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Guide

 

Creating "Good" Schools: Observation and Discussion Tool

Friday, March 16, 2012
Short Description: 
This tool was created in order to help young people and adults develop a common language for talking about how to improve schools. The tool provides educators, young people, administrators, policy makers, parents, community members and other stake holders with a common lens for reflecting on their schools and for planning change. It can also be useful in assessing the range of reform models and change strategies underway in a district or school at any given time.
Partner: 
Forum for Youth Investment
Capacity Area: 
Bolder Actions
Audience Sector: 
Education (K-12)
Education (Post-Secondary)
Youth and Families
Age Group: 
Middle School Age
Secondary School Age
Scope: 
Neighborhood
Focus: 
Suburban
Urban
Standards : 
Engage youth, families and community members in solutions

Opportunities in the Workforce Readiness Pipeline: A Community Engagement Toolkit for Business

The toolkit reflects the expertise of United Way Worldwide and the Workforce Strategy Center, content partners in the publication. It offers practical advice and hands-on steps to investing in community improvement, and features case studies from leading corporate citizens like KPMG LLP's Family for Literacy program, Baxter International's Science@Work program, and the Bridging Richmond initiative, supported by the Altria Group.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Short Description: 
This toolkit is designed to assist business and local leaders in developing successful, sustainable partnerships to ensure that more young people in their communities have the highest-quality education and supports they need to be successful today, and as the workforce we will depend on tomorrow.
Partner: 
Corporate Voices for Working Families
Forum for Youth Investment
United Way Worldwide
Capacity Area: 
Broader Partnerships
Audience Sector: 
Business
Scope: 
City
Regional
Standards : 
Engage key stakeholders in setting priorities and solving problems
Define supports that the full community must provide

Child Trends DataBank

The DataBank provides up-to-date information on a large range of indicators. It can be searched by life stages (pregnancy and birth, infants and young children, adolescents, and young adults), by well-being areas (health and safety, child care and education, and behaviors) or the context for children (demographics, family and community, and economic security).

www.childtrendsdatabank.org

Sunday, August 7, 2011
Short Description: 
The DataBank is a one-stop source for the latest national trends and research on over 100 key indicators of child and youth well-being. This information is provided by Child Trends, a national leader in the field for over 30 years.
Partner: 
Child Trends
Capacity Area: 
Better Data and Decisions
Audience Sector: 
Government/Policy
Non‐profit/Foundation
Age Group: 
Young Children
Primary School Age
Secondary School Age
Scope: 
State
Standards : 
Collect complete data about youth outcomes, community supports and leadership actions

Adding It Up: A Guide for Mapping Public Resources for Children, Youth and Families

Government agencies, intergovernmental commissions, task forces, and policy and advocacy organizations have always relied on some level of data on investments in children, youth, families and communities to do their jobs. Fiscal maps can help decision makers get a birds-eye view of how much is being spent across departments and programs. Though these maps come in many forms, a quality fiscal map is different than traditional public reports on spending because it focuses on children and youth, not departments and agencies.

Thursday, June 1, 2006
Short Description: 
This guidebook is designed to clarify the process of creating and implementing an effective fiscal map. It provides an overview of planning, collecting the data, and ways to use the information to make informed decisions.
Partner: 
Finance Project
Forum for Youth Investment
Capacity Area: 
Better Data and Decisions
Audience Sector: 
Government/Policy
Scope: 
City
County
State
Standards : 
Collect complete data about youth outcomes, community supports and leadership actions

What Makes an Action Plan a Ready by 21 Action Plan?

Sunday, October 31, 2010
Short Description: 
There are a myriad of planning approaches that “begin with the end in mind,” supporting the development of action agendas that are focused on improving outcomes.Ready by 21 provides important added dimensions to these approaches, helping address two common challenges – how can we address more than one issue or indicator at a time? And how can we maximize involvement in and commitment to both the planning process and the work that follows? This guide offers guidelines and recommendations.
Partner: 
Forum for Youth Investment
Capacity Area: 
Broader Partnerships
Standards : 
Create a big picture, goal-oriented action plan

Program Quality Pyramid

In order to create conditions for youth motivation, needs for safety, belonging, and esteem must be met. High quality scores indicate that things are in place for youth to have access to key developmental experiences and to get their needs met. When youth needs are met they are likely to be motivated to engage in the program.

Saturday, April 14, 2007
Short Description: 
Quality in after school programming is defined by this pyramid. The pyramid is all about youth motivation to engage in the program. It reflects Maslow’s hierarchy, which suggests that we all naturally seek to learn and grow but that we have needs that get in the way.
Partner: 
David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality
Capacity Area: 
Bigger Goals
Audience Sector: 
Education (K-12)
Non‐profit/Foundation
Youth and Families
Age Group: 
Primary School Age
Secondary School Age
Standards : 
Establish a balanced set of goals and indicators for all children, youth and young adults

40 Developmental Assets

The Developmental Assets are 40 common sense, positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young people make and help them become caring, responsible, successful adults. Because of its basis in youth development, resiliency, and prevention research and its proven effectiveness, the Developmental Assets framework has become one of the most widely used approach to positive youth development in the United States.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Short Description: 
Search Institute has identified the building blocks of healthy development—known as Developmental Assets—that help young children grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
Partner: 
Search Institute
Capacity Area: 
Bigger Goals
Age Group: 
Young Children
Primary School Age
Secondary School Age
Standards : 
Define supports that the full community must provide

Building Effective Youth Councils: A Practical Guide to Engaging Youth in Policy Making

The guide is divided into three parts:


The Rationale for Youth Engagement in Government provides a theoretical and historical context for youth councils by articulating the rationale for engaging youth in policy and decision-making processes and by explaining the Forum’s Principles of Youth Engagement.

Sunday, July 15, 2007
Short Description: 
The guide is designed to help states and localities create or strengthen their own youth councils. It is a synthesis of theory and practice that provides a general framework for thinking about youth councils, explaining the principles for youth action and the importance of youth engagement. It also incorporates advice and lessons from people in the field who have started or currently staff youth councils across the country. The guide incorporates examples from these youth councils to illustrate key points, focusing heavily on the youth councils in Boston, Massachusetts; Hampton, Virginia; and the state of New Mexico.
Partner: 
Forum for Youth Investment
Capacity Area: 
Broader Partnerships
Bolder Actions
Audience Sector: 
Advocacy
Government/Policy
Non‐profit/Foundation
Youth and Families
Age Group: 
Primary School Age
Secondary School Age
Scope: 
Neighborhood
City
County
State
Standards : 
Align and strengthen coalitions, commissions and intermediaries
Engage key stakeholders in setting priorities and solving problems
Engage youth, families and community members in solutions

Education Strategies: Improving Success for Children and Youth

 

Focus Areas:

 

  • Enter school ready to succeed
  • Read proficiently by 4th grade
  • Make a successful transition to middle school
  • Graduate from high school on time
  • Be ready for success in college, work, and life

United Way Worldwide Education Website

Saturday, April 23, 2011
Short Description: 
Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. But with more than 1.2 million children dropping out each year, America faces an education crisis. The cost? More than $312 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes. These trends are reversible, but only when communities and public, private and nonprofit sectors work together. United Way Worldwide is dedicated to improving education outcomes for all children and youth, and this website lays out their priority areas, resources and case studies.
Partner: 
United Way Worldwide
Audience Sector: 
Advocacy
Education (K-12)
Government/Policy
Non‐profit/Foundation
Youth and Families
Age Group: 
Young Children
Primary School Age
Secondary School Age
Scope: 
Neighborhood
City
County
State
Focus: 
Suburban
Urban
Rural

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