Lets Make Our World A Kinder Place
Starting With Our Kids.
Expert Advice
Youth Development
- Afterschool Alliance
The nation's leading voice for afterschool, the Afterschool Alliance is the only organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for more afterschool investments. The Afterschool Alliance works with the Administration, the U.S. Congress, governors, mayors and advocates across the country. Today the Afterschool Alliance boasts more than 25,000 afterschool program partners and its publications reach more than 65,000 interested individuals every month.
- America's Promise Alliance
With more than 400 national partners and their local affiliates, America's Promise Alliance is uniquely positioned to mobilize Americans to act. Its work focuses on the Five Promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start, Effective Education, and Opportunities to Help Others. In 2010 America's Promise launched the Grad Nation campaign, making the high school dropout crisis a top priority. Each year, America's Promise and the ING Foundation celebrate 100 deserving communities who effectively provide their youth with the Five Promises and work to increase graduation rates.
- Children Now
Children Now is one of the nation's leading, nonpartisan, multi-issue research, policy development, and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children's health and education in California and creating national media policies that support child development. Current priorities include these childhood issues: health coverage, oral health, the obesity epidemic, health homes, integrated services, early learning and development, K-12 education, afterschool programs, media's impact, media and health, media and education.
- Forum for Youth Investment
The Forum for Youth Investment is a nonprofit, nonpartisan "action tank" dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all young people are Ready by 21®: ready for college, work and life. Informed by research and practice, the Forum forges innovative ideas, strategies and partners to strengthen solutions for young people and those who care about them.
- The Future of Children
The Future of Children is a collaboration of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution. The mission of the Future of Children is to translate the best social science research about children and youth into information that is useful to policymakers, practitioners, grant-makers, advocates, the media, and students of public policy.The project publishes two journals and policy briefs each year; topics range widely—from income policy to family issues to education and health – with children’s policy as the unifying element.
- The Innovation Center
The Innovation Center works with organizations to foster innovation in several aspects of youth and community development: youth governance, involvement, and civic activism; evaluation, research, and learning exchange; organizational development; and technology for community building. In each focus area, the website identifies available products (handbooks, toolkits, brochures, videos), posts downloadable documents, and provides links to similar organizations.
- Urban Institute
The well-being of children and youth is a central Urban Institute research topic. The Institute studies child care, the child welfare system, juvenile justice, child poverty, and children's health and education. Its annual Kids Share’ reports estimate how children fare in the competition over federal and state dollars. Urban Institute researchers also track indicators of child well-being, examine the role of place and neighborhoods in child development, and evaluate programs aiming to improve the education and employment prospects of disadvantaged youth.
- Search Institute
For over 50 years, Search Institute has advanced the well-being of children and adolescents through research, communications, networking, and training. At the heart of the Institute’s work is “40 Developmental Assets,” a research-based framework of the positive experiences, relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities necessary for young people to develop into healthy, caring, and responsible individuals. The Institute’s website offers discussion groups, polls, surveys, tools, and training opportunities. Also available for download are the Institute’s Mentoring Tools. The site also posts a full catalogue of guides, videos, pamphlets, and other resources and products available for online sale.
- YouthBuild USA
In YouthBuild programs, low-income young people ages 16 to 24 work full-time for 6 to 24 months toward their GEDs or high school diplomas while learning job skills by building affordable housing in their communities. Emphasis is placed on leadership development, community service, and the creation of a positive mini-community of adults and youth committed to each other’s success. Students may earn AmeriCorps education awards through their homebuilding and other community service. At exit, they are placed in college, jobs, or both. Today, there are 273 YouthBuild programs in 46 states, Washington, DC., and the Virgin Islands engaging approximately 10,000 young adults per year.
- Youth Today
Published ten times per year, Youth Today is an independent, national newspaper for child and youth service professionals covering such issues as youth development, juvenile justice, violence and gang prevention, adolescent health, teen pregnancy, sex, and parenting. The website posts the full text of the current issue, plus an archive of previous articles. It also provides a news digest of media stories on children and youth, links to available grant opportunities, and a calendar of conferences, workshops, and other events.