conseqllences
Neighbors would repcln undesirable bl:ha\;or to f~mily
Pmnl(S) and olher adU![5 made I pro·social bdlaviar
Child's be:s.t frierulsl1ldl respon~ible bl:hi1lior
80m piItICXIl:S a.\l~ te3ChelS prr:ss child to lchie.e
wbere3b0utO
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25. Rea4ing for pleasure
c:t;1
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pr.u::tire
Involved iu thm liCUIS or more ~r .....eek i~ school and/or
communiry,
rnvailled OIle or mer: hours pl!f ....'e:k
Out with ml:llds -wilh n!lthing special ta do·, two or
' felllet ni2hts !ir \IIetk ,
Child is motiWltd ttl do weU in-schcol
chUa has Bavel'3&t Or betIer
Orild mpm:ts DIll! Or more hours of home.t:.'ork per day
ChIld ~ @Ow hi~er school
Child R:3lk for pleasw-e three or more houtS pc:!' week,
_ ,Petsg~ iesponsibility
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E-I
Child pl&:15 high vall)e 'cn helping tither people
Qild plac:es bigh value on promoting equaliry and
reducing hUllga' and poveny
Ould ;\I;l5 OD &:oDviaioll5, stands up for beli~rs
Child -lens me D'IIm eVeD \I,'bl:n it is nOI r:asy.
Chil~ ac:czpts aud ilics n:sponsibility
Child ...-:dues sexual ad chemical restraint
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Child g,i~ CnC hour or mOn: per week to Siel'\'ing in one's
17. MusiC'. 3i:t. dl':lIDJ
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adults
Child expai=nas c::uing neighbors
Sc:hool provides a c.-:.1.ring. encouqging en\'ironrnenI
Parents llI'C acdvdy I"\'(llved in h=lpinS c:hUd succeed in
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ehlld ~ =mpalhy,liefl.'iitivity. and friendship ski1l5
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32.: Planning and d=is!OD makill8
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36. NOllvtole/lL c:cllflict nlSOJUdCD
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IDENTIfY
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:n. Personal diici.acy
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~ ~tiw ~,ew of.yasonll future
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me-
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Child reporcs ·my life has apurpose:'
Child is optimistic about hWher personal furore
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WILLIAM J. PALMER HIGH SCHOOL
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301 N. NEVADA AVENUE
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80903
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�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Andrew Rotherham - Education Series
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Domestic Policy Council
Andrew Rotherham
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1999-2000
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36329">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/612954">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2011-0103-S
Description
An account of the resource
The Education Series highlights topics relating to class size reduction, test preparation, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, charter schools, the digital divide, distance learning, youth violence in schools, teacher salaries, social promotion, Hispanic education, standardized testing, and after-school programs. The records include reports, draft legislation, memoranda, correspondence to and from organizations and community leaders that focus on education issues, articles, publications, email, and fact sheets relating to the Administration’s progress on education.
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Extent
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171 folders in 12 boxes
Text
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Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Teen Conference
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Domestic Policy Council
Andrew Rotherham
Education Series
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2011-0103-S
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 6
<a href="http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/Systematic/2011-0103-S-edu.pdf">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/612954">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Adobe Acrobat Document
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Medium
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Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
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8/22/2013
Source
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2011-0103-Sa-teen-conference
612954