Links for Youth Development and Engagement

Afterschool Alliance

The Afterschool Alliance is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children.

CA Afterschool Network

The Mission of the California Afterschool Network is to provide out-of-school time practitioners, advocates, and community members with the resources and tools necessary to build high quality out-of-school time programs in California.

The California Center for Community-School Partnerships

Part of the CRESS Center at University of California, Davis. The California Center for Community-School Partnerships' mission is to promote educational equity for all children by developing creative community-school partnerships, spreading knowledge gained from practitioners in the field, and helping families and communities shape education and community reform.

Center for Community Partnerships

At University of Pennsylvania. One of the Center for Community Partnerships' key objectives is to create and strengthen local, national and international networks of institutions of higher education committed to engagement with their local communities.

Center for Cooperative Research & Extension Services for Schools (CRESS Center)

The CRESS Center at University of California, Davis, assists university faculty, education extension specialists, graduate students and K-12 educators in cooperatively designing and conducting educational research, curriculum, and professional development projects.

Chapin Hall Center for Children

At the University of Chicago. Research and development center focusing on policies, practices, and programs affecting children and the families and communities in which they live. Many new publications and abstracts are available free of charge on Chapin Hall's website.

Children's Aid Society

The Children's Aid Society's mission is to ensure the physical and emotional well being of children and families, and to provide each child with the support and opportunities needed to become a happy, healthy and productive adult.

Children Now

Children Now uses approaches that include nonpartisan policy positions to bring about change in government, business, and communities; communications strategies that inform, educate, and engage; analysis and research, including the voices of children and families; partnerships with community organizations, parents, advocates, business, and government; and leadership in motivating those with influence and power to act on behalf of children.

Coalition for Community Schools

The Coalition for Community Schools brings together local, state and national organizations that represent individuals and groups engaged in creating and sustaining community schools.

Community Youth Development Professionals: Providing the Necessary Supports in the United States (Child and Youth Care Forum, Volume 35, Number 2, pp. 101-158) Lynne M. Borden, University of Arizona & Daniel F. Perkins, The Pennsylvania State University (April 2006)

This paper explores the educational opportunities available to community youth development professionals in the United States.

Find Youth Info

Connection to federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school hours.

Forum for Youth Investment

The Forum is designed to build connections and increase exchange among the range of actors in the allied youth fields. Forum services include a listserv and newsletter.

Friends for Youth

Since 1979, Friends for Youth has been dedicated to changing the lives of youth through mentoring services. In addition, Friends for Youth’s Mentoring Institute provides organizations throughout the country with technical assistance in setting up and enhancing their own mentoring programs.

Harvard Family Research Project

The Harvard Family Research Project strives to increases the effectiveness of public and private organizations and communities as they promote child development, student achievement, healthy family functioning, and community development.

The Innovation Center

The Innovation Center seeks, tests and promotes innovative concepts and practices that benefit the entire field of youth and community development. Formerly a divison of National 4-H Council, the Innovation Center is now an independent organization that operates as a project of the Tides Center.

National Institute on Out-of-School Time

The mission of NIOST is to ensure that all children, youth, and families have access to high quality programs, activities, and opportunities during non-school hours.

National League of Cities – Institute for Youth Education and Families

The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. Working in partnership with the 49 state municipal leagues, NLC serves as a resource to and an advocate for the more than 19,000 cities, villages and towns it represents.

National Network for Youth

A community of visionary and empowered advocates of all ages who come here to learn, to share, to dream, and to strengthen youth and adult partnerships.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

From the U.S. Department of Justice, OJJDP seeks to provide national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization.

Public Education Fund

PEN's mission is to create systems of public education that result in high achievement for every child.

Public/Private Ventures

PPV's mission is to improve the effectiveness of social policies, programs, and community initiatives, especially as they affect youth and young adults.

Search Institute

The mission of Search Institute is to provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities.

What Kids Can Do

What Kids Can Do (WKCD) connects the previously separate fields of school reform, youth development, community development, and service learning. Working at the intersection of journalism, research, and advocacy, WKCD finds and documents the best that young people are doing around the country.

Youth Development Network

YDN’s mission is to create life-changing experiences for youth to thrive and succeed. YDN’s training programs, networking, resources and public policy efforts all work together to improve the quality of youth services and promote youth development principles across a broad range of communities, youth serving organizations, education, faith groups, juvenile justice agencies and businesses.

Youth on Board

Youth on Board is pioneering permanent change in how society views young people by: changing attitudes and strengthening relationships among youth, and between young people and adults; preparing young people to be leaders and decision makers in all aspects of their lives; and ensuring that policies, practices, and laws reflect young people's role as full and valued members of their communities.

Youth Service America

YSA is a resource center and alliance of more than 200 organizations committed to increasing the quantity and quality of opportunities for young Americans.