The Promise of Adolescence


Book Description

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.




The 6 E's to Successful Youth Engagement


Book Description

For more than 24 years, Solomon T. McAuley has been working with directors of youth programs to provide innovative strategies for them to engage with the youth in their programs. In this book, he shares the 6's E to build a successful youth program. For more information, visit SolomonMcAuley.com




The Little Book of Youth Engagement in Restorative Justice


Book Description

The purpose of this book is to illuminate a theory of youth engagement in restorative justice that seeks to create systems change for more equitable schools. The authors define youth engagement in restorative justice as partnering with young people most impacted by structural injustice as changemakers in all aspects of restorative practices including community building, healing, and the transformation of institutions. Based on Adam Fletcher’s version of the Ladder of Youth Engagement, coupled with Barbara Love’s model of liberatory consciousness and an analysis of youth engagement in Restorative Justice in three different regions—Western Massachusetts, Oakland, and Houston—the authors provide a theoretical contribution: Youth Engagement in Restorative Justice grounded in liberatory consciousness. In this book readers will find: Comparative case studies from different parts of the country of youth led restorative justice programs. An exploration of the cultural and historical context of each region to situate the work. Stories from the authors' own lives that provide context for their interest in the work given their varied racial identities (White, Black, Latinx, South Asian) and upbringing. Literature review of the language of youth engagement vs. youth leadership/youth organizing/youth participation, along with a new definition of youth engagement in restorative justice. Theoretical framing based on Adam Fletcher’s Ladder of Youth Engagement , which provides a structure for the book. Exploration of how adults must combat adultism both individually and systematically as a prerequisite to doing this work. Student narratives. Applications of the work in the virtual context.




Effective Communication and Engagement with Children and Young People, their Families and Carers


Book Description

This book focuses on providing information and guidance for professionals involved in the newly emerging multi-agency, interdisciplinary children′s workforce. It does so by helping them to understand the theory behind the issues relating to communication and engagement in multi-agency settings for children and families. The book is of use to both students and those already working in the sector who are undertaking professional development to enhance understanding and skills in the new children′s workforce environment.




Effective Teaching Around the World


Book Description

This open access book brings together theoretical, empirical, methodological, and practical insights from various countries on effective teaching. It particularly focuses on discussing issues pertaining to effective teaching behaviour including definitions and conceptualizations, measurement, differences, and importance to student outcomes from international perspectives. The book will draw upon the rich cultures with diverse contexts involving Asia, Australia, Africa, America, and Europe which serve as the background setting to better understand teaching quality from a wide spectrum of educational systems and performances. It shows that effective teaching behaviour can be conceptualized and operationalized uniformly using specific frameworks and measures, but also addresses some limitations that should be tackled. The book discusses promising ways to measure and compare effective teaching behaviour from classical test theory (CTT) as well as item response theory (IRT) perspectives. It indicates that effective teaching behaviour in diverse countries follows a systematic level of complexity, which provides an avenue for ongoing teacher education and teacher professional development. It discusses the interrelated domains of effective teaching behaviour including contemporary trends of differentiation. The book continues with examining similarities and differences in effective teaching behaviour across countries. It builds on the understanding of cultural traditions across countries as profoundly reflected in the classroom processes.




Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth


Book Description

Engaging youth in civic life has become a central concern to a broad array of researchers in a variety of academic fields as well to policy makers and practitioners globally. This book is both international and multidisciplinary, consisting of three sections that respectively cover conceptual issues, developmental and educational topics, and methodological and measurement issues. Broad in its coverage of topics, this book supports scholars, philanthropists, business leaders, government officials, teachers, parents, and community practitioners in their drive to engage more young people in community and civic actions.




School, Family, and Community Partnerships


Book Description

Strengthen programs of family and community engagement to promote equity and increase student success! When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students′ education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, presents tools and guidelines to help develop more effective and more equitable programs of family and community engagement. Written by a team of well-known experts, it provides a theory and framework of six types of involvement for action; up-to-date research on school, family, and community collaboration; and new materials for professional development and on-going technical assistance. Readers also will find: Examples of best practices on the six types of involvement from preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools Checklists, templates, and evaluations to plan goal-linked partnership programs and assess progress CD-ROM with slides and notes for two presentations: A new awareness session to orient colleagues on the major components of a research-based partnership program, and a full One-Day Team Training Workshop to prepare school teams to develop their partnership programs. As a foundational text, this handbook demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-linked programs of partnership. It shows how a good partnership program is an essential component of good school organization and school improvement for student success. This book will help every district and all schools strengthen and continually improve their programs of family and community engagement.





Book Description




Children as Climate Citizens


Book Description

This book provides a socio-legal analysis of the public participation of children in climate change matters, whilst developing a range of tools through which their participation can be increased. Climate change affects young people in many ways: causing severe threats to child survival, health and wellbeing, food security and nutrition, and access to education. But this book maintains that children and youth are not to be identified solely with their vulnerability to climate change. They are also key stakeholders in the sustainable implementation of long-term climate change policies, and their inclusion in decision-making processes is a measure of intergenerational equity. Children’s rights law is vague about the right to public participation or the environmental rights of children as such. In response, this book examines the often-informal network of pathways through which the public participation of children takes place: from high level conferences and governance structures to grassroots youth movements and climate change litigation. Exploring the difficulties, but also the opportunities and aspirations of children as citizens challenging the current climate change regime, the book proposes legal and policy tools for children’s participation in global climate change governance, as it outlines a concept of children’s climate citizenship. This book will appeal to scholars in the areas of sociolegal studies, environmental and climate change law, children’s rights and social movements, as well as policy makers and young people with interests in climate activism.




Community Engagement in a Changing Social Landscape


Book Description

Community Engagement in a Changing Social Landscape reaches deep into the authors’ extensive experience as both observers and practitioners of community engagement. It is further enriched by insights drawn from the diverse experiences of professionals in the field. Critical questions are honestly faced in a refreshing discourse that also highlights promising practices and approaches. These combined features provide both a thought-provoking retrospective and forward-looking commentary, which offer the reader a renewed understanding of community engagement and its exciting possibilities. Professionals, students and volunteers working in the community should find in this book a very useful resource.