Originally developed by Baylor University to train college students to mentor young adolescents, this manual was updated in 2004.  In addition to the usual mentor training topics (goal-setting, decision-making, mentoring relationship stages), the manual provides extensive content for preparing mentors to work with adolescents -- (a) adolescent development, (b) middle school transitions, (d) self-awareness, (e) alternatives to violence, and (d) health concerns like smoking, drug use, HIV infection, teen pregnancy and eating disorders.  Each chapter includes a suggested lesson plan outline, overhead visuals, and training activities for planning and presenting the content in that chapter.  ...

An extensive literature review of research, demonstration projects and effective practices covering a wide range of programs and services -- including lessons from youth development, quality education, and workforce development programs -- has identified core commonalities across the disciplines, programs, and institutional settings.  The Guideposts  point out that no one institution or organization can provide the full range of services; thus, highlighting the interdependence of agencies that requires communities, States, the federal government and multiple organizations at all levels to collaborate with one another in order to help assure quality transitions for all youth.  ...

The National Mentoring Center offers a number of free resources for planning, designing, and implementing a youth mentoring program.  These include (a) several guides, manuals, and associated materials; (b)  two audio presentations; (c) several webinars; and (c) a full training curriculum on developing a successful mentoring program and training volunteers to be effective mentors to young people.  (The National Mentoring Center at Education Northwest in Portland, Oregon, is a national technical assistance provider for youth mentoring programs and initiatives/ Clients include local mentoring programs and federal, State, and regional agencies.)

The goal of the Pathways to Independence Natural Supports project is to discover, support, and disseminate creative and promising approaches for supporting youth with disabilities to participate more fully and naturally in school, work, and community activities.  The project provides three sets of videos to assist you with these goals.  One set of videos discusses ways to encourage shared activities, real relationships, and valued roles.  The second set shows student interviews on participation. Print guidelines and tools and included in these two sets. The third set is composed of sessions at the Pathways 2007 Summer Institute. (Pathways is a project of the Waisman Center at ...

Youth organizations have both an opportunity and a responsibility to encourage and support the healthy development of the growing numbers of immigrant youth.   This resource provides the context of the immigrant youth experience and practical guidance for hiring, developing and retaining staff to work with this population.  It is based on hands-on experience by national and local youth organizations who do this work effectively.  (NYDIC is a project of the National Collaboration for Youth, a coalition of National Human Service Assembly member organizations, with headquarters in Washington DC.) 

This four part webinar series was developed in partnership with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Georgetown University's National TA Center for Children's Mental Health.  It was developed to support youth in becoming involved in policy work. The series includes Policy 101, The Art of Public Speaking, Strategic Sharing, and Community Engagement.  Due to a technical error, in the second module the sound doesn't start until around 17 minutes. All the relevant information is presented in written format up to this point, as well as throughout.

The New Hampshire Department of Education implemented a three-year (2006-2008) dropout prevention grant called APEX II. This project was extended into 2009. APEX II builds on a previous dropout prevention and school improvement program (APEX I) implemented in two New Hampshire high schools from 2002-2005. APEX I demonstrated the promise of strategically combining three powerful school improvement strategies to reduce dropout rates, and improve individual student success and overall school climate. These strategies are: (a) PBIS; (b) Rehabilitation, Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work (RENEW); and (c) Student Leadership. Presentations from the 2008 APEX Conference plus other PowerPoint ...