Featured Grant OpportunitySchool Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) (Funding Opportunity) 

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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -           How Culture, Diversity, and Prior Experiences Can Influence Positive Youth Development      

# How Culture, Diversity, and Prior Experiences Can Influence Positive Youth Development

Youth in the United States represent many different backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles. The issues faced by these youth are also diverse. PYD can assist and benefit the youth service providers and public health programming by identifying diverse circumstances to better understand the needs of youth. Examples of these issues include the following:

**Different Types of Transitions During Adolescence:**
                      - Youth transitions can include: transitioning from elementary or middle to high school environments, student to employee, foster youth to adult of legal age, resident of juvenile justice facility to reintegrated youth/adult, stable family routine to disrupted living arrangements, and dependence on guardian income to taking on more financial responsibility. 1

**Specific Population Challenges:**
                      - Issues that  LGBTQ+ youth  are more likely to experience than heterosexual youth, such as stigma, discrimination, family disapproval, and violence, can place them at a higher risk for  behavioral health challenges  and complications (e.g., suicidal ideation and substance use).
                      - Youth with disabilities may face additional challenges while attending school and gaining employment. You can learn more about youth with disabilities here.
                      - Immigrant and refugee youth are more likely to experience stress due to societal exclusion, poverty, trauma, and separation from family. 2
                      - Exposure to violence and trauma while experiencing a transition can have a cumulative effect on increasing physical and mental health risks for youth. 3

PYD enhances the sense of belonging, creating, and strengthening relationships with peers, friends, and identification of one's culture within a community. Increased resiliency and risk reduction can be fostered by utilizing PYD principles and practices with youth and communities of different ethnicities, races, cultures, specific needs with respect to behavior and learning, and sexual orientation. Examples of positive youth development principles in research and programming for multicultural youth include:
                      - Within cultures of the United States, Native American youth with a high sense of cultural identity and self-esteem displayed lower levels of alcohol and drug use. 4
                      - The use of traditional American Indian/Alaska Native values through activities, such as storytelling, have shown success in decreasing substance abuse among these youth. 5
                      - Vietnamese-American youth exhibited a greater connection to their culture and community when they participated in a youth development program that enhanced their interpersonal skills and self-confidence. 6
                      - An intervention primarily targeting youth of color (specifically African American, Asian, and Latino) found that youth engagement in safe sexual practices increased after two months of receiving preventative messages via Facebook. 7
                      - Similarly, an intervention for African-American adolescent girls at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases included information about ethnic and gender pride, HIV knowledge, communication, condom use skills, and healthy relationships. The girls who received 16 hours of training were more consistent in their use of safe sex practices at the 6- and 12-month assessments. 8

From an international perspective, similar studies confirm the effectiveness of PYD practices.
                      - Youth in Panama, Costa Rica, and Guatemala who had PYD experiences, such as relationships with peers, teachers, and their families, were better able to make decisions regarding drugs and substance abuse than those with fewer positive experiences and relationships. 9
                      - When agencies and youth development professionals in Hong Kong provided high-risk youth life-skill training aimed at personal competency, belonging, and optimism, the youth reported having positive behavior changes. These changes included controlling anger, resolving conflict, learning more effective communication with adults, solving problems, and developing stronger value for teamwork. The key was that youth were encouraged to make contributions to their communities through service-learning activities, and parents and teachers were empowered to serve in supportive roles. 10
                      - Children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh were able to improve their adaptive skills when their caregivers received a parent training program. The adaptive skills were measured in communication, socialization, motor skills, and daily living. 11

Positive experiences, positive relationships, and positive environments—regardless of culture or ethnicity—can contribute to PYD.

## Resources

**Improving Education and Employment for Disadvantaged Young Men: Proven and Promising Strategies**This report reviews programs and policies’ evidence base on topics such as youth development, programs developed to improve educational attainment and employment for in-school youth, and programs that try to reconnect youth that are out of school and often unemployed.

**Growing Up in a New Country: A Positive Youth Development Toolkit for Working with Refugees and Immigrants**This toolkit supports service providers in their efforts to develop quality programming that is culturally competent and effective for the refugee and immigrant youth in their communities.

**A Native Pathway to Adulthood: Training for Tribal and Non-Tribal Child Welfare Workers**This competency-based curriculum enhances the skills of tribal and state workers in facilitating the transition of older Native American youth from out-of-home care to adulthood. The curriculum also encourages collaboration between tribes and public agencies to ensure that culturally relevant transition services are provided. The manual introduces the unique life path of tribal youth, provides information to enhance current intervention skills, and adds to the knowledge base of accessible local and national resources.

**Positive Youth Justice: Framing Justice Interventions Using the Concepts of Positive Youth Development**This report can help develop a data-driven system and can act as a guide to answering such questions as: How many youth are homeless? Which housing or service interventions are most effective at ending homelessness for youth of diverse needs and contexts? Are we reducing the number of homeless youth and the length of time they are homeless?

**A Training Curriculum for Youth Trainers: Strategies for Supporting Transition Aged Youth (PDF, 167 pages)**This training curriculum from the Y.O.U.T.H. (Youth Offering Unique Tangible Help) Training Project was developed for training child welfare workers and empowering foster youth. Former foster youth developed the curriculum, which includes training for specific competencies; samples of training-day curricula; training activities; and tips, resources, and surveys for foster and LGBTQ youth.

## References

1 World Development Report, 2007; Yudin, 2013; Walters, et al. 20112 Rhodes, 20053 Boynton-Jarrett, Hair, & Zuckerman, 20134 Zimmerman & Arunkumar, 199475 Moran & Reaman, 2002; NREPP, 20076 McConachie, Huq, Munir, Ferdous, Zaman, & Khan, 20007 Kegler, Young, Marshall, Bu, & Rodine, 20058 Bull, Levine, Black, Schmiege, & Santelli, 20129 DiClemente et al., 200410 Kliewer & Murrelle, 200711 Wong & Lee, 2005

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Agencies 

                          - AmeriCorps
                          - AmeriCorps
                          - National Institute of Food and Agriculture

### Announcements 

                          - 2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide
                          - Building Staff Co-Regulation to Support Healthy Relationships in Youth: A Guide for Practitioners
                          - Department of Justice Awards More Than $136 Million to Support Youth and Reform the Juvenile Justice System
                          - Department of Justice Awards Nearly $105 Million to Protect Children from Exploitation, Trauma, and Abuse
                          - Domestic Violence Awareness Month
                          - Help Youth Reach their Full Potential during National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM)
                          - Justice Department Announces $21.72 Million to Reduce Sexual and Domestic Violence on Campus, Support Children and Youth, and Engage Men and Boys as Allies
                          - Measuring Co-Regulation: A Draft Tool for Observing Educators in Youth-Serving Programs
                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - NCER Awards Three Additional Education Research Grants
                          - Observance: 2023 National Adoption Month
                          - OJJDP’s Fiscal Year 2021 Discretionary Awards Total Nearly $344 Million
                          - Permanency for Youth on Their Own Terms
                          - Redesigned National Adoption Month Website
                          - Report: Building Co-Regulation Capacity to Support Positive Development for Youth with Foster Care Experience
                          - Report: Dual Language Programs
                          - Report: Partnerships to Align Education and Careers
                          - Report: Promoting Healthy Futures: Afterschool Provides the Supports Parents Want for Children’s Well-Being
                          - Report: Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health
                          - Report: Youth Apprenticeship in the United States
                          - Resource: 2022 Adoption Month Outreach Toolkit
                          - Resource: A Look Inside Sharing Power in Child Welfare: A Podcast
                          - Resource: A Tool for Youth Engagement and Empowerment
                          - Resource: Activate: The Center to Bring Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Research to Youth-Supporting Professionals
                          - Resource: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers — Part 5  Agencies and departments: Department of Health and Human Ser
                          - Resource: AFFIRM Caregiver: Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Caregivers of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning (LGBTQ+) Populations
                          - Resource: Affirming and Supporting LGBTQ Children and Youth in Child Welfare
                          - Resource: Ask Youth Challenge
                          - Resource: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
                          - Resource: Behavioral Health Beneficiary Survey
                          - Resource: Biliteracy Seals in a Large Urban District in New Mexico: Who Earns Them and How Do They Impact College Outcomes?
                          - Resource: Building Infrastructure for Surveillance of Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences: Integrated, Multimethod Approaches to Generate Data for Prevention Action
                          - Resource: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Investments in Adverse Childhood Experience Prevention Efforts
                          - Resource: Change and Implementation in Practice
                          - Resource: Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) Webpage
                          - Resource: Child Exploitation  
                          - Resource: Co-Regulation in Human Services
                          - Resource: Co-Regulation in Practice Series -- Strategies for Practitioners Who Serve Youth Aged 14-24
                          - Resource: Co-regulation: What It Is and Why it Matters Video
                          - Resource: Comprehensive Systems Integration for Adolescent and Young Adult Health (CSI-AYAH)
                          - Resource: Conducting Implementation Research in Impact Studies of Education Interventions
                          - Resource: Dear Adult Leaders: #ListenToYouth
                          - Resource: Dear Colleague Letter on Addressing the Impacts of Parent and Caregiver Loss on Children
                          - Resource: Dear Colleague Letter: End to Corporal Punishment in Schools
                          - Resource: Department of Justice Awards Nearly $105 Million To Protect Children From Exploitation, Trauma and Abuse
                          - Resource: Developing a Graduate Mental Health Internship Program
                          - Resource: Diversity, Racial Equity, and Inclusion in Child Welfare: Our Shared Vocabulary 
                          - Resource: Encouraging Families to Visit a Literacy Website: A Randomized Study of the Impact of Email and Text Message Communications
                          - Resource: Essentials for Parenting Teens
                          - Resource: Factsheet on Improving Access and Care for Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions
                          - Resource: Family-Based Justice Center
                          - Resource: Family-Based Justice Center
                          - Resource: Financial Literacy Activities
                          - Resource: Good Behavior Game
                          - Resource: Guides for How to Incorporate Coregulation with Older Youth in Foster Care
                          - Resource: Guiding Principles on School Discipline
                          - Resource: Having the Normalcy Conversation
                          - Resource: Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication
                          - Resource: Healthy Native Youth Community of Practice Sessions
                          - Resource: How to Help Children and Teens Manage Their Stress
                          - Resource: Interactive e-learning Tool for Strengths Conversations
                          - Resource: Interconnecting Mental Health and Behavioral Support Improves School Safety
                          - Resource: It’s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Care Discussion Guides and Video Series
                          - Resource: Judicial Leadership for Community-Based Alternatives to Juvenile Secure Confinement
                          - Resource: LGBTQ+ Youth Engagement Virtually and In-Person
                          - Resource: Maintaining Cultural Connections  
                          - Resource: National Guidelines for Child and Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Care
                          - Resource: Newly-Redesigned YE4C
                          - Resource: One-Fifth of Young Adults Have Tried Prescription Drugs Off-Script
                          - Resource: Our Goals, Our Lives Video Series
                          - Resource: PAF Program Videos
                          - Resource: Parenting Your Adopted Teenager
                          - Resource: Permanency Planning with Youth
                          - Resource: Planning Tool for Youth Engagement
                          - Resource: Podcast Series: Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression
                          - Resource: Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach
                          - Resource: Practical Measurement for Continuous Improvement in the Classroom: A Toolkit for Educators
                          - Resource: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Training
                          - Resource: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Online Training for Faith, Spiritual, and Religious Communities
                          - Resource: Preventing Childhood Adversity Through Economic Support and Social Norm Strategies
                          - Resource: Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying Fact Sheet
                          - Resource: Prevention Profiles: Take Five - Jeff Coady, Psy.D.
                          - Resource: Probation Reform: A Toolkit for State Advisory Groups (SAGs)
                          - Resource: Problematic Sexual Behavior of Children and Youth (PSB-CY): Clinical Assessment and Treatment Overview Training Courses New Online Training Courses to Address Youth with Problematic Sexual Behavior
                          - Resource: Promoting Resilience and Emotional Health for Children, Youth, & Families with Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)
                          - Resource: Reconnecting Youth Project
                          - Resource: Red Ribbon Patch Program
                          - Resource: Reducing Homelessness Among Young People Transitioning from Foster Care
                          - Resource: Reimagining School Safety: A Guide for Schools and Districts
                          - Resource: Resilience, Opportunity, Safety, Education, Strength (ROSES) Program
                          - Resource: Responding to the Current Youth Mental Health Crisis and Preventing the Next One
                          - Resource: Responding to Types of Child Abuse or Neglect
                          - Resource: Seed Sisters 4 Part “Strong Roots” Series, Part 1
                          - Resource: Self-Regulation and Toxic Stress Series
                          - Resource: Services to Support Children Living in Kinship and Nonrelative Foster Care 2008-2009
                          - Resource: Social Development
                          - Resource: Social Influencers of Health and Education Needs Assessment: A Pathway for School Health and Mental Health Professionals
                          - Resource: Standing Together to Prevent Bullying
                          - Resource: Starter Guide: Trauma-Informed Care for Adolescents in Primary Care
                          - Resource: State Survey Analysis
                          - Resource: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health
                          - Resource: Strengthening Kinship Care and Prioritizing Equitable Support for Kinship Caregivers
                          - Resource: Strengthening Kinship Care and Prioritizing Equitable Support for Kinship Caregivers
                          - Resource: Substance Use Treatment Programs
                          - Resource: Suicide Prevention Resource for Action
                          - Resource: Support for Prosecutors Who Work with Youth
                          - Resource: Supporting and Responding to Students’ Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs: Evidence-Based Practices for Educators
                          - Resource: Supporting Decision Making Recording
                          - Resource: The National Partnership for Student Success
                          - Resource: Tip Sheets on Everyday Parenting Topics
                          - Resource: Tobacco-Free Schools Toolkit
                          - Resource: Toolkit for Embracing a "Youth Welfare" System: A Guide to Capacity Building
                          - Resource: Transporting Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Trauma-Informed Care and Fostering Resilience Video Collection
                          - Resource: Trends in Youth Arrests for Violent Crimes
                          - Resource: U.S. Outlying Area Public Schools’ Experiences with COVID-19 - September 2022
                          - Resource: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection
                          - Resource: Using Federal Funds for Summer Learning and Afterschool: A Guide for Providers, School Districts, and Intermediaries
                          - Resource: Voices of Young Workers
                          - Resource: What Does an Effective Support System Look Like?
                          - Resource: Why are Drugs So Hard to Quit?
                          - Resource: Working Virtually With Families of LGBTQ+ Youth.
                          - Resource: Working with Military Families as They Pursue Adoption of Children and Youth
                          - Resource: Youth Acceptance Project
                          - Resource: Youth Advisory Councils
                          - Resource: Youth Development Across the Federal Government: A Thought Leader Conversation with Cheri Hoffman
                          - Resource: Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM) Toolkit
                          - Resource: Youth Reentry and Family Engagement
                          - Resource: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2021 Data
                          - Resource: Youth Voices
                          - Second Chance Month: April 2023
                          - Self-Regulation Training Approaches and Resources to Improve Staff Capacity for Implementing Healthy Marriage Programs for Youth (SARHM): Final Report
                          - Share with Youth: Federal Internship Portal
                          - Share with Youth: Internships at the Executive Office of the President (EOP)
                          - Share with Youth: NASA Internship Programs
                          - Share with Youth: Substance Use Prevention Resources for Youth and College Students
                          - Share with Youth: U.S. Department of State (DOS) Student Internship Program
                          - Share with Youth: Where to Next? Exploring STEM Careers
                          - U.S. Department of Education Creates National Parents and Families Engagement Council to Help Ensure Pandemic Recovery Efforts Meet Students’ Needs
                          - Webinar Recording: Building Parent Leadership and Power to Support Faster, Lasting Reunification and Prevent System Involvement
                          - Webinar Recording: Don’t Leave Us Out: Tapping ARPA for Older Youth
                          - Webinar Recording: Empowering Youth Finding Points of Connection
                          - Webinar Recording: Public Health and STEM with the CDC
                          - Webinar Recording: Social Science Research and the Mental Health Crisis in Minority Youths and Adolescents
                          - Webinar Recording: Supporting Students in Effective Transitions
                          - Webinar: Participatory Systems Change for Equity: Centering Community Wisdom and Collective Action to Transform Child-, Youth-, and Family-Serving Systems
                          - Well-Being on Campus: The Role of Collegiate Recovery Programs
                          - Youth Partnership: A Call to Action for State Advisory Groups (SAGs)
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - About the Program
                          - Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development (ICYD) Council
                          - National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS)
                          - Navicate
                          - Partnership for Results
                          - Promise Neighborhoods
                          - Second Chances - Norfolk, VA Sheriff's Office
                          - USDA and the Military: Positive Youth Development
                          - Youth ChalleNGe Program
                          - Youth M.O.V.E. National: Making a Difference through Youth-Adult Partnerships
                          - Youth M.O.V.E. National: Making a Difference through Youth-Adult Partnerships
                          - YouthGo.gov

### Departments 

                          - 4-H Military Partnerships
                          - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

### Feature Articles 

                          - A Positive Youth Development Research Agenda
                          - Adventure Central
                          - AmeriCorps NCCC: Strengthening Communities and Developing Leaders
                          - Archived Webinar: Youth Don’t Need to Be Fixed: Strategic Framing for Messaging on PYD
                          - Call for Nominations: Youth Listening Session
                          - Engineering students mentor at middle school with STARBASE
                          - Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation
                          - How much do you know about...4-H and Positive Youth Development?
                          - Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs Develops Common Language on Positive Youth Development
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Minnesota's Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth Program
                          - National Youth Listening Tour
                          - Pathways for Youth: Strategic Plan for Federal Collaboration
                          - Portland Kids Learn about Life and Basketball at the Hoopin' It Up Camp
                          - Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century
                          - Reports and Recommendations for Core Components
                          - Resources to Support Youth Who Have Lost a Caregiver
                          - SAMHSA’s Guidance — Strategies, Tools, and Tips for Supportive and Meaningful Youth Engagement in Federal Government-Sponsored Meetings and Events
                          - Secretary Duncan Hosts First Meeting with National Council of Young Leaders
                          - The Changing Transition to Adulthood: A TAG Talk
                          - The CITY Project
                          - The Crisis of Connection for Adolescent Boys: A TAG Talk
                          - The Power of the Adolescent Brain: A TAG Talk
                          - Washington State Youth Take Civic Activism To New Level
                          - YE4C Accepting Applications for the Editorial Board
                          - YE4C Responds to Current Events Affecting Youth
                          - Youth Engaged 4 Change
                          - Youth Speakers Share Their Hopes for the Future

### Programs 

                          - 21st Century Community Learning Centers
                          - 4-H Afterschool
                          - 4-H Youth Development Program
                          - Administration for Native Americans
                          - Children, Youth, and Families at Risk
                          - Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)
                          - National 4-H Headquarters
                          - National Guard Youth Challenge Program
                          - Neighborhood Networks
                          - Passport in Time
                          - Preserve America Stewards
                          - Promise Neighborhoods
                          - YouthBuild

### Publications 

                          - Advancing the Self-Sufficiency and Well-Being of At-Risk Youth: A Conceptual Framework
                          - Communication Skills Building for Parents of Preteen Girls
                          - Framework for Advancing the Well-being and Self-Sufficiency of At-Risk Youth
                          - Learn More About Positive Youth Development
                          - Make a Friend-Be a Peer Mentor
                          - NCFY Voices: The Youth Dreamers Think Big
                          - PEPNet: Connecting Juvenile Offenders to Education and Employment
                          - Public/Private Ventures' Evaluation of Faith-Based Programs
                          - Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support at-Risk Youth
                          - The Effective Management of Juvenile Sex Offenders in the Community
                          - The Guide to Community Preventive Services
                          - The Revolution of Responsibility

### Resources 

                          - 2015-2016 E3! Ambassadors
                          - Community Youth Mapping: A Tool for Youth Participation and Program Design
                          - Resource: SAMHSA’S Youth Engagement Guidance
                          - Six Tips for Increasing Meaningful Youth Engagement in Programs
                          - Six Ways to Successfully Engage Youth in Peacebuilding
                          - Young AAPI Leaders Convene for the Fifth White House AAPI Youth Forum
                          - Youth Advisory Councils
                          - Youth Engagement Community of Practice
                          - Youth Engagement in Development: Effective Approaches and Action-Oriented Recommendations for the Field

### Technical Assistance 

                          - Cooperative Extension System
                          - National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health
                          - Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers
                          - Underage Drinking Training Center
                          - You For Youth

### Tools & Guides 

                          - 10 Things Americans Can Do to Combat Summer Reading Loss and Childhood Obesity
                          - 3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
                          - AmeriCorps: National Mentoring Month
                          - Children, Youth, and Families Education and Research Network
                          - National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
                          - Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice: A Resource Guide
                          - Resource:  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Youth Engagement Guidance
                          - Resource: Top 10 Tips for Engaging with Young People
                          - Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers - Community of Practice
                          - Share with Youth: Game Changers: Establishing a Youth Advisory Council
                          - Youth Leadership Toolkit: Branding and Logos
                          - Youth Leadership Toolkit: Member Outreach
                          - Youth Leadership Toolkit: Strategic Sharing
                          - Youth Leadership Toolkit: Travel Guide
                          - Youth Leadership Toolkit: Youth Engagement

### Training Resources 

                          - Introduction to Positive Youth Development

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - International Day of the Girl
                          - Keep in Touch
                          - Resource: Youth Create!: A Collection of Youth-Created Content
                          - Webcast Archive: Make the Connection: How Positive Youth Development Offers Promise for Teen Health and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
                          - Youth Workers: When Did You Make the Biggest Difference in a Youth’s Life?

### Webinars & Presentations 

                          - Youth Development Across the Federal Government: A Thought Leader Conversation with Cheri Hoffman
                          - YouthPower Learning Webinar: Engaging Youth in Research
                          - YouthPower Learning Webinar: Makerspaces - A Tool for Youth Engagement

### Websites 

                          - Resource: YouthPower – What Works
                          - Families, Youth, and Communities
                          - Museums and Libraries: Engaging America's Youth
                          - National Mentoring Resource Center
                          - Positive Youth Development
                          - Resource: Money Lessons for Kids of All Ages Website
                          - Share with Youth: Create a “my Social Security” Account
                          - United We Serve
                          - YouthLead

### Youth Topics 

                          - Positive Youth Development

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

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AmeriCorps Recognized for Using Evidence and Data to Invest Federal Resources in Programs that Work

### Announcements

Challenge America (Funding Opportunity)

Share with Youth: Become a We Think Twice Insider

Resource: Promoting Resilience and Emotional Health for Children, Youth, & Families with Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)

### Collaboration Profiles

About the Program

Second Chances - Norfolk, VA Sheriff's Office

Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development (ICYD) Council

### Feature Articles

Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation

Resources to Support Youth Who Have Lost a Caregiver

YE4C Accepting Applications for the Editorial Board

### Publications

The Revolution of Responsibility

The Guide to Community Preventive Services

Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support at-Risk Youth

### Resources

Youth Advisory Councils

Youth Engagement in Development: Effective Approaches and Action-Oriented Recommendations for the Field

Six Ways to Successfully Engage Youth in Peacebuilding

### Youth Topics

Positive Youth Development