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January 31, 2012 African American History Month: Resources for Educators

February is African American History Month. Federal Resources for Education Excellence is currently featuring 69 free teaching and learning resources that educators can use when conducting lessons on African American History Month. Learn more.

January 31, 2012 Funding Announcement: Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is currently soliciting state implementation grants for the Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs grant program. This program aims to improve access to quality care for children and youth with special health care needs. Applications are due March 1, 2012. Learn more and apply.

January 31, 2012 Funding Announcement: FAFSA Completion Project

The Department of Education has announced that the FAFSA Completion Project, a pilot project that aims to increase the number of students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), will expand to include 92 additional school districts. Applications for the pilot project are due March 2, 2012. Learn more and apply.

January 31, 2012 Finding Federal Funds

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth recently profiled two search tools for finding federal funds. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Funding and Programs List outlines which federal departments have programs that help prevent and end homelessness and includes programs specifically designed to assist homeless youth. View the USICH list. The custom Grants.gov search tool on www.FindYouthInfo.gov allows users to search for federal funding opportunities byyouth-related topic or federal agency. View the custom search tool.

January 31, 2012 2012 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness

During the last ten days in January, volunteers across the country counted the number of people, including youth and families, experiencing homelessness on streets and in shelters. This data will be used to understand the scope of homelessness and to measure progress toward ending it. 2012 data will be released later this year. View the 2011 data.

January 31, 2012 Q&A: Meeting the Needs of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth released a Q&A with Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, featuring tips for working specifically with transgender and gender non-conforming youth. Read the Q&A.

January 31, 2012 May 30-June 1: 2012 National Transition Conference: College and Careers for Youth with Disabilities

Sponsored by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), the 2012 National Transition Conference will take place from May 30-June 1, 2012 in Washington, DC. This conference will provide a forum for partners in the transition community to share ideas and approaches. Learn more.

January 31, 2012 Podcast Roundtable Discussion with Formerly Homeless Youth

In the latest installment of the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth’s podcast series, “Youth Speak Out,” three formerly homeless youth discuss how they have found ways to stay happy and healthy and achieve a sense of well-being, which is one of the Family and Youth Services Bureau's crucial outcomes for runaway and homeless youth. Listen to the podcast.

January 25, 2012 January 26: FAFSA Office Hours on Twitter

Martha Kanter, the under secretary of education, will solicit and answer students’ Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) questions live on Twitter, using the #askFAFSA hashtag, during the “FAFSA Office Hours” event on January 26 at 4:30PM EST. This event is the first in a monthly series of Q&A sessions that Federal Student Aid will host on Twitter. Learn more. For more information for students about federal aid programs available to help pay for college, please refer to the Department of Education’s new publication, “Funding Your Education: The 2012-13 Guide to Federal Student Aid.” The guide also contains information specifically for students with disabilities. Read the guide (PDF, 28 pages).

January 25, 2012 Faces of Distracted Driving

The Department of Transportation has released a video of an interview with a mother whose teen daughter died as a result of distracted driving. Watch the video and learn more about teen driver safety on www.FindYouthInfo.gov.

January 25, 2012 Healthy People 2020: Goals Specific to Adolescents

Healthy People 2020, an initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services, established 10-year goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention. Healthy People 2020 includes 11 objectives specifically related to improving the health of our nation's adolescents. Learn more.

January 25, 2012 Roundtable Focuses on Importance of Fathers in Education

The Department of Education, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services and many father-serving organizations, recently sponsored an event to start a dialogue around the role of men in the lives of our nation’s children. Fathers, uncles, male mentors, grandfathers, brothers, and community leaders gathered at the Café at Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois to share what fathers can do to increase their involvement and support in the lives of their children, especially their education. Learn more.

January 25, 2012 2012's No Name-Calling Week (January 23-27)

The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau is partnering with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) for 2012’s No Name-Calling Week during the week of January 23-27. No Name-Calling Week aims to end name-calling of all kinds and to launch an ongoing dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying. Learn more. For more information about how to prevent and address bullying, go to www.StopBullying.gov.

January 18, 2012 January 31: WIA Live Chat - Engaging Employers & Business

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) will hold a WIA (Workforce Investment Act) Live Chat session on January 31 from 2:00PM-2:30PM EST. This chat will focus on engaging employers and businesses with WIA Youth Programs. Register.

January 18, 2012 Webinar: Implications for Implementing and Sustaining Interventions in Child Welfare and Child Mental Health Service Systems

As part of its Implementing and Sustaining Evidence-Based Practice Speaker Series, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network will present a webinar, “Methods Development in Dissemination & Implementation: Implications for Implementing and Sustaining Interventions in Child Welfare and Child Mental Health Service Systems,” on February 22, 2012 at 12:00PM EST. The goal of the webinar is to increase understanding of issues arising from the use of evidence-based practices within child welfare and mental health organizations. Register.

January 18, 2012 Funding Announcement: Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports

The Office of Citizen Exchanges in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is holding an open competition for its Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Program. The program will fund approximately 12 short-term U.S.-based and overseas programs focused on fostering women’s empowerment through sports. The deadline to apply is February 6, 2012. Learn more.

January 18, 2012 Funding Announcement: Second Chance Act Technology Careers Training Demonstration Projects

The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance is soliciting applications for grantees to launch programs to train incarcerated adults and youth prior to their release from prison, jail, or a juvenile facility in an effort to increase their employability in technology careers. The deadline to apply is March 2, 2012. Learn more and apply (PDF, 19 pages).

January 18, 2012 You're an Adult Now: Youth Offenders in Adult Corrections

A new publication from the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Corrections, “You’re an Adult Now: Youth in Adult Criminal Justice Systems,” discusses the lack of information available about how to manage juvenile offenders who are placed in adult prison settings. Learn more (PDF, 40 pages).

January 18, 2012 Blueprints for Violence Prevention Conference Opens Registration

Registration is now open for the Blueprints for Violence Prevention Conference, to be held in San Antonio, Texas on April 11-13, 2012. This focus of this event will be science-based information on effective youth violence, delinquency, and drug prevention programs. Learn more and register.

January 18, 2012 Fundraising Solutions for Youth-serving Nonprofits

In an interview with the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, Kim Klein, an Oakland, CA fundraising consultant, shares five resolutions youth-serving nonprofits should make in 2012 to help them increase the amount of money they raise from donors. Read the interview.

January 18, 2012 Harm Reduction: Advice from Leaders in the Field

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) interviewed staff from three model programs using harm reduction to help youth experiencing homelessness. Read about the tips and lessons learned they shared.

January 18, 2012 Birth Parents and Trauma Histories in the Child Welfare System

A new guide released by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, “Birth Parents and Trauma Histories in the Child Welfare System: A Guide for Resource Parents,” aims to help resource, or foster, parents to better understand the birth parents with whom they work. View the guide (4 pages, PDF).

January 18, 2012 Podcast: Interview with Director of the Union City Sustained Youth Development Project

In this podcast from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, Karl Kallgren, director of the Union City Sustained Youth Development Project, discusses the youth program that has helped teen pregnancy rates drop by 20 percent in a rural Pennsylvania community. Listen to the podcast.

January 10, 2012 Funding Announcement: Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Training and TA Program

The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance announced that it is accepting applications for funding under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Training and Technical Assistance Program. The purpose of this funding is to facilitate the collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, and mental health and substance abuse treatment systems to increase access to services. Applications are due February 2, 2012. Learn more and apply (PDF, 18 pages).

January 10, 2012 Webinar: Increasing Staff and Family Survey Response Rates

The Department of Education’s Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center (SSSTA) has announced the next webinar in their School Climate Survey Webinar series. This webinar, entitled “Increasing Staff and Family Survey Response Rates,” will be offered twice: Session 1: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 4:00PM-5:30PM EST; Session 2: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 11:00AM-12:30PM EST. Learn more and register.

January 10, 2012 Watch: Youth Describe Their Most Meaningful Relationships

In a new video series from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, four youth talk about the adults who helped change their lives. The first video in the series features Marcus, a former foster youth, describing how his adoptive mom has helped and supported him. Watch the video.

January 10, 2012 National Drug Facts Week Chat Day Transcripts Available

On November 1, 2011, scientists from the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) held a live, online chat session with teens to answer their questions about drugs and substance abuse. 2011 Chat Day was held as a part of National Drug Facts Week, a health observance week that educates teens about drugs. The transcript from 2011 Chat Day is now available online. View the transcript.

January 10, 2012 Resources to Help Schools 'Go Green'

In light of Secretary Arne Duncan’s announcement about the Green Ribbon Schools initiative in September, this blog post from the Department of Education highlights resources schools can utilize to become more environmentally friendly, while also saving money. Read the post.

January 04, 2012 OJJDP Seeks Applicants to Plan Tribal Youth Summit

The Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced a funding opportunity for an organization to plan and implement the National Intertribal Youth Summit. This week-long summit, to take place in the summer of 2012, will include approximately 200 at-risk American Indian and Alaska Native youth and 50 adult chaperones. The deadline to apply is January 23, 2012. Learn more (PDF, 19 pages).

January 04, 2012 USDA Announces Winners of the MyPlate Fruits and Veggies Video Challenge

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the winners of the MyPlate Fruits and Veggies Video Challenge, which encouraged contestants to create videos demonstrating innovative ways to "make half your plate fruits and vegetables" with skits, songs, and dance. Schools, community groups, and families submitted videos that share practical tips for including fruits and vegetables in every meal. Learn more.

January 04, 2012 Juvenile Arrests 2009

As part of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report series, the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) released, “Juvenile Arrests 2009,” a bulletin that summarizes 2009 juvenile crime and arrest data reported by law enforcement agencies across the country. Read the report (PDF, 24 pages).

January 04, 2012 College Net Price Calculator Student Video Challenge

The Department of Education launched the College Net Price Calculator Student Video Challenge to broaden public awareness of tools on the Department’s website that help parents and students calculate the cost of attending college. High school and college students are encouraged to produce and submit short videos highlighting why the calculators are a valuable resource. The top three contestants will each win a $1,500 cash prize. Video submissions are due by January 31, 2012. Learn more.

January 04, 2012 Cigarette and Alcohol Use Are at Historic Low, Continued High Levels of Abuse of Other Drugs Among Teens

The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey found that cigarette and alcohol use by teens are at their lowest point since the survey began in 1975, but high rates of abuse of other tobacco products, marijuana, and prescription drugs continue. Learn more.

January 04, 2012 Prevalence and Implementation Fidelity of Research-Based Prevention Programs in Public Schools

The Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students released a new state grants program report entitled, “Prevalence and Implementation Fidelity of Research-Based Prevention Programs in Public Schools.” The report discusses findings on key program implementation measures for the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA): State Grants Program, which provided support to states for a variety of drug-abuse and violence-prevention activities that support student academic achievement. Read the report.

December 28, 2011 Applications Due January 31: 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with other federal agencies, is seeking applications for the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards. After-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs sponsored by educational institutions, libraries, museums, performing arts organizations, community organizations, businesses, and certain government entities are eligible to apply. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2012. Learn more.

December 28, 2011 Applications Due January 18: AmeriCorps State and National Grants

AmeriCorps awards grants to organizations to implement programs that utilize AmeriCorps members to engage in evidence-based interventions that strengthen communities. Programs are targeted that work in six focus areas: disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families. Applications are due January 18, 2012. View the application.

December 28, 2011 Hotline Numbers Every Youth Should Have

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY) has released a short list of hotline numbers that every youth should have, especially youth dealing with homelessness. View the list.

December 28, 2011 New SAMHSA Study Illustrates Parents' Behavior Affects Adolescents' Decisions to Drive Under the Influence

A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that 16 and 17 year olds, living with parents who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, are far more likely to drive under the influence than adolescents whose parents do not drive under the influence. Read the report (PDF, 1 page).

December 28, 2011 Choosing the Right Outcome-Measurement Tool

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY) recently interviewed Alicia Wilson-Ahlstrom, who authored a Forum for Youth Investment report that reviewed eight outcome-measurement tools that can be used to evaluate afterschool programs and other settings. The interview focuses on learning how youth-serving programs can measure the effectiveness of what they do. Read the interview.

December 28, 2011 Request for Proposals: 18th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health

Proposals are now being accepted for the 18th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health to be held October 25-27, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of this year’s conference is School Mental Health: Promoting Positive Outcomes for Students, Families, Schools, and Communities. The deadline for submissions is January 23, 2012. Read the request for proposals (PDF, 5 pages).

December 28, 2011 Supporting Young People Living with HIV

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY) is featuring a Q&A around providing respectful support to youth living with HIV. The Q&A focuses on how youth workers can specifically support youth with an HIV diagnosis living in shelters. Learn more.

December 28, 2011 Bullying in Schools: An Overview

A new bulletin, “Bullying in Schools: An Overview,” released bythe Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), discusses types and frequencies of bullying, as well as truancy and student achievement, and what effect engagement in school has on these factors. Read the bulletin (PDF, 12 pages).

December 28, 2011 Excellent Teachers Make a Difference!

Disability.gov Guest Blogger Alex Posny, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, asks the question: what does it look like when someone is truly making a difference in the lives of students with disabilities? Read the blog entry.

December 28, 2011 America's Youth: Transitions to Adulthood

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released, “America’s Youth: Transitions to Adulthood,” a report that compares the current generation of youth in the United States to youth in 2000, 1990, and 1980. Read the report.

December 28, 2011 SAMHSA and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Collaborate with Facebook to Help Users in Crisis

Facebook, in partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, will provide a new service that will allow users to report suicidal comments seen on the site. Individuals who post a reported suicidal comment will receive an e-mail from Facebook prompting them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or follow a link to begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Learn more.

December 20, 2011 December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

President Obama has officially named December as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, as part of the Administration’s continued effort to increase awareness of impaired driving. The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) website features information for parents and teens on how to make sure that teens stay safe behind the wheel. View the CDC’s website and the FindYouthInfo Youth Topic on Teen Driver Safety.

December 20, 2011 Database for Finding Better Schools

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has partnered with GreatSchools, a national nonprofit educational resource for parents, to provide an online database that can assist parents in choosing a school for their child. The database contains more than 200,000 public, charter, magnet, and private schools, serving grades K-12 across the country. Access the database.

December 20, 2011 OVC Newsletter Focuses on Children Exposed to Violence

The November issue of the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime’s (OVC) newsletter, “OVC News & Program Updates,” focuses on the impact of child identity theft, child exploitation, and the provision of services to drug-endangered children. View the newsletter.

December 20, 2011 Funding Available for Second Chance Act Solicitation

The Second Chance Act Technology Careers Training Demonstration Projects for Incarcerated Adults and Juveniles grant will provide funds to increase the ability of offenders to be employed in technology-based jobs and career fields.
Applications are due March 2, 2012. Learn more (PDF, 19 pages).

December 20, 2011 February 6-9, 2012: Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America National Leadership Forum

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) will co-sponsor the CADCA National Leadership Forum on February 6–9, 2012 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Attendees will learn about the latest strategies for substance abuse prevention. Learn more and register.

December 20, 2011 Participants Sought for Survey on Mentoring Services for High-Risk Youth

The National Mentoring Partnership, Global Youth Justice, and the National Partnership for Juvenile Services are conducting a survey to improve the design and delivery of mentoring services for youth at risk for delinquency, alcohol and drug abuse, truancy, and other problem behaviors. Mentoring and juvenile justice professionals working in detention, corrections, probation, dependency courts, delinquency courts, and teen court/youth court diversion programs are encouraged to take part by completing the survey, which is funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Results will be used in a research report and in training and technical assistance materials. The report and materials will be free and available online. Take the survey.

December 20, 2011 USICH Elects Secretary Sebelius as New Chair; Discusses Youth Homelessness

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted the final meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) of the year on December 13, concluding the meeting by electing HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as the Chair for 2012, and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki as Vice Chair. The major topic for discussion at the meeting was ending youth homelessness by 2020 and the recent work done by the HHS-headed Interagency Group on Youth, which has been bringing together multiple experts from various fields to address the issue of youth homelessness. The Group on Youth discussed what we know, and do not know, about youth homelessness and federal resources available to serve this population. Read Secretary Sebelius’s statement about her new role.

December 20, 2011 Affordable Care Act Helps 2.5 Million Additional Young Adults Get Health Insurance

The National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data illustrating that the Affordable Care Act has significantly increased the number of young people who are covered by health insurance, bringing this number to 2.5 million. Learn more.

December 13, 2011 Webinar: Harm Reduction for Youth

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) will hold a webinar on January 12, 2012 from 3:30PM-4:30PM EST to discuss the harm reduction model for youth facing homelessness. The panel will include representatives from Lighthouse Youth Services in Cincinnati, OH and Preble Street in Portland, ME. Learn more and register.

December 13, 2011 Q&A: Mandated Reporting for Youth-Serving Organizations

In light of the Pennsylvania State University child sexual abuse allegations, The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth is featuring a Q&A with Kathryn S. Krase, a professor of social work and author of a guide on mandated reporting, on their website. The Q&A addresses issues with mandated reporting for youth-serving organizations and explains what these organizations need to do, both legally and ethically, to protect the young people they work with. Learn more.

December 13, 2011 PPSS Study Finds Low-income Schools Receiving Inequitable Distribution of Funds

The Department of Education’s Policy and Program Studies Service (PPSS) has released a report analyzing school-level spending and teacher salary data. The report shows that schools serving low-income students receive an unequal distribution of their state and local funding. This marks the first endeavor to collect national data on school-level expenditures. Read the report (PDF, 78 pages).

December 13, 2011 Grants to Improve Kids' Nutrition During Summer

Multiple grantees were awarded funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide low-income children with access to healthy nutrition during the summer. Grantees will use the electronic benefit infrastructure of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to give low-income families with school-age children more food resources during these out-of-school months. Five states will receive grants to continue their 2011 demonstrations and five states and tribal entities will begin new demonstration projects. Learn more.

December 13, 2011 NCES Releases Report on Distance Education Courses

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released a report, “Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students: 2009–10,” that provides national data about enrollment in distance education courses, as well as the delivery and monitoring of these courses. Read the report.

December 13, 2011 Department of Education Releases Analysis of Bullying Laws and Policies

The Departmentof Education has released a report, “Analysis of State Bullying Laws and Policies,” that addresses current anti-bullying laws and anti-bullying policies that have been created as models for schools. Read the report (PDF, 202 pages).

December 13, 2011 WWC Report on "Coping Power" Program

The Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has released a report on the effectiveness of Coping Power, a program that involves group sessions for children and parents. The program was found to have positive effects for children classified with an emotional disturbance. Read the report.

December 13, 2011 NCES Releases Career/Technical Education Participation Web Tables

The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) released a set of six tables that report participation information for 2009 public high school graduates in career/technical education (CTE). View the tables.

December 13, 2011 April 16-20, 2012: 18th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect

Registration is now open for the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, to be held on April 16-20, 2012 in Washington, DC. The goal of the conference is to share information on research and practice in the field and learn new and innovative techniques. Learn more and register.

December 13, 2011 UDETC and OJJDP Launch New Distance Learning Course

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center (UDETC) have launched a new online distance learning course titled, “Environmental Strategies.” This two-hour online course focuses on increasing understanding of environmental prevention strategies and practices that can be used to address alcohol and drug problems. Learn more.

December 09, 2011 Increasing Disability Inclusion in National Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is holding a two-day conference, “2011 Symposium on Service and Inclusion: Improving the Member Experience,” on December 8 and 9, 2011. This symposium will bring together more than 200 leaders in the disability and service communities to develop strategies to support the full inclusion of people with disabilities in national service. This event is sponsored by CNCS in partnership with the National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) and the National Service to Employment Project (NextSTEP) of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The conference will feature plenaries, capacity-building sessions, and interactive seminars and forums focusing on universal strategies for access, service as a path to employment, and recruiting and supporting underrepresented populations. Learn more.

December 09, 2011 Drum Major for Service Awards

The White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) are joining forces to recognize outstanding volunteers nationwide with the MLK Drum Majors for Service program. The Drum Majors program gives organizations an opportunity to acknowledge volunteers who perform extraordinary acts of service, but seldom receive recognition. Drum Major awardees receive an award from CNCS designating that person as a “Drum Major for Service” with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Drum Major Award recipients will be honored at events in their communities. Submit a volunteer to be recognized and send an email sharing the story of the person you plan to honor.

December 05, 2011 Webinar: Using Data to Identify Programmatic Interventions

The Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students’ Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center will hold a webinar on “Using Data to Identify Programmatic Interventions.” This webinar will take place on December 14, 2011, 4:00PM−5:30PM EST and again on December 15, 2011 11:00AM-12:30PM, EST. It will cover using school climate data to identify needs, selecting evidence based programs to address these needs, and implementing these programs effectively within a school or district. Learn more and register.

December 05, 2011 Webinar: Advances in Understanding and Promoting Family Resilience

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) will host a webinar on January 20, 2012 at 1:00PM EST on “Advances in Understanding and Promoting Family Resilience.” This webinar, part of NCTSN’s Family Systems Speaker Series, will cover current perspectives on family resilience and the implications for children and families who have experienced trauma. Learn more and register.

December 05, 2011 NCI Launches Smoking Cessation Support for Teens

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has developed SmokefreeTXT, a free text message cessation service that provides encouragement, advice, and tips to teens trying to quit smoking. The service, developed by smoking cessation experts, will send text messages timed according to a selected quit date and will then continue sending them for up to six weeks after that date. Learn more.

December 05, 2011 New Guidance Supports Efforts to Promote Diversity in Educational Settings

On December 2, 2011, the Departments of Justice and Education released two new guidance documents (one for school districts and one for colleges and universities) detailing the flexibility that the Supreme Court has provided to educational institutions to promote diversity and reduce racial isolation among students. Learn more.

December 05, 2011 Revised FERPA Regulations

The U.S. Department of Education has announced new regulations that will strengthen the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These regulations, which will take effect on January 3, 2012, will safeguard student privacy while giving states the flexibility to share school data that can be helpful in judging the effectiveness of government investments in education. Learn more (PDF, 253 pages).

December 05, 2011 Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness – April 10-12, 2012

The Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will cosponsor the Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness (JMATE) in Washington, DC on April 10-12, 2012. Conference sessions will include information on juvenile justice, school-based services, recovery services, treatment and recovery systems, collaboration and integration, youth and families, evidence-based practices, and other pertinent topics. Learn more and register.

December 05, 2011 Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network released a fact sheet that provides an overview of secondary traumatic stress and its potential impact on child-serving professionals. “Secondary Traumatic Stress:A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals” outlines options for assessment, prevention, and intervention relevant to secondary stress and instructs child-serving organizations on how to create an environment that is supportive of worker resiliency. Read the fact sheet (PDF, 6 pages).

December 05, 2011 National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence Holds First Public Hearing

On November 29, Attorney General Eric Holder’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, part of the Defending Childhood Initiative, convened its first hearing in Baltimore, Maryland. This hearing is the first of four that will aim to gather expert and community testimony on the epidemic of children’s exposure to violence. Coming out of these hearings, the Task Force will identify promising practices, programming, and community strategies used to prevent and respond to children’s exposure to violence and will issue a comprehensive report presenting its findings. Learn more.

November 28, 2011 Speaking Up at the Doctor's Office

“Speaking Up at the Doctor’s Office,” a guide produced by Healthy Transitions NY is now featured on Disability.gov. This guide contains information for families and professionals to help youth with developmental disabilities advocate for themselves and learn to navigate visits to the doctor's office. Read the guide (PDF, 20 pages).

November 28, 2011 Archive Video of Department of Education Twitter Town Hall Available

Video of the November 14, 2011 Department of Education’s #AskArne Twitter Town Hall is available. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discussed a range of issues including respecting teachers, charter schools and choice, and student loan debt. Watch the video or read a comprehensive list of questions and answers on the Department of Education’s Twitter page.

November 28, 2011 2012 FYSB Mural Contest

Grantees of the Family and Youth Services Bureau’s (FYSB) Runaway and Homeless Youth programs are encouraged to apply for the 2012 FYSB Mural Contest to win materials to paint a mural at their facility. Applicants should submit a rough sketch of the mural design and write-up about the meaning of the mural and the youth-driven creative process. Materials should be submitted to ncfy@acf.hhs.gov by January 20, 2012. Learn more.

November 28, 2011 New NCES Study on Education Tax Benefits

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the report, “Federal Education Tax Benefits: Who Receives Them and to What Extent Do They Shape the Price of College Attendance?” The study details how many undergraduate students receive tax benefits, how these benefits affect the cost of college, and how family income plays a role. Read the report.

November 28, 2011 How Can My Organization Reach Out to Native American Youth?

As part of its on-going “Ask NCFY” series, The Family and Youth Services Bureau’s National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth provides guidance on how organizations can build their capacity to work with Native American youth. Learn more.

November 28, 2011 Outreach Programs as a Step Toward Future Employment

The Family and Youth Services Bureau’s National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth profiled three runaway and homeless youth programs in Washington, DC that are hiring young people to work on their street outreach teams. These positions prepare youth with valuable job skills, like interviewing and managing schedules. Learn more.

November 21, 2011 U. S. ED and DOD to Launch Learning Registry

The U.S. Departments of Education and Defense have announced the launch of “The Learning Registry,” an open source community and technology designed to improve the quality and availability of learning resources in education. The Learning Registry is a communication system that allows existing educational portals and online systems to publish and share information about learning resources with each other and the public. Basic data about resources (grade level, subject area and author) can be shared through The Learning Registry, as well as more complex data such as curricular standards alignment information. Learn more.

November 21, 2011 How Do You Know If Your Child Has ADHD?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an article that parents can refer to if they suspect their child may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The article covers diagnosis, treatments, the consequences of not treating, and FDA-approved drugs to treat ADHD. Learn more.

November 21, 2011 Findings from the Community Empowering Youth (CEY) Evaluation

The report, “Building Non-Profit Capacity and Community Partnerships: Findings from the Community Empowering Youth (CEY) Evaluation,” prepared for the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, presents findings from a longitudinal, descriptive outcome study of over 500 non-profits that received Communities Empowering Youth (CEY) capacity building grants in 2006 and 2007. Read the report (PDF, 76 pages).

November 21, 2011 FCC Offering Low-Cost Broadband & Computers for Students & Families

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will launch, "Connect to Compete," an initiative to bring low-cost broadband and computers to millions of low-income Americans, in the spring of 2012. Under this initiative, families eligible for the National School Lunch Program can receive discounted monthly broadband internet, a computer, and free digital literacy training. Learn more.

November 21, 2011 Teen Dating Violence School Interventions Found Effective

“Shifting Boundaries: Final Report on an Experimental Evaluation of a Youth Dating Violence Prevention Program in New York City Middle Schools,” a report compiled for the Department of Justice, has been released. The study, which examined the effectiveness of school-level and classroom-level interventions, found that school-level interventions reduced dating violence among middle school students by up to 50 percent. Read the report (PDF, 322 pages).

November 21, 2011 DOJ Releases Video on Tribal Youth and Their Communities

The U.S. Department of Justice has released a public service announcement, titled “That’s My People,” that addresses the issues that tribal youth have identified as important to discuss with their tribal leaders. The video was developed and filmed at the 2011 National Intertribal Youth Summit at the Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Watch the video.

November 21, 2011 State Guides and Manuals Search on Child Welfare Information Gateway

The Administration for Children and Families’ Child Welfare Information Gateway has created a searchable database of state guides and manuals created by state agencies that describe their services and provide guidance on child welfare-related topics. The information is geared to both professional and general audiences. Learn more.

November 21, 2011 Study on Teens Behavior on Social Networking Sites

OnGuardOnline.gov, a blog managed by the Federal Trade Commission, reports that the Pew Internet and American Life Project, at the Pew Research Center, has released a report on teen behavior on social networking sites. The study focused on teens’ experiences on social networking sites, how these experiences made them feel, cruelty on social networking sites, and how advice from parents influences teen online behavior. Read the report.

November 16, 2011 WIA YOUTH TALK Live Chat

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) Workforce Investment Act Youth Team will hold a live chat session on November 29 from 1:00PM-1:30PM EST. The purpose of the chat is to answer any questions about the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and share what WIA youth programs are doing around the United States. The chat will be conducted via an online instant messaging format, in which all comments are typed into a message box. You must be a member of Workforce3One to participate. If you are not a member Workforce3One, please register here. Participants can join the live chat by clicking here on November 29 at 1:00PM EST.

November 16, 2011 Webinar: Serving Expecting and Parenting Teen Fathers - Legal Issues

A webinar focusing on “Serving Expecting and Parenting Teen Fathers - Legal Issues” will be held on November 30, 2011 from 2:00PM-3:00PM EST and will focus on programs for teen fathers in out-of-home care and legal issues surrounding teen parents in foster care and their children. This webinar is sponsored by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers (RHYTTAC) and National Resource Center (NRC) for In-Home Services, NRC for Youth Development, and NRC for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (FRIENDS). This is the third in the series of webinars discussing services for pregnant and parenting teens. Learn more and register.

November 16, 2011 CSAP Releases RFP for Underage Drinking Media Campaign

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) released an RFP to solicit proposals from community-based organizations to carry out the goals of the Underage Drinking Prevention National Media Campaign. Proposals are due December 15, 2011. Learn more.

November 16, 2011 Suicide and Bullying Among Children and Adolescents, With Special Attention to LGBT Youth

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is has released a Suicide and Bullying Issue Brief that examines the relationship between suicide and bullying among children and adolescents, with special attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Read the issue brief (PDF, 8 pages).

November 16, 2011 FDA Targets Retailers Selling Tobacco to Minors

The Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to more than 1,200 retailers suspected of violating regulations around selling tobacco to minors. Civil money penalties will be issued if these retailers continue to violate the law after receiving the warning letters. According to the FDA, approximately 20% of high school students smoke cigarettes and more than 80% of adult smokers begin smoking before 18 years of age. Learn more.

November 16, 2011 Nation's Report Card' Shows Increase in Math Scores, Mixed Performance in Reading

The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the ‘Nation’s Report Card,’ showed fourth through eighth graders continue to improve their math scores. Fourth graders’ reading scores remained unchanged from the last assessment, but eighth graders’ reading scores increased. Learn more.

November 16, 2011 November is National Runaway Month

For ten years, The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS), and other local and national partners have marked November as National Runaway Month. National Runaway Month activities aim to raise awareness about the issues facing runaway youth and educate the community about runaway prevention. Learn about National Runaway Month activities and events.

November 16, 2011 Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking in Secondary Schools Grant Program Solicitation

The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women will soon announce the FY 2012 Services, Training, Education and Policies to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking in Secondary Schools Grant Program (STEP) Solicitation. STEP was created by the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 to support schools to develop and implement training, services, and policies for student victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Learn more (PDF, 29 pages).

November 16, 2011 NCES Reports Statistics from 2008-09 Student Reports of Bullying and Cyber-Bullying

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released statistics from the National Crime Victimization Survey: School Crime Supplement, 2009 on bullying and cyber-bullying. The survey collects information about student and school characteristics related to criminal victimization on a national level. Read the report (PDF, 72 pages).

November 16, 2011 Special Issue of the Journal of Youth Development

The Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice, is a special issue of the publication, celebrating 100 years of youth development research. Topics covered in the issue include youth program evaluation, outcomes of youth engagement, and the evolving role of youth workers. Read the issue (PDF, 184 pages).

November 16, 2011 The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development

Supported by funds from the National 4-H Council and the Altria Corporation, the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD), conducted by the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development Tufts University and the Society for Research on Adolescence, began in 2002, with the collection of data from about 1,700 fifth grade youth and about 1,100 of their parents. It has grown to include about 7,000 youth and about 3,500 of their parents from 41 states. The study has yielded important information about the bases and implications of PYD. Learn more.

November 08, 2011 The Youth Transition Demonstration

The issue brief, “The Youth Transition Demonstration: Interim Findings and Lessons for Program Implementation,” presents findings from a random assignment evaluation of the Social Security Administration’s Youth Transition Demonstration, which is analyzing the implementation of six demonstration projects and their impact on helping youth with disabilities find employment and reduce dependency on federal disability benefits. Learn more (PDF, 4 pages).

November 08, 2011 Protecting Kids Online

OnGuardOnline.gov, the federal government’s website to help keep citizens safe and responsible online, has developed “Protecting Kids Online,” a portion of the site dedicated to educating kids and parents about internet safety. Parents, children, and teens can learn more topics like cyberbullying, online privacy, and how to use social networking sites safely. Learn more.

November 08, 2011 2011 "Champions of Change" Challenge

The White House Office of Public Engagement and mtvU have announced the first Campus “Champions of Change” Challenge. The Campus “Champions of Change” Challenge invites college students from across the United States to demonstrate how their student-led project is improving their campus community and the country. The White House will select 15 finalists and then the public will vote on the top five projects. The top five finalists will be named Campus Champions of Change, will be invited to the White House for an event, and will have the opportunity to work with mtvU and MTV Act to create short features about their projects. All applications are due December 9, 2011. Learn more and apply.

November 08, 2011 Graduated Drivers Licensing Programs Reduce Fatal Teen Crashes

Three new studies from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggest programs that grant privileges to new drivers in phases, known as graduated licensing programs, dramatically reduce the rate of teen driver fatal crashes. Such graduated licensing laws were adopted by all 50 states and the District of Columbia between 1996 and 2011. The research shows that such programs reduced the rate of fatal crashes among 16-to-17 year olds by 8 to 14 percent. Learn more.

November 08, 2011 Report on Student Victimization in Schools

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released, “Student Victimization in U.S. Schools: Results From the 2009 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey.” Data are collected on student criminal victimization through NCES’ sponsorship of the School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. The survey collects student reports of the presence of gangs and weapons, the availability of drugs and alcohol at school, traditional and electronic bullying, and fear and avoidance behaviors of crime victims and non-victims at school. Read the report.

November 08, 2011 Youth Focused Policing Resource Center

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) have launched the Youth Focused Policing Resource Center. This website provides a directory of law enforcement programs and services for youth, a secure discussion forum for law enforcement officials, and comprehensive information and resources relating to youth crime, delinquency, and victimization. Go to the website.

November 08, 2011 OJJDP FY 2011 Award Information Available

The Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) posted data on its fiscal year 2011 awards. This information covers discretionary grants, formula grants, and block grant and includes the names of the grantees and the amounts of their awards.Learn more.

October 31, 2011 Webinar: Competency-Based Recruitment, Screening, and Selection

The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) will host a webinar titled, “Competency-Based Recruitment, Screening and Selection: Strengthening Workforce Capacity, Retention, and Organizational Resiliency,” on December 14, 2011 from 3:00PM-4:15PM EDT. This webinar is the second in their series, “What Works for the Workforce: Leadership Competencies in Action - A National Webinar Series on Leading Change to Strengthen the Child Welfare Workforce.”Register for the webinar.

October 31, 2011 Addressing the Needs of Women and Girls

A report from HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Addressing the Needs of Women and Girls: Core Competencies for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service Professionals,” arms mental health and substance abuse professionals with a comprehensive overview of unique prevention, treatment, and recovery skills and practices, including trauma-informed care, to effectively serve women and girls. Learn more and order the free report.

October 31, 2011 What Makes a Good Youth Worker?

As part of the video series produced by the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY), Nathan Ferreira, Director of Promising Futures in Noblesville, IN responds to the question, “What makes a good youth worker?” Watch the video.

October 31, 2011 Call for Papers to Help Inform School-Justice Partnerships

The National Leadership Summit on School-Justice Partnerships issued an interdisciplinary call for papers to help inform the work of the National Leadership Summit on School-Justice Partnerships: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court, scheduled for March 11-13, 2012, in New York City. Abstracts are due by November 15, 2011. Learn more and submit a paper.

October 31, 2011 Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide

The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) released, “Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide,” an evidence-based guide for health care professionals to help identify children and teenagers, ages 9-18, who are at risk for alcohol-related problems, provide brief counseling, and refer them to treatment resources if that is indicated. The guide includes a two-question risk assessment and links to resources for motivational interviewing. NIAAA developed the guide and supporting pocket guide in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Learn more.

October 25, 2011 CDC Finds 60% Increase in Youth Athletes Treated for TBIs

According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emergency department visits for sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, among children and adolescents increased by 60 percent during the last decade. CDC experts believe much of the increase occurred because more adults realized the youth needed to be seen by health care providers. The report indicated that traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, rose from 153,375 in 2001 to 248,418 in 2009 and that bicycling, football, playground activities, basketball, and soccer were the primary sports involved. Learn more.

October 25, 2011 EPA Releases Voluntary School Siting Guidelines

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the release of voluntary school siting guidelines to help school districts and communities select environmentally healthy and safe locations for schools. The guidelines were mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and were developed in consultation with other federal agencies, states, school districts, community organizations, health care professionals, and teachers, as well as environmental justice leaders and children’s health and environmental groups. The guidelines provide recommendations on steps to evaluate potential environmental challenges and benefits at candidate sites. Learn more.

October 25, 2011 Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States

Published by the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), “Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1978-2009,” updates a series of NCES reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. The report includes national and regional population estimates for the percentage of students who dropped out of high school between 2008 and 2009, the percentage of young people who were dropouts in 2009, and the percentage of young people who were not in high school and had some form of high school credential in 2009. Read the report.

October 25, 2011 Department of Justice Awards $20 million to Support Mentoring Children of Military Families

The Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) recently awarded a total of $20 million to nine organizations to support mentoring programs and services for youth with a parent in the military. The Department of Defense provided this funding to OJJDP as part of a joint effort to support military families. View the organizations that received funding.

October 18, 2011 Measuring Status and Change In NAEP Inclusion Rates of Students With Disabilities

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released, “Measuring Status and Change In NAEP Inclusion Rates of Students With Disabilities, Results 2007-09.” This reportcontains the findings of a study on the status of inclusion and changes in inclusion rates for the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fourth and eighth grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics assessments. Read the report.

October 18, 2011 Underage Drinking: Intervention Principles and Practice Guidelines for Community Corrections

The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA), in cooperation with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), has developed a comprehensive document that explores the scope of the multi-faceted problems associated with alcohol use among youth. This document is a tool written to aid the community corrections practitioner and others within the justice community with a series of practice guidelines and guiding principles to help implement a more effective response to underage drinking youth who become involved in the justice system. Read the document (PDF, 111 pages).

October 18, 2011 Guide Addresses Emergency Planning for Juvenile Facilities

Published by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), "Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities," discusses how facilities can ensure that youth receive the support and services they require as they experience the disruptions that emergencies inevitably cause. This document is the first comprehensive planning guide to address the specific needs of children, youth, and families involved in the justice system during an emergency. View the guide (PDF, 50 pages).

October 18, 2011 Polyvictimization: Children's Exposure to Multiple Types of Violence, Crime, and Abuse

Published by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), "Polyvictimization: Children's Exposure to Multiple Types of Violence, Crime, and Abuse," focuses on children who have experienced multiple victimizations of different types, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, bullying, and exposure to family violence. Overrepresentation exists among certain demographic groups, including boys, African American children, and children in single-parent, stepparent, and other adult caregiver families. Read the bulletin (PDF, 12 pages).

October 18, 2011 First Look Report on Dropout Prevention Services and Programs in Public School Districts

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released, “Dropout Prevention Services and Programs in Public School Districts: 2011-2011.” This First Look report from the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) provides national data about how public school districts identify students at risk of dropping out, programs used specifically to address the needs of students at risk of dropping out of school, the use of mentors for at-risk students, and efforts to encourage dropouts to return to school. Read the report.

October 18, 2011 Hot Spots of Juvenile Crime: Findings From Seattle

Published by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), “Hot Spots of Juvenile Crime: Findings From Seattle,” provides the first portrait of the distribution of officially recorded juvenile crime events in smaller geographical areas, such as a favorite gathering place in a mall, restaurant, or shop, rather than certain police precincts or beats, the larger areas that police usually patrol. Read the bulletin (PDF, 16 pages).

October 18, 2011 ADHD Awareness Week

October 16-22 is Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Week. Learn more about ADHD and how you can get involved.

October 18, 2011 Children's Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Other Family Violence

A bulletin published by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), “Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Other Family Violence,”explores the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence survey results regarding children exposed to family violence in the United States, including intimate partner violence, assaults by parents on siblings of children surveyed, and other assaults involving teen and adult household members. Read the bulletin (PDF, 12 pages).

October 18, 2011 Webinar: Part II - Innovative Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Youth In or Exiting Substitute Care

The National Resource Center (NRC) for In-Home Services, NRC for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (FRIENDS), NRC for Youth Development, and Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers (RHYTTAC) will sponsor the second webinar in a series that shares knowledge and expertise with family-serving systems serving pregnant and parenting youth in prevention, early childhood intervention, in-home family preservation, out-of-home placement, and programs for runaway youth and unaccompanied minors. The webinar will take place on November 9 from 2:00PM-3:00PM EDT. Learn more and register.

October 18, 2011 Fact Sheet Describes Center for Youth in Custody

"National Center for Youth in Custody,” published by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJDP), provides an overview of the mission, objectives, and services of the recently launched National Center for Youth in Custody. The Center will provide training curriculum, webinars, and professional development services and will serve as a resource for juvenile justice practitioners, youth in custody, and families. Read the fact sheet (PDF, 2 pages).

October 11, 2011 Secretary Duncan Announces Plans for Green Ribbon Schools Award

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently invited states to take part in the inaugural year of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools for reducing environmental impact on their communities, promoting healthy school environments for their own students and staff, and offering high-quality environmental education. The Department plans to provide a nominee submission deadline in early 2012 and announce the first Green Ribbon Schools before the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Learn more.

October 11, 2011 Major Findings From “Student Reports of Bullying and Cyber Bullying”

The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics recently presented findings from the “Student Reports of Bullying and Cyber Bullying: Results From the 2009 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey.” These web tables show the relationship between bullying and cyber-bullying victimization and other variables of interest such as the reported presence of gangs, guns, drugs, and alcohol at school, select school security measures, student criminal victimization, and personal fear, avoidance behaviors, fighting, and weapon-carrying at school. Learn more.

October 11, 2011 Obama's Third Annual Back to School Speech: Set Your Sights High

On Wednesday, September 28, 2011, students from across the country tuned in as President Obama addressed them directly in his third annual Back to School Speech. The President encouraged America’s students to set their sights high and use their time in school to try new things, discover new passions and hone their skills to prepare themselves for the kind of profession they want in the future. Learn more.

October 11, 2011 ETA Releases Allied Health Occupations for Young Adults Podcast Series

To support youth providers and the youth they serve, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has released its new “Allied Health Occupations for Young Adults” podcast series. Together, youth and providers can learn about what it takes to become pharmacy technicians, emergency medical technicians, or certified nursing assistants. Each podcast highlights young adults who have been trained and are currently working in different allied health occupations. Hear young adults served by the workforce system talk about what they like most about their jobs and why they’re excited about their future in health care. Learn more.

October 11, 2011 ACF Awards $28 million to Improve Well-Being for Children in Child Welfare

HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced today the award of $28 million in grants to improve the social and emotional well-being of children involved with the child welfare system. The grants are designed to support effective interventions to build skills that contribute to the healthy, positive, and productive functioning of children and youth into adulthood. Learn more about the grantees.

October 04, 2011 Curriculum Teaches About Youth in Adult Corrections

"Youthful Offenders in Adult Corrections: Effective Interventions (Distance Learning Training Program: Videoconference Held September 15-19, 2003)," provides a research-based, practical curriculum that teaches principles and implementation of effective interventions for managing youthful offenders in an adult correctional environment. This 32-hour program was produced by the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Corrections (NIC). Learn more.

October 04, 2011 Bulletin Examines State Juvenile Transfer Laws

Produced by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP),"Trying Juveniles as Adults: An Analysis of State Transfer Laws and Reporting," is part of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report Series. This bulletin provides the latest overview of state transfer laws and practices and examines available state-level data on juveniles who are adjudicated in the criminal justice system. Read the bulletin (PDF, 28 pages).

October 04, 2011 Watch USICH Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees Webinar

On September 29, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) hosted a webinar, ‘Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees Webinar: Opening Doors and What it Means for Youth.’ USICH Deputy Director Jennifer Ho moderated a question and answer session with USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe, Lighthouse Youth Services President Bob Mecum, and two youths in Cincinnati who experienced homelessness. The discussion went into detail about strategies that work to end youth homelessness and steps that must be taken to make the goal of ending youth homelessness by 2020 a reality. Watch the webinar.

October 04, 2011 Exploring Youth-Driven Prevention Campaigns

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Domestic Violence Awareness Month BlogTalkRadio will present a live, interactive radio program, ‘Exploring Youth-Driven Prevention Campaigns.’ On this show, participants will learn about state-wide and local youth-driven violence prevention initiatives in Alaska and Florida. Funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s DELTA program, the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (ANDVSA) and the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), presenters will share strategies and lessons learned through the development and implementation of two positive campaigns to engage youth: Stand Up Speak Up! and I Am Courageous. This 30 minute program will highlight the challenges and rewards of promoting primary prevention messaging during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond. This program will take place October 11 at 3:00PM EDT. Register to attend.

October 04, 2011 Flexibility From No Child Left Behind

On Friday, September 23, President Obama and Secretary Duncan outlined how states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or No Child Left Behind. The flexibility comes in exchange for serious state-led efforts to close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate college and are career-ready. Learn what the new flexibility means for you.

October 04, 2011 U.S. ED's OSDFS Awards $15.2 Million in School Counseling Grants

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools awarded $15.2 million to 43 school districts in 19 states across the country to establish or expand counseling programs. Grantees will use funds to support counseling programs in target elementary or secondary schools. Specifically, the new awards will aid schools in hiring qualified mental-health professionals with the goal of expanding the range, availability, quantity and quality of counseling services. Parents of participating students will have input in the design and implementation of counseling services supported by these grants. Grantees also will use funds to help increase the number of available and qualified counselors based on a school's student population. Funds also may be used to support parental involvement, counselor and teacher professional development, and collaboration with community-based organizations that provide mental health and other services to students. View a complete list of grantees.

October 04, 2011 Department of Ed. Awards Grants to Strengthen Postsecondary Institutions and Build College Completion Culture

The U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $12.9 million to a total of 34 colleges and universities as part of the new set of Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grantees. SIP helps postsecondary schools to expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability of eligible institutions and build a framework to help students complete college. Learn more.

October 04, 2011 Administration Awards Nearly $500 Million to Community Colleges for Job Training and Workforce Development

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter announced nearly $500 million in grants to community colleges around the country for targeted training and workforce development to help economically dislocated workers who are changing careers. The grants support partnerships between community colleges and employers to develop programs that provide pathways to good jobs, including building instructional programs that meet specific industry needs. Learn more.

September 27, 2011 School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) announced the release of the School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. Developed in collaboration with nutrition and physical activity experts across the nation, the guidelines identify the most effective policies and practices schools can implement to help young people adopt and maintain healthy eating habits and a physically active lifestyle. The CDC synthesized research and best practices related to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in schools, culminating in nine guidelines. Collectively, the nine guidelinesserve as the foundation for developing, implementing, and evaluating school-based healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices for students. Learn more.

September 27, 2011 OSEP Releases Policy Clarifications for Students with Disabilities

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education issued a policy clarification document, “Creating Equal Opportunities for Children and Youth to Participate in Physical Education and Extracurricular Athletics.”This document is an official initial response by the Department of Education to the June 2010 U.S. Government Accountability Office report that found “despite legislation obligating states and schools to provide equal access, opportunities for physical activity are limited for children and youth with disabilities.” The report lays out the requirements that states and schools must follow in providing opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in athletics and physical education and contains a summary of suggestions for providing these kinds of opportunities to students with disabilities.

September 27, 2011 The Condition of Education 2011

The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the e-book version of “The Condition of Education 2011.” This report summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The e-book version will be available for free download for all e-readers. The epub file is for use with the iPad, Nook, and other non-Kindle devices. The mobi file is for use on the Kindle only. Access the e-book.

September 27, 2011 CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov

CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov, the website of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's Task Force on College Drinking, has an FAQ page dedicated to Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Its page for college parents includes resources such as, "What Parents Need to Know about College Drinking." Visit CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov.

September 27, 2011 NIDA For Teens

The National Institute for Drug Abuse's NIDA for Teens website has a wealth of resources to educate adolescents ages 11 through 15 on the science behind drug abuse. The site’s section for parents and teachers has information and lesson plans that help explain the physical effects of drug abuse to adolescents. Visit NIDA for Teens.

September 27, 2011 Facts about Alcohol and Adolescent Health

This document, produced by National Institutes for Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, addresses the complex cascade of biological, psychological, and developmental factors that interact with dynamic environmental influences, leading to behavior that may either move individuals toward or away from underage drinking. View the document (PDF, 3 pages).

September 27, 2011 Bulletin on Reducing Underage Drinking in the Air Force

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) released a bulletin, “Reducing Drinking Among Underage Air Force Members in Five Communities.” The bulletin describes the early findings of an evaluation of OJJDP’s Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) initiative in five Air Force communities. Authors compare rates of drinking in the five communities to comparison groups and to the Air Force overall. The bulletin is the first in a series OJJDP is producing on underage drinking, which will highlight the dangers of underage drinking and provide guidelines for policy and practice. Read the bulletin.

September 27, 2011 Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support at-Risk Youth

The Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) released a new report, “Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support at-Risk Youth.” The report provides a synthesis of the research on at-risk youth and how they are being served to promote future self-sufficiency. Authors review key concepts, theoretical perspectives, intervention approaches, and implications for conceptual frameworks. Read the report (PDF, 92 pages).

September 19, 2011 Blue Ribbon Schools Named

On September 15, Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan named 305 schools as “2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools.” The Blue Ribbon School program recognizes high-performing schools (schools, regardless of their students’ backgrounds, that rank among the state’s best performing as measured by state assessments [public] or that score at the highest performance level on nationally normed tests [private]) and improving schools (schools, with at least 40% of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds, that have reduced the achievement gap by improving performance to high levels, again as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests). Chief State School Officers nominate public schools and The Council for American Private Education nominates private schools. Of the schools nominated by each state, at least a third must have 40% or more of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and public schools must meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements, as defined by their states. All schools will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., November 14 and 15. The principal and a teacher will receive a Blue Ribbon School flag and plaque. Learn more.

September 19, 2011 Interventions for Disruptive Behavior Disorders Evidence-Based Practices Kit

Newly released from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Interventions for Disruptive Behavior Disorders Evidence-Based Practices KitIncludes tools to assist in developing mental health programs that help prevent or reduce severe aggressive behavioral, emotional, and developmental problems in children by enhancing the knowledge of parents, caregivers, and providers. The kit is comprised of six booklets.

September 19, 2011 Office of Justice Programs Announces $19 million in Block Grant Awards to Enforce Underage Drinking Laws

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has announced block grant awards of more than $19 million to 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia to enforce state and local underage drinking laws. The awards are made through the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) program, which supports activities in law enforcement, public education programs, and innovative methods for reaching youth. The awards support a wide range of activities, including a strong emphasis on compliance checks of retail alcohol outlets to reduce sales to minors, crackdowns on false identification, programs to reduce older youth or adults from providing alcohol to minors, “party patrols” to prevent access to alcohol at large youth gatherings, and “cops in shops” to deter minors’ attempts to purchase alcohol. Learn more.

September 19, 2011 SAMHSA'S National Drug Survey Shows Rise in Illicit Drug Use Between 2008-2010

The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010, according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 22.6 million Americans age 12 or older (8.9 percent of the population) were current illicit drug users. Among 12- to 17-year-olds, 7.4 percent said they had used marijuana in the previous month in 2010, about the same percentage as 2009. Another disturbing trend is the continuing rise in the rate of current illicit drug use among young adults age 18 to 25—from 19.6 percent in 2008 to 21.2 percent in 2009 and 21.5 percent in 2010. View the complete survey findings.

September 19, 2011 Resources on the Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center Website

The Safe and Supportive Schools (S3) web site, funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, includes content to assist teachers, administrators, families, and students in improving conditions for learning in the areas of student health and safety. View the website to access technical assistance, tools and resources, and research findings. Visit the site.

September 19, 2011 New Report Focuses on America's Ninth Graders

A new report from the National Center of Education Statistics, a center within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, features initial findings from the base year of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. The study, which began in the fall of 2009, involves a nationally representative cohort of ninth graders who will be followed through postsecondary education and the world of work. The surveys focus on students’ transitions into and out of high school, especially their decisions about courses, postsecondary education, and careers generally and specifically in math and science. This First Look report highlights data provided by students’ parents, teachers, school counselors, and school administrators and provides insight into ninth-graders’ experiences at home and in school. Read the report.

September 19, 2011 New Child Welfare Issue Brief Available: Supporting Parents with Mental Health Needs in Systems of Care

A new child welfare issue brief, “Supporting Parents with Mental Health Needs in Systems of Care,” is now available from the Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health. This study of community-based system of care sites was conducted to learn about efforts to assess parents’ mental health needs, effectively engage and support them, and improve system coordination and access to services. This issue brief is intended to inform system reform in child welfare and mental health, as well the child and adult service systems. This project was conducted for the Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health by Dr. Barbara Friesen, Portland State University, with the support of Dr. Joanne Nicholson, University of Massachusetts, and Ms. Judith Katz-Leavy, former policy advisor for Children’s Mental Health, Center for Mental Health Services. The study was possible with support from the Children’s Bureau and the Child, Adolescent, and Family Branch of the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration through an interagency agreement. Learn more.

September 13, 2011 A Focus on Trauma-informed Care

A new resource from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youthprovides an introduction to trauma-informed care, an approach that asks, "What’s happened to you?" rather than, "What's wrong with you?" Learn more.

September 13, 2011 Report on Tribal Youth in the Federal Justice System Now Online

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ report “Tribal Youth in the Federal Justice System,” is now available online. The report describes findings from a study that explored issues surrounding American Indian youth who are processed in the federal justice system, using data from the Federal Justice Statistics Program collected between 1999 and 2008 and interviews with tribal and federal officials. The report discusses the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of these youth at each stage of the justice system. Read the report (PDF, 204 pages).

September 13, 2011 2010 School Health Profiles Survey Results

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) announced the release of a new report on the 2010 School Health Profiles survey results. The report ,“School Health Profiles 2010: Characteristics of Health Programs Among Secondary Schools in Selected U.S. Sites,” includes results from surveys conducted in 49 states, 19 large urban school districts, five territories, and two tribal governments that obtained weighted data. The profiles surveys have been conducted every two years since 1996 by education and health agencies among middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers. Read the report (PDF, 202 pages).

September 06, 2011 The Youth Demonstration Development Project: Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support At-Risk Youth

This report highlights what is known broadly about the needs, circumstances, and outcomes for at-risk youth, theoretical perspectives and intervention approaches to serve these youth, including the risk/resilience and capital development frameworks, and Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs that serve at-risk youth. The report also discusses implications of the research for the development of a conceptual framework for serving at-risk youth. The Youth Demonstration Development Project is being conducted for ACF by Mathematica Policy Research and its subcontractors Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Public/Private Ventures. View the report.

September 06, 2011 Evaluation of the Massachusetts Adolescent Outreach Program for Youths in Intensive Foster Care: Final Report

This report presents final process and impact study findings from one of four programs evaluated as part of the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs. Impact findings were based on a two-year follow-up of youth in intensive foster care in Massachusetts who participated in a random assignment evaluation of the Adolescent Outreach Program. The Adolescent Outreach Program provides specialized Outreach workers with a limited caseload who meet with youth once a week to help with a variety of tasks such as obtaining their driver’s license, applying for college, and gaining employment. The evaluation was conducted for HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) by the Urban Institute. View the report.

September 06, 2011 International Conference on Child/Family Maltreatment Announced

On January 23-26, 2012, DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Chadwick Center for Children and Families will sponsor the 26th annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment. Conference sessions will help professionals develop and enhance skills required to recognize, assess, prevent, and treat all forms of child and family maltreatment. Learn more and register.

September 06, 2011 Second Annual National Drug Facts Week, October 31 Through November 6, 2011

Teens and drug experts will connect for the second annual National Drug Facts Week, held October 31 through November 6. This week-long observance will bring together teens and scientific experts in community events across the country to discuss scientific facts about drug abuse. It is sponsored by the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). National Drug Facts Week encourages community-based question and answer sessions between teens and scientists. Events can be sponsored by a variety of organizations including schools, community groups, sports clubs, book clubs, and local hospitals. NIDA provides an online toolkit that advises teens and their sponsoring organizations on to how create an event, how to publicize it, how to find a scientific expert, and where to find scientific information on drugs. Learn more.

September 06, 2011 Department of Education's Publications on Disability Information

Over the past several years, the Department of Education has produced a variety of free publications in the area of students with disabilities, employment, and civil rights. These publications are currently available to order from the ED Pubs website. Order publications.

September 06, 2011 White House Wants Your Ideas for Disability Group Calls

Each month, White House staff who work on disability-related policies host a public, live-captioned conference call to keep the public better informed about important developments on many different disability issues. These calls also connect the public to leaders in the federal government who work on these issues. Over the past several months, monthly conference calls have featured discussions on accessibility, employment, education, technology, emergency preparedness, transportation, healthcare, and the federal budget. The White House is now offering the opportunity for citizens to suggest topics they would like discussed during these calls, as well as the federal officials they would like to hear from on these subjects. Submit your ideas.

August 29, 2011 National Service Agency Announces 2012 AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities

On August 25, 2011, The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) kicked off its 2012 AmeriCorps grant competition by releasing three funding notices for organizations interested in using national service as a solution to critical problems facing our communities and the nation. The grant competition carries out the goals of the bipartisan 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the agency’s 2011-2015 Strategic Plan to achieve greater impact by targeting resources on a core set of challenges and using performance measures to assess and demonstrate impact. The 2012 competition will target AmeriCorps grantmaking on the six national focus areas identified in the Serve America Act and the agency’s five-year strategic plan: disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families. To maximize its return on investment, CNCS is seeking to fund programs that use an evidence-based approach to meeting community needs. Public or private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and other community organizations, institutions of higher education, government entities within states or territories, labor organizations, Indian Tribes, partnerships and consortia, and intermediaries planning to subgrant funds awarded are eligible to apply. Organizations that have never received funding from CNCS or AmeriCorps are encouraged to apply for these grants. Applications are due January 18, 2012 and will be notified by May 31, 2012. Learn more and apply (PDF, 65 pages).

August 29, 2011 Rural and Tribal Youth Discuss Education Through Their Eyes

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan met with delegates from YouthBuild USA Rural and Tribal Initiative as part of an ongoing Student Voices series, in which Duncan meets with students from around the country. YouthBuild USA is a program that assists low-income students in rebuilding their lives and communities by helping them get their high school diploma or GED while working full time. This particular meeting with Secretary Duncan focused on learning from rural and tribal youth about their experience and how the Department of Education’s policies can better help them achieve their potential. Learn more.

August 29, 2011 HHS Awards $40 Million in Grants to Sign Up Children for Health Coverage

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced $40 million in grants for efforts to identify and enroll children eligible for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Grants were awarded to 39 state agencies, community health centers, school-based organizations and nonprofit groups in 23 states. The two-year grants are authorized under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009. Learn more.

August 29, 2011 HHS's National Institutes of Health (NIH) Announces National Children's Study Upgrading Data Gathering Analysis

The National Children’s Study is a multi-site research study, being conducted by NIH, which is focused on examining the effects of environment and genetics on the growth, development and health of children across the United States, from pre-conception to age 21. The study is now changing its approach to informatics: the science of classifying, cataloging, storing, analyzing, and retrieving information. The new approach, termed facilitated decentralization, seeks to test a variety of different yet compatible information systems to identify those that will best meet the needs of the study. Study officials invite interested researchers in the federal government and in research institutions to collaborate on new informatics components to be integrated into the study’s main informatics system. Learn more about collaborating in the study’s new facilitated decentralization approach (PDF, 35 pages).

August 29, 2011 HHS's Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) Encourages Regular Physicals for Youth

As students prepare for the school year, OAH is encouraging parents to schedule adolescents' annual physical check-ups, which will not only ready them for athletic activities, but will help screen for any conditions that may have emerged in the prior year. Also, August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Check to see whether immunizations (also known as vaccines) are up-to-date and ensure teens are on track for a healthy school year and beyond. View youth vaccination schedule.

August 23, 2011 USA.gov Back to School Page

The federal government’s web portal, USA.gov, has a Back to School landing page, with resources and tips to help students, parents, and educators prepare for the new school year. View the page.

August 23, 2011 No Child Left Behind Flexibility Package

With the new school year fast approaching and still no bill to reform the No Child Left Behind Act, President Obama directed his Administration to provide a process for states to seek relief from key provisions of the education law. All states are encouraged to apply for the flexibility package, but those that do not will have to comply with No Child Left Behind’srequirements until Congress enacts a new law. The flexibility package reflects similar goals of the Administration’s Blueprint for reauthorizing No Child Left Behind, which include college- and career-ready standards, more great teachers and leaders, robust use of data, and a more flexible and targeted accountability system. View the Administration’s Blue Print for Reform.

August 23, 2011 Department of Defense Sets Rules for Schools Receiving Tuition Assistance

To protect the interests of service members and to facilitate the achievement of their educational goals, the Department of Defense has established a new policy, effective January 1, 2012, under which all schools participating in the Tuition Assistance (TA) Program must have a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department. Schools began the process of signing the MOU in July 2011. Learn more.

August 23, 2011 OJJDP Releases Bulletin on Underage Drinking

The Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) released "Reducing Underage Drinking Among Air Force Members in Five Communities.” This bulletin describes the findings of an evaluation of OJJDP's Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws initiative in five Air Force communities. The bulletin is the first in a series that OJJDP is producing on underage drinking, which will highlight the dangers involved and provide guidelines for policy and practice. View the bulletin (PDF, 12 pages).

August 16, 2011 Grants Awarded to Help Low-Income Students Participate in Advanced Placement Courses

The U.S. Department of Education announced that 12 states and local school districts will receive Advanced Placement Incentives Program grants to help low-income students have greater access to advanced placement courses and to succeed in those courses. The Department of Education will award a total of $6.6 million for 2011. These competitive grants are awarded to promising programs, which will help increase student access to rigorous courses in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. All of the grants include at least one persistently lowest-achieving school. Learn more.

August 16, 2011 Department of Education Awards Over $5 Million to 19 Special Education Parent Centers

The U.S. Department of Education announced the award of more than $5 million in grants to operate 19 special education Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers in 13 states and Puerto Rico. PTI Centers provide parents with the training and information they need to work with special education professionals in meeting the early intervention and special needs of children with disabilities. Many PTI Centers work closely with state and local school systems to engage parents in working collaboratively to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. With the new grants, the Department now funds 91 information centers for parents of students with disabilities. Learn more.

August 16, 2011 New Adoption and Foster Care Statistics

HHS’s Administration for Children and Families’s Children’s Bureau published new Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data. AFCARS collects case level information on all children in foster care for whom state child welfare agencies have responsibility for placement, care, or supervision and on children who are adopted under the auspices of the state's public child welfare agency. The new data includes information on trends in foster care and adoption, state-specific adoption statistics, adoptions of children with public child welfare agency involvement by state, and children in public foster care on September 30 of each year who are waiting to be adopted. View the statistics.

August 16, 2011 College Preparation Checklist

This checklist, developed by the Department of Education, is for students of all ages who haven't attended college or trade school, and parents of students in elementary and secondary school. It includes a “to do" list, starting with elementary school, to help students prepare academically and financially for education beyond high school. View the checklist (PDF, 28 pages).

August 8, 2011 Uniform Graduation Rate Reporting to be Implemented

This summer, states will begin reporting high school graduation rates for the 2010-11 school year using a more rigorous four-year adjusted cohort, as developed by the nation’s governors in 2005. Since data reporting requirements were first implemented under No Child Left Behind, states have calculated graduation rates using varying methods, creating inconsistent data from one state to the next. The transition to a uniform high graduation rate requires all states to report the number of students who graduate in four years with a standard high school diploma, divided by the number of students who entered high school four years earlier, and accounting for student transfers in and out of school. States may also opt to use an extended-year adjusted cohort, allowing states, districts, and schools to account for students who complete high school in more than four years. In addition, schools must maintain documentation for students who have transferred. States will continue to report graduation rates at the state, district, and school levels, including rates for subgroups of students. The Department anticipates that the more rigorous method will result in lower reported graduation rates, but it will reflect a more accurate calculation of how many U.S. students complete high school. Learn more.

August 8, 2011 National Service Agency Announces Results of 2011 Social Innovation Fund Grant Competition

The Corporation for National and Community Service announced that five new intermediaries will be receiving grants from the Social Innovation Fund. Like the eleven organizations selected last year, these five outstanding organizations represent experienced grant makers with strong track records of success who have proposed compelling, innovative programs to tackle some of our country’s biggest challenges in our most needy areas. The five awards total $13.9 million and will fund the initial two years of each grant, which address challenges in the critical areas of affordable housing, homelessness, obesity, early education and literacy. Because the Social Innovation Fund requires that each federal dollar granted be matched dollar for dollar by the intermediaries and again by the organizations they select for grants, these federal grants will leverage $35.4 million in private funds. Together, that means a total of $49.3 million will support the growth of innovative nonprofits serving people and communities in need. Learn more.

August 8, 2011 Data on College Graduates in the First Year After College

A report released by the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, “2008–09 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study: A First Look at Recent College Graduates,” describes the enrollment and employment experiences of a national sample of college graduates one year after their 2007-08 graduation. Data presented include enrollment, time to degree, education financing, post-baccalaureate enrollment, student loan repayment, and employment, particularly employment in teaching. Read the report (PDF, 63 pages).

August 8, 2011 Grant Funds for Students with Disabilities

Disability.gov would like students with disabilities to be aware that grant funds are available for students attending colleges, career schools, and universities. On the Disability.gov website, enter the word ‘disability’ in the search to find scholarships that are specifically for students with disabilities or you can just search for a field of study or major. Visit the website and search for scholarships.

August 8, 2011 The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has published a new brochure for public education, titled “The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction.” This brochure describes changes in the brain that occur during the teen years and the significance of this stage of development. View the brochure (PDF, 10 pages).

August 1, 2011 New Report Focuses on How Graduate and First-Professional Students Pay for Their Education

Released by The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics, “Graduate and First-Professional Students: Who They Are and How They Pay for Their Education: 2007-08,” focuses on the types of programs in which graduate and first-professional students enroll, costs associated with those programs, and how those costs are financed via aid and work. This report uses data from the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, a nationally representative study of graduate and first-professional students, and includes information about students’ demographic and enrollment characteristics, their education and work experiences, costs associated with graduate study, and how those costs are met. This survey is the primary source of data used by the federal government (and others) to analyze student financial aid information and to inform public policy on federal aid policy, such as Stafford or graduate PLUS loans. Read the report.

August 1, 2011 New Tables Available on Enrollment Experiences of First-time Beginning Postsecondary Students

The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics has released new tables with data about student enrollment experiences. The web tables, “Six-Year Attainment, Persistence, Transfer, Retention, and Withdrawal Rates of Students Who Began Postsecondary Education in 2003-2004,” present data on the enrollment experiences of a nationally representative sample of 2003–2004 first-time postsecondary students over a period of six academic years, from 2003–2004 to 2008–2009. Tables include students’ certificate or degree attainment and persistence at their first institution and at any institution, withdrawal from both first institution and from postsecondary education without a degree or certificate, characteristics of first transfer among students who transferred, and four, five, and six year bachelor’s degree completion rates. Results are shown by students’ demographics, enrollment characteristics, and persistence risk factors. Read the report.

August 1, 2011 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder Announce Launch of Supportive School Discipline Initiative

On July 21, 2011 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder announced the launch of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, a collaborative project between the Departments of Justice and Education that will address the “school-to-prison pipeline” and the disciplinary policies and practices that can push students out of school and into the justice system. The initiative aims to support good discipline practices to foster safe and productive learning environments in every classroom. The goals of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative are to build consensus for action among federal, state and local education and justice stakeholders, collaborate on research and data collection that may be needed to inform this work, such as evaluations of alternative disciplinary policies and interventions, develop guidance to ensure that school discipline policies and practices comply with the nation’s civil rights laws and to promote positive disciplinary options to both keep kids in school and improve the climate for learning, and promote awareness and knowledge about evidence-based and promising policies and practices among state judicial and education leadership. Learn more.

August 1, 2011 National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) Launches Blog

Shortly after the redesign of its website, NICHCY, which is funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, unveiled its new NICHCY Blog. Recent posts discuss how to maintain quality services on a “no-money” budget and how parents and teachers can partner to create an inclusive classroom. NICHCY provides information on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other laws as they relate to children with disabilities and effective educational practices. The organization specifically focuses on children and youth from birth to age 22. Visit the blog.

August 1, 2011 Serving Children with Disabilities Placed by Their Parents in Private Schools

The Department of Education has released a Q&A document that discusses to which services children with disabilities are entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when they are placed in private schools by their parents. Topics include services, transportation, equipment, supplies, and home schooling for children with disabilities. Read the document.

July 26, 2011 Attorney General Holder and Secretary Duncan Announce Supportive School Discipline Initiative

On July 21, 2011, at the quarterly meeting of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in Washington, DC, Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the creation of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative. The Initiative is a collaboration between the two agencies that hopes to target the school disciplinary policies and in-school arrests that push youth out of school and into the justice system, also known as the school-to-prison pipeline. Read the press release.

July 26, 2011 Professional Development Videos for Youth Workers

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth has released the first in their new video series, entitled “What’s Your Elevator Speech?” In this video series, they asked youth workers to give their best pitches telling viewers what their organization does to help youth--and why viewers should support it. Watch Mike Martin of Diogenes Youth Services and Cindy Williams of Loving Arms, Inc demonstrate their elevator speeches.

July 26, 2011 Youth Speak Out: Shared Experiences Help Rural Youth Leaders Connect

In a new podcast from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, three young men discuss how their past experiences as runaway and foster youth inform their current work with the programs that helped them. Listen to the podcast.

July 26, 2011 Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking

Released by HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this report presents statistics on the nature and extent of underage drinking. It also discusses the role of the Federal government in preventing and reducing underage drinking and reports on state policies, enforcement activities, and prevention programs underway to address the problem. Read the report (PDF, 457 pages).

July 26, 2011 DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Updates Statistical Briefing

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) online Statistical Briefing Book (SBB) offers easy access to a wealth of information about juvenile crime and victimization and about youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Developed for OJJDP by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, the SBB provides timely and reliable answers to questions OJJDP most frequently receives from media, policymakers, and the general public. The SBB was recently updated with the latest available data on juvenile court statistics, the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement, the National Disproportionate Minority Contact Databook, child maltreatment, state and county juvenile court case counts, and more. Review the Statistical Briefing Book.

July 26, 2011 DOJ's Drug Enforcement Administration Releases Resources to Help Keep Teens Drug Free

Increasing numbers of teens are using prescription and over-the-counter medications to get high. Many parents don’t know enough about this problem, and many teens don’t understand the dangers. The Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has developed two resources for parents. Along with their Get Smart About Drugs website, they have published “Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Abuse Medicine.” This full-color guide helps parents to understand and identify the current medications teens are using. An invaluable resource for parents, “Prescription for Disaster,” presents prescription drug basics and includes information about commonly abused drugs, the internet, drugs and teens, DEA’s role, and additional resources, such as websites, to find the truth about drugs. The publication lists steps parents can take to keep their teens drug free, and more. Visit GetSmartAboutDrugs and read “Prescription for Disaster” (PDF, 52, pages).

July 26, 2011 Secretary Duncan Encourages Youth to Read, Learn, and Stay Fit

Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, recently joined Attorney General Eric Holder, Miss America 2011, and NBA Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to address youth through the “Let’s Read. Let’s Move” campaign. In an effort to combat childhood obesity and summer learning loss, the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice are addressing young audiences throughout the nation to encourage youth to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and asks students to continue to read and learn over the summer. “Let’s Read. Let’s Move” is one part of the Obama Administration’s United We Serve summer service initiative, which encourages all Americans to make service and learning a daily priority. Learn more.

July 26, 2011 New Child Identity Theft Article Available

"Stolen Futures: A Snapshot of Child Identity Theft,” a new article that illustrates the issue of child identity theft and identifies key challenges, has been released by the DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). The article was written by Jaimee Napp and Bethany Case, OVC visiting fellows and specialists in financial fraud and child abuse, respectively. Read the article (PDF, 2 pages).

July 26, 2011 OJJDP Bulletin Highlights Juvenile Residential Facility Census Data

DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) published “Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2008: Selected Findings.” This bulletin, part of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report series, summarizes 2008 data from the biannual Juvenile Residential Facility Census, which collects information about the facilities in which juvenile offenders are held. Read the bulletin (PDF, 12 pages).

July 18, 2011 Impulsiveness and the Risk of Suicide Attempts: New Study

A recent study, done by HHS’s SAMHSA’s partner Suicide Prevention Resource Center, found that one aspect of impulsivity, urgency, was associated with a higher risk of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. However, only a lack of premeditation (another aspect of impulsiveness) distinguished young people who reported that they had suffered suicidal ideation and had attempted suicide from young people who reported ideation, but had not attempted suicide. The authors suggest that their findings revealed the importance of using screening tools that can differentiate among several aspects of impulsivity rather than tools that measure impulsivity as a single trait. The research was designed to explore the widely held belief that impulsive people are more likely to attempt suicide than others. The study was performed with two groups: 2,500 military recruits (average age 20), who were asked to complete questionnaires that assessed their history of suicidal ideation and attempts, as well as their impulsivity, using a uni-dimensional definition for impulsivity, and 1,700 college and high school students who were asked to complete the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and were assessed on personality traits associated with impulsivity. Read the abstract.

July 18, 2011 U.S. Ed's Office of Innovation and Improvement Announces Promise Neighborhoods Program: Implementation and Planning Grant Competitions

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement Announces FY 2011 Applications for New Awards: Promise Neighborhoods Program--Implementation Grant Competition--CFDA Number 84.215N (Implementation grants). Applications are also available for Promise Neighborhoods Program Planning Grants see CFDA Number 84.215P. The Promise Neighborhoods program is carried out under the legislative authority of the Fund for Improvement of Education (FIE). FIE supports nationally significant programs to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education at the State and local levels and to help all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards. The purpose of the Promise Neighborhoods program is to significantly improve the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in our most distressed communities. Deadline for notice of intent to apply is July 22, 2011 and deadline for applications is September 6, 2011. Learn more.

July 18, 2011 Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) Class Highlighted in Department of Education's Success Stories Publication

A new article highlights how the Lincoln County School District in Oregon developed a Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) class for high school students that trains teens in disaster preparedness and response skills and awards school credit for participation. The article appears in the latest version of “Success Stories,” a series prepared by the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and the REMS TA Center. Success Stories offer brief profiles of specific activities, tools, or strategies developed or utilized by school districts or institutions of higher education that have been successful for schools or colleges across the country, and could be replicated by other sites. Read the article (PDF, 2 pages).

July 18, 2011 Short Report Released on Public Health Nursing Early Intervention Program for Adolescent Mothers

A review by HHS’s Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) has determined that the Public Health Nursing Early Intervention Program (EIP) for Adolescent Mothers meets the Department of Health and Human Services criteria for an "evidence-based early childhood home visiting service delivery model," because there is at least one high- or moderate-quality impact study with favorable, statistically significant impacts in at least two of the eight HomVEE outcome domains. At least one of the impacts is from a randomized controlled trial and has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. At least one of the impacts was sustained for at least one year after program enrollment. HomVEE has developed a short report that provides summary information about the program model, research on evidence of effectiveness, and model developer contact information. Read the report (PDF, 3 pages).

July 18, 2011 National Resource Center for Youth Development Releases Toolkits

The National Resource Center for Youth Development (NRCYD) has released new youth toolkits. The toolkits cover multiple youth engagement and leadership topics such as public speaking, strategic sharing, and focus groups. View the toolkits.

July 18, 2011 Federal Report Shows Drop in Adolescent Birth Rate

According to the new report “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2011,” the adolescent birth rate declined for the second consecutive year, preterm births declined for the third consecutive year, adolescent injury deaths declined, and fewer 12th graders binge drank, according to the federal government's annual statistical report on the well-being of the nation's children and youth. However, a higher proportion of 8th graders used illicit drugs, more children were likely to live in poverty, and fewer children were likely to live with at least one parent working year round, full time. The report was compiled by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, a working group of 22 federal agencies that collect, analyze, and convey data on issues related to children and families. The report uses the most recently available major federal statistics on children and youth to measure family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health. Read the report (PDF, 223 pages).

July 14, 2011 FindYouthInfo.gov YouTube Channel Now Live

The FindYouthInfo.gov YouTube channel is now live. The channel includes both video from the FindYouthInfo.gov in addition to video from the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs. The channel is also providing curated playlists of the best videos from across Federal agencies, collected into topic-related playlists that could be useful to visitors who want to explore a topic in-depth. View the channel.

July 14, 2011 Department of Education Releases College Cost Lists

The Department of Education released several college affordability and transparency lists as part of its effort to help students make informed decisions about their choice for higher education. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 called for these lists to be created by July 1, 2011. Under the requirements, six lists will be created. Three lists will focus on tuition and fees, while three lists will look at the institution’s “average net price,” which is the average price of attendance that is paid by full-time students after grants and scholarships are accounted for. Each list is broken out into nine different sectors, to allow students to compare costs at similar types of institutions. In addition, users can look up information on the prices of career and technical programs. Learn more.

July 14, 2011 DOJ's OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Seeks Presenters for National Conference

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) calls for poster and media presentations for its upcoming national conference, “Children’s Justice and Safety: Unite, Build, Lead.” The conference will be held on October 12–14, 2011, at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. The poster session will feature visual presentations of recent program initiatives, research findings, and other information of interest and importance to the juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, and victimization communities. The media room will feature audiovisual materials (including TV and/or Internet-based PSAs, news segments, and training videos) from OJJDP-funded initiatives and programs. Submissions must be post-marked August 15, 2011. Apply to participate in the poster sessions (PDF, 4 pages) or apply to participate in the media room (PDF, 3 pages).

July 14, 2011 U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program Sponsoring Cyber-bullying Webinar: July 29

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program is sponsoring a webinar on Cyber-Bullying on Friday, July 29, 2011, 2:00PM-3:00PM EDT. This webinar will feature Andrew Yeager, a New Jersey state certified School Psychologist and Student Assistance Coordinator, and Lieutenant Joe Rampolla, a law enforcement officer who teaches for the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. This webinar will detail the current trends in cyber-bullying, harassment and victimization, particularly as they relate to adolescent

Development, explore how the blending of technology and adolescent development creates a potent and dangerous combination, leading to excessive risk-taking and the inability to control impulses and foresee consequences, and discuss intervention strategies for law enforcement, school officials, parents, and students. Learn more and register.

July 14, 2011 U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Rights of Students with Disabilities When Educational Institutions Use Technology

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance through Dear Colleague Letters to elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education along with a Frequently Asked Questions document on the legal obligation to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of technology. This guidance is a critical step in the Department's ongoing efforts to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to the educational benefits and services provided by their schools, colleges and universities. All students, including those with disabilities, must have the tools needed to obtain a world-class education that prepares them for success in college and careers. Read the press release.

July 14, 2011 DOL's Employment and Training Administration Issues an Advisory Notice on Workforce Investment Youth Program Guidance for Program Year 2011

Employment and Training Administration released Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 30-10, to provide guidance for use of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Funded activities in Program Year (PY) 2011. This PY 2011 guidance builds on aspects of the PY 2010 guidance, found in TEGL No. 27-09, and continues to emphasize the connection between work experience, training, earning of credentials, and success in the workplace. Read the TEGL (PDF, 20 pages).

July 14, 2011 DOL's Employment and Training Administration Issues an Advisory Notice on Increasing Enrollment and Improving Services to Youth with Disabilities

The Employment and Training Administration released Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 31-10 to provide information and resources on promising practices and successful strategies that promote the enrollment, education, training and employment outcomes of youth with disabilities. Read the TEGL (PDF, 15 pages).

July 14, 2011 Fiscal Year 2010 SYNAR Reports: Youth Tobacco Sales

This publication from SAMSHA reviews trends in sales of tobacco to minors, and the success of state compliance with the Synar Amendment requiring enforcement of youth tobacco access laws. It also stresses comprehensive strategies as most effective in reducing youth access to tobacco products. Read the report (PDF, 6 pages).

July 05, 2011 Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Releases First Look Report on Students with Disabilities at Post-Secondary Institution

During the 12-month 2008–2009 academic year, 88 percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions reported enrolling students with disabilities. "Students with Disabilities at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions, a First Look" from the Postsecondary Education Quick Information System provides national data about students with disabilities, the services and accommodations provided to these students, how institutions identify students with disabilities and track their enrollment, institutional policies regarding disabled students, and various aspects of institutional accessibility. Read the report (PDF, 63 pages).

June 28, 2011 OJJDP's Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Program (EUDL) to Hold Youth Track at August Conference

At the EUDL National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel on August 10–12, youth participants between the ages of 15 and 18 will convene to participate in the Conference's Youth Track. The youth program agenda, designed to champion the prevention of underage drinking, is youth-led with the assistance of our National Youth Council and input from youth from all over the country. As participants, presenters and youth ambassadors, the youth will lead conversations, coordinate activities and develop action plans to encourage their peers back home to support stronger and healthier environments by preventing youth access to alcohol and help inform their adult allies by broadening their understanding of the problem. Learn more.

June 28, 2011 SAMHSA Releases "Proud to be In Control of Me — Above the Influence" Poster

Part of a substance abuse prevention campaign, the free poster showcases a teen's artwork that sends a message of empowerment to youth to be in control of their choices in order to rise above the influence of drugs and alcohol. View and order the poster.

June 28, 2011 The National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council Releases the National Prevention and Health Promotions Strategy

Members of the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, including Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske, as well as Sen. Tom Harkin and Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, recently announced the release of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. The strategy includes "Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use" as one of its major priorities and highlights the Drug-Free Communities Support Program as a community based program that has successfully reduced alcohol, tobacco and drug use rates among youth. CADCA has worked since the beginning of the legislative process to ensure that substance use/abuse prevention is adequately and appropriately included in healthcare reform, as well as in the strategy. Learn more.

June 28, 2011 Research from HHS' NIH Partner Finds Chicago Public School System Early Childhood Program has Enduring Benefits

The longest study of its kind, the Child-Parent Centers (CPC) program in the Chicago Public School System shows that an early education program for children from low-income families provides benefits that last well into adulthood. Established in 1967, it provides intensive instruction in reading and math from pre-kindergarten through third grade, along with frequent educational field trips. The children's parents receive job skills training, parenting skills training, educational classes and social services. They volunteer in their children's classrooms, help with field trips and attend parenting support groups. The latest analysis, led by Dr. Arthur J. Reynolds and Dr. Judy A. Temple of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, examined the outcomes of the program up to age 28. The study included almost 1,000 children enrolled in CPCs and 550 in alternative early childhood education programs for comparison. The work was funded by NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and others. The researchers reported that children who participated in CPCs attained a higher level of education, income, socioeconomic status and health insurance coverage than the comparison children. The CPC participants also had lower rates of justice-system involvement and substance abuse. Relative to the comparison group, CPC preschool participants had a 22% lower rate of felony arrest, a 28% lower rate of incarceration and substance abuse, and a 20% higher level of moderate or better socioeconomic status (a composite of income and education).Extended participation to second or third grade (4 to 6 years total) was linked to higher levels of education and socioeconomic status when compared to lesser participation (up to 3 years). The most consistent and enduring outcomes, the researchers found, were for preschool participants starting the program at ages 3 or 4. Males and children of high school dropouts particularly benefitted. Learn more.

June 24, 2011 High School Grads With Disabilities Complete Internship Program

Office of Disability Employment Policy Assistant Secretary Kathy Martinez, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Special Assistant to the President on Disability Policy Kareem Dale delivered commencement remarks for 25 District of Columbia Public Schools high school seniors with disabilities who participated in Project Search. The program is administered by D.C. Public Schools, the D.C. Department of Disability Services, the D.C. Rehabilitation Services Administration, and the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. The students worked as interns at the three federal departments, dividing their time among classroom study, office tasks, developing job-ready skills and learning workplace etiquette. "This graduation day would not have arrived without the hard work of the students, their dedicated teachers and job coaches, our committed parents and other family members, and the efforts of our partners," said Martinez. View slideshow of photos.

June 24, 2011 HHS' HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau's School-Based Comprehensive Oral Health Services (SBCOHS) Grant Program

The purpose of the program is to implement comprehensive oral health services within existing school-based health centers (SBHCs).The funded MCHB-SBCOHs projects will demonstrate effective ways to strengthen existing SBHC's capacity to respond to oral health needs of young people and increase access to dental health education and services for underserved, high-risk populations, including children and youth enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Twelve awards up to $200,000 are available in the total amount of $2,400,000. Eligibility includes, but is not limited to, an established SBHC that serves early childhood and elementary/middle-school aged children with the greatest need for high-quality oral health education, preventive and restorative services. Any public or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal organization, is also eligible to apply. The deadline for application is July 15, 2011. Learn more.

June 24, 2011 OJJDP Factsheet Highlights Findings From the 2009 Youth Gang Survey

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) published, "Highlights of the 2009 National Youth Gang Survey." This fact sheet presents findings from the National Gang Center’s 2009 National Youth Gang Survey, which collects data from a large, representative sample of local law enforcement agencies to monitor the size and scope of the national gang problem. The fact sheet discusses the prevalence of gangs in the U.S., rates of gang activity and gang homicides, and factors that may influence gang violence. View the factsheet (PDF, 4 pages) or order print copies online.

June 24, 2011 Letter Issued to Schools and State Departments of Education Alerting Them to Their Obligations to LGBT Students

On June 14, 2011, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to Schools and State Departments of Education alerting them to their obligations under Title IX to protect LGBT students from sexual harassment and gender-based harassment resulting from sex stereotypes. Read the letter.

June 24, 2011 Publication Assists Drug Endangered Children

"Promising Practices Toolkit: Working With Drug Endangered Children and Their Families” was developed by the Federal Interagency Task Force on Drug Endangered Children. The Task Force is committed to identifying ways to better serve and protect drug endangered children by building partnerships on the federal, state, tribal, and local levels. View the toolkit (PDF, 27 pages).

June 24, 2011 New Research Released Concerning Foster Care Environments

New research from the National Runaway Switchboard suggests that youth who have had multiple foster care placements are more likely to run away from their homes than youth who have been placed once in a foster care setting. Read the report (PDF, 61 pages).

June 15, 2011 AmeriCorps Grants Will Place 50,000 Members Across U.S. to Drive Impact on Critical Challenges

$216 Million to Support Organizations Using Service as a Solution to Social and Economic Problems

New Orleans, La. -- As thousands of service leaders and social entrepreneurs wrapped up the 2011 National Conference on Volunteering and Service here today, Corporation for National and Community Service Acting CEO Robert Velasco announced $216 million in AmeriCorps grants to strengthen the impact of more than 300 organizations across the country in tackling the most pressing challenges facing communities and the nation.

The grants will support 50,000 new AmeriCorps members who will serve from coast to coast, strengthening education, providing disaster services, assisting veterans and military families, preserving the environment, expanding health services, and fostering economic opportunity.

The grants carry out the vision of the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the agency’s 2011-2015 Strategic Plan by driving towards greater impact on key challenges in communities and the nation. The grants target resources on a core set of critical problems and use standardized performance measures to evaluate success. A complete list of grants is available by clicking here.

“At a time of great human need, AmeriCorps members are serving millions of our most vulnerable citizens and having a positive and lasting impact on the toughest challenges facing our nation,” said Robert Velasco, II, Acting CEO of CNCS. “AmeriCorps members and the millions of volunteers they mobilize are a vital resource to help local leaders meet immediate community needs and make a lasting difference.”

The grants will go to a wide range of national and local nonprofit organizations, community and faith-based groups, educational institutions, and Indian Tribes. AmeriCorps members supported by these grants are projected to earn more than $140 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to help pay for college or to pay back student loans.

In addition to the $216 million in competitive AmeriCorps funding, CNCS is also awarding $118 million in formula funding to Governor-appointed state service commissions and territories. Formula funds will be sub-granted this summer by commissions to organizations in their states to support additional AmeriCorps members. Together with other positions in AmeriCorps VISTA and NCCC, AmeriCorps is projected to support approximately 80,000 members this year.

The current year’s AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, due to the strong and growing demand by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources and a $23 million cut in AmeriCorps grant funding over last year’s level. Organizations requested nearly twice the number of grant dollars and AmeriCorps positions than could be funded.

"The surging demand for AmeriCorps members by organizations across the country is a testament to the value of this program and the transforming impact AmeriCorps members have on pressing challenges facing communities,” said John Gomperts, Direct of AmeriCorps. "AmeriCorps members bring the energy and talent to supercharge nonprofits so that they can increase their impact. And like serving in the military or the Peace Corps, being an AmeriCorps member is patriotic act and experience that helps to form the next generation of leaders in all sectors of society.”

Interest in AmeriCorps is also surging from those eager to serve. AmeriCorps applications from individuals jumped from about 360,000 in the 2008-2009 program year to more than 536,000 last year.
“These applications are a reminder that today's young people – and those young in spirit - are eager to make a difference, to have a purpose, to serve a cause larger than themselves," said Gomperts.

The grants make a focused investment in the six priorities laid out in the Serve America Act of disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families. Below are some examples of the organizations receiving funds in the 2011 competition:

Disaster Services: The American National Red Cross will support 51 AmeriCorps members to recruit and support volunteers in providing disaster services and educating citizens on emergency preparedness and response. The Partnership for Youth’s AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team, which currently is playing a critical role responding to the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, will engage 35 members in providing disaster relief in Missouri and across the country.
Economic opportunity: Through their $8.9 million grant, YouthBuild USA, Inc. will engage 2,957 members from disadvantage circumstances in renovating houses and buildings for low-income families as they gain education and professional schools. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s $2.15 million grant will support 240 LISC AmeriCorps members to provide employment services, financial literacy training, after-school activities and improvements to neighborhood safety.
Education: Teach for America's $9.6 million grant will support more than 5,600 classroom teachers for under-resourced schools in 39 regions. Harlem Children's Zone Peacemaker Program will engage 135 AmeriCorps members in providing in-class and after school literacy-based and conflict resolution training for children in Harlem elementary schools. Okeene Public Schools in Oklahoma will engage 36 AmeriCorps members in providing tutoring for students during and after school each day resulting in increased academic achievement for students attending rural schools in Northwest Oklahoma. Goodwill Industries of Northern New England will engage 63 AmeriCorps members in providing mentoring and academic support services to at-risk middle and high-school students in rural communities in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Environmental Stewardship. The Corps Network will engage 3,051 members in variety of community and environmental improvement projects across the U.S. while gaining valuable skills and training to increase their employment prospects. The Great Basin Institute’s Nevada Conservation Corps AmeriCorps Program will engage 143 members in removing invasive species, reducing wildfire risk and carrying out other public land restoration activities. Sixteen AmeriCorps members with Save the Bay, Inc., in Rhode Island will provide hands-on environmental education programming to third grade students, and after-school and summer camp environmental education programs.
Health: FoodCorps, Inc., a new AmeriCorps program, will engage 50 AmeriCorps members in 10 states to conduct food and nutrition education, establish or expand school garden programs; and source farm-fresh school meals for K-12 students to reduce the rate of childhood obesity in America. The Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in Wisconsin will engage 75 AmeriCorps members across the state to recruit volunteers to address community health improvements particularly focused on reduction and prevention of substance abuse among youth. Playworks will engage 80 AmeriCorps members to lead in and after school physical education activities focused on combating child obesity.
Veterans and Military Families Veterans and Military Families: The Westcare Foundation will engage 40 AmeriCorps members, who are veterans and members of military families, to provide housing, employment, and substance abuse services to veterans in ten states and two territories. The AMVETS Career Center in Columbus, Ohio, will engage 24 AmeriCorps members to conduct outreach to veterans to help returned veterans find employment by assessing veterans' skills and employability needs; creating career development plans and providing referrals to potential employers.

The grants announced today implement Serve America Act program changes to increase AmeriCorps’ impact, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. Among those are standardized national performance measures that will allow for aggregated impact reporting on how AmeriCorps is addressing national challenges that will have a ripple effect on the larger nonprofit sector, increasing the focus on outcomes and performance.

The grants will continue AmeriCorps support of entrepreneurial organizations that bring innovative business-based approaches to citizen problem-solving. They will also continue AmeriCorps emphasis on expanding capacity by recruiting and managing other volunteers. Last year, AmeriCorps programs mobilized and managed 2.6 million volunteers for the organizations they serve with.

In the past 17 years, more than 700,000 men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 860 million hours of service. AmeriCorps members serve with more than 14,000 nonprofit, faith-based, and community groups each year, helping them expand their reach and better meet their mission.

Most of the positions announced today will be available starting in the fall. Interested individuals can learn about available opportunities and submit an online application by visiting AmeriCorps.gov.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

June 15, 2011 OJJDP's 13th National Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Leadership Conference (August 10-12)

This year’s National Leadership Conference, "Spotlighting Community Solutions to Underage Drinking", will be held August 10th-12th, in Orlando, FL at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel. Early bird registration (until June 17) is $250. Starting June 18, regular registration is $290 and youth registration is $50. Learn more and register.

June 15, 2011 Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2009-2010

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has just released the First Look report, "Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools: Findings From the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2009–10." The report includes information about rates of violent incidences, gang-related crimes, bullying, conduct problems, and other issues. Read the report (PDF, 85 pages).

June 15, 2011 The Employment and Training Administration Issues an Advisory Notice on Workforce Investment Youth Program Guidance for Program Year 2011

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration released Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 30-10, to provide guidance for use of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Funded activities in Program Year (PY) 2011. This PY 2011 guidance builds on aspects of the PY 2010 guidance, found in TEGL No. 27-09, and continues to emphasize the connection between work experience, training, earning of credentials, and success in the workplace. View the TEGL.

June 15, 2011 When You're 18 - A Health Care Transition Guide for Young Adults

Published by Disability.gov, this guide contains information to help young adults understand what it means to be legally in charge of their health care and how to stay healthy as they grow into adulthood. Includes quizzes on being an adult with special needs, life as an adult, talking with doctors, plus additional web resources on college and work. Read the guide (PDF, 17 pages).

June 15, 2011 Family Abduction Resource and Missing Children Guide Now Available in Spanish

Spanish translations of "The Crime of Family Abduction: A Child's and Parent's Perspective," which provides families, law enforcement, and mental health professionals with strategies to build a comprehensive, child-centered approach to recovery and healing and "When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide" (fourth edition), which provides parents with the most current information on what families should do when a child is missing are now available. Both resources are published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Read the Family Abduction Resource (PDF, 71 pages) and the Missing Children Guide (PDF, 103 pages).

June 15, 2011 Evidence-based Pregnancy Prevention: 28 Programs that Work

The Department of Health and Human Services has identified 28 programs for replication that are supported by evidence and proven to help reduce teen pregnancy and related risky sexual behaviors. View the list.

June 15, 2011 Attorney General Discusses Defending Childhood Initiative in Public Service Announcement

A public service announcement (PSA) featuring Attorney General Eric Holder began airing this week on the Investigation Discovery network. This 30-second PSA is part of the Attorney General’s Defending Childhood initiative to address the issue of children’s exposure to violence. The goals of the initiative are to prevent children’s exposure to violence as victims and witnesses, to mitigate the negative effects that children exposed to violence experience, and to develop knowledge about and increase public awareness of this issue. Defending Childhood involves collaborative efforts across the Department of Justice and other federal agencies including the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education. Critical partners outside the federal government include state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, national experts, practitioners and advocates. Watch the PSA.

June 15, 2011 Missing and Exploited Children Resource Directory Available

Published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), “Federal Resources on Missing and Exploited Children: A Directory for Law Enforcement and Other Public and Private Agencies, Sixth Edition" describes the federal services, programs, publications, and training opportunities that address child sexual exploitation issues, child pornography, child abduction, Internet crimes against children, and missing children cases. View the directory (PDF, 48 pages).

June 02, 2011 Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance Launches Podcast on Saving Drug-Endangered Children

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has released, "Saving Drug-Endangered Children: An Interview with Commander Lori Moriarty." The two-part podcast features interviews with Commander Lori Moriarty of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. Part one discusses the role law enforcement plays in cases involving drug-endangered children. Part two provides information about resources for state, local, and tribal communities that would like to be more involved in assisting drug-endangered children. Listen to the Podcast

June 02, 2011 Presentations and Resources Available From OSDFS March TA Symposium

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools School Climate Technical Assistance Symposium was held Wednesday, March 9 – Friday, March 11, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The goal of the symposium was to engage representative teams from each state and territory in a national dialogue and learning experience related to the measurement and improvement of school climate. Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Education has established a priority for improving school climate and the conditions for learning in our nations' schools by the funding of a new Safe and Supportive Schools grant program, a pilot that will enable states to measure school safety at the building level and to provide federal funds for interventions in those schools with the greatest needs. This symposium further addressed this priority by creating an opportunity for a national dialogue and a repository of valuable resources. In particular, it provided information and interactive activities related to strategies that support a positive school climate, school climate measurement tools, administration and data analysis, sustaining effective interventions and programs, and develop state-level plans for improving measurement and programming. Learn more and access the resources.

June 02, 2011 SAMHSA study finds Trauma-Informed Care improves Behavioral and Emotional Health of Children

Homelessness is traumatic, especially for children, and has a negative long-term effect on school performance, mental health, and emotional development. To combat this problem, community-based "system of care" programs have been implemented to serve the holistic needs of both children and individuals experiencing homelessness. SAMHSA recently released the report Helping Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events which stresses the effectiveness of trauma-informed services within a system of care model. Results show that children and youth with access to these services have improved school performance, fewer arrests, and reduced suicide attempts. Read the report (PDF, 4 pages).

June 02, 2011 SAMHSA Video Provides Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Homeless Youth

"Larkin Street Stories: Serving Homeless LGBTQ Youth" is a three-part video series (approximately 6–9 minutes each) offering tips on best practices for providers serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth who are homeless. The video series begins by introducing Toby, Loch and the youth from Larkin Street Youth Center. In the videos, staff and youth from Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco discuss and share lessons learned regarding their approach to supporting LGBTQ youth who are homeless. It describes the importance of being "present" for youth, and helping youth see their own strengths and resources. The youth talk about being rejected by their families due to their LGBTQ identity and leaving home as a result. The Larkin Street staff provide tips on how to create a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ youth, including how to handle hate speech. The final episode explores the importance of never making assumptions about a youth's sexual identity or gender expression, allowing youth to self-identify, and empowering youth to reach their full potential despite the challenges they have faced. Learn more and watch the videos.

May 27, 2011 Funding Opportunity: Improving Service Delivery to Youth in the Child Welfare

HHS has announced a funding opportunity for the development and evaluation of programs that promote the safety and well-being of children and families and that allow youth, where safe and appropriate, to return to families from which they have been removed, by building relationship skills to mitigate risk and to promote protective and resiliency factors in youth who have experienced trauma or abuse. Projects will target youth in the child welfare system, or those at risk of entering the child welfare system, including LGBTQ, pregnant and parenting teens, and other youth with significant risk factors. Applications are due July 7, 2011. Learn more

May 27, 2011 US Labor Department awards $75.8 million for 76 YouthBuild programs nationwide

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced grants totaling $75.8 million from fiscal year 2011 appropriations to fund 76 YouthBuild programs in 36 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "Every day in America, 7,000 students drop out of high school. Our nation cannot afford to lose these young people," said Secretary Solis. "YouthBuild provides an important second chance to earn an education while also developing valuable skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow." YouthBuild is an alternative education program that offers youth ages 16-24 training and practical experience for "in-demand" industry careers. Participants, who also earn high school diplomas or GED certificates through the program, have been in the juvenile justice system, are aging out of foster care, are high school dropouts, and are otherwise at-risk of failing to reach key educational milestones that lead to career fulfillment.

May 27, 2011 Funding Opportunity: Community Transformation Grants

HHS has announced the availability of over $100 million in funding for up to 75 Community Transformation Grants. Created by the Affordable Care Act, these grants are aimed at helping communities implement projects proven to reduce chronic disease, violence and injury, and improve mental health and equity. This round of funding increases the grant cycle to a five-year period, which will allow communities more time to tailor and implement strategies, engage communities and ultimately shift norms around healthy eating and physical activity. It will also engage multiple sectors, encouraging community-based organizations, local and state governments to work together to build sustainable, effective change. Additionally, 20 percent of these funds will be dedicated to rural and frontier communities. This funding cycle emphasizes health equity, with specific outcomes geared towards improving health among those who face the greatest disparities, along with resources dedicated directly towards building capacity. This year's release also contains new language underscoring the role that safety and preventing violence plays in promoting healthy eating, physical activity and equity. The official funding opportunity announcement for the Community Transformation Grants can be found at www.Grants.gov by searching for CDFA 93.544. Learn more.

May 17, 2011 Webinar: Focus on Adolescent Sexual Health

CDC's Division of STD Prevention, the Society for Adolescent Health & Medicine (SAHM), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC) will host the second of a series of STD Treatment Guidelines Webinars for health professionals on June 1, 2011 at 1:00 pm ET. The Focus on Adolescent Sexual Health webinar will include presentations by three experts in the field of adolescent clinical care, Drs. Elizabeth Alderman, Gale Burstein, and Katherine Hsu as well as a question and answer session. Topics featured in this webinar will include the impact of STDs in adolescents in the United States, changes to the 2010 STD Treatment Guidelines relevant to the care of adolescents, tools for engaging adolescent patients in a sexual health dialog, CDC and AAP STD screening recommendations for adolescents and AAP, SAHM, NNPTC, and CDC sexual health resources for adolescent care providers. The deadline to register for the webinar is May 31, 2011 at 12:00 pm ET.
Learn more and register

May 17, 2011 SAMHSA Report: Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Aged 12 to 14

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a report on the characteristics of youth aged 12 to 14 admitted to substance abuse treatment in 2008. It includes demographic characteristics, substances of abuse, age of first use, treatment characteristics, and prevalence of co-occurring disorders. Read the report (PDF, 6 pages).

May 17, 2011 After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-funded Suicide Prevention Resource Center has just released "After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools." This new, free resource was created by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), two of the nation's leading organizations devoted to suicide prevention. This team of national experts, including clinicians and crisis response professionals, developed an online toolkit that draws on scientific research and best practices and includes common warning signs and causes of suicide. The kit emphasizes that schools should inform students about the connection between suicide and underlying disorders such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. It also recommends that administrators remind the community about available mental health resources, including hotline numbers and local counseling services. Other toolkit recommendations include talking with students in small groups to help them manage their emotional responses and monitoring social media to help identify other students who may be at risk. Download the toolkit (PDF, 6 pages).

May 17, 2011 Findings on Serious Adolescent Offenders

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) released a fact sheet detailing findings from a study following serious adolescent offenders into early adulthood. The Pathways to Desistance Study is a large collaborative, multidisciplinary project that is following 1,354 serious juvenile offenders ages 14–18 for 7 years after their conviction. This study has collected the most comprehensive data set currently available about serious adolescent offenders and their lives in late adolescence and early adulthood. The study looks at the factors that lead youth who have committed serious offenses to continue or desist from offending, including individual maturation, life changes, and involvement with the criminal justice system. The fact sheet summarizes the most important findings of the study to date: most youth who commit felonies greatly reduce their offending over time; longer stays in juvenile institutions do not reduce recidivism; in the period after incarceration, community-based supervision is effective for youth who have committed serious offenses; and substance abuse treatment reduces both substance use and criminal offending for a limited time. Read the fact sheet (PDF, 4 pages).

May 9, 2011 Helping Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a short report that provides information on how systems of care and trauma-informed services can improve the lives of children and youth who have experienced traumatic events. Includes findings from a national evaluation of such programs and describes common treatment approaches. Read the report (PDF, 4 pages).

May 9, 2011 SAMHSA Short Report 2011

Timed with Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the 2011 Short Report. SAMHSA addresses the needs of children and youth exposed to traumatic events through many of its programs. Two programs are highlighted in this report. The Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program (Children’s Mental Health Initiative, or CMHI), established by an act of Congress in 1992, funds grantee agencies to apply the system of care approach, a conceptual and philosophical framework for systemic reform of children’s mental health services. The Donald J. Cohen National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI)is a national initiative that aims to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for children and youth throughout the United States who have experienced trauma. SAMHSA developed the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a network of grantees from academic, clinical, and community entities that collaborate to develop, disseminate, and provide training on evidence-based practices, integrate trauma-informed treatment and practices into all child-serving systems, and promote and deliver effective community programs for children and families exposed to traumatic events.

May 4, 2011 Realizing the Promise of the Whole-School Approach to Children's Mental Health: A Practical Guide for Schools

This is a new Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) guide to implementing mental health promotion and prevention programs in elementary and middle schools. This guide enables school and community practitioners to join together for children’s mental health in schools; provides a practical, hands-on approach with examples from SS/HS sites; describes the phases and steps for effective implementation; offers strategies for addressing predictable barriers; and provides tools and links to existing tools. This publication is a joint effort of the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice and Health and Human Services. Read the guide.

May 4, 2011 America's High School Graduates: Results of the 2009 NAEP High School Transcript Study

The National Center for Education Statistics has just released the results of the 2009 High School Transcript Study, performed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The High School Transcript Study presents information about the types of courses that high school graduates in the class of 2009 took during high school, how many credits they earned, what grades they received, and how their course taking patterns related to their performance on the 2009 NAEP mathematics and science assessments. NAEP conducted the High School Transcript Study by collecting transcripts from a nationally representative sample of over 37,000 high school graduates from over 700 public and private schools. Read the report.

May 4, 2011 Highlights From Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders

The Pathways to Desistance Study is a large collaborative, multidisciplinary project that is following 1,354 serious juvenile offenders ages 14–18 for 7 years after their conviction. This study has collected the most comprehensive dataset currently available about serious adolescent offenders and their lives in late adolescence and early adulthood. It looks at the factors that lead youth who have committed serious offenses to continue or desist from offending, including individual maturation, life changes, and involvement with the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This fact sheet summarizes the most important findings of the study to date: Most youth who commit felonies greatly reduce their offending over time; longer stays in juvenile institutions do not reduce recidivism; in the period after incarceration, community-based supervision is effective for youth who have committed serious offenses; and substance abuse treatment reduces both substance use and criminal offending for a limited time. Read the fact sheet (PDF, 4 pages).

April 25, 2011 Vital Signs: Teen Pregnancy—United States, 1991-2009

This CDC study finds that teen birth rates in the United States have declined but remain high, especially among black and Hispanic teens and in southern states. In 2009, approximately 410,000 teens aged 15-19 years gave birth in the United States, and the teen birth rate remains higher than in other developed countries. Fewer high school students are having sexual intercourse, and more sexually active students are using some method of contraception. Teen childbearing is associated with adverse consequences for mothers and their children and imposes high public sector costs. Prevention of teen pregnancy requires evidence-based sex education, support for parents in talking with their children about pregnancy prevention and other aspects of sexual and reproductive health, and ready access to effective and affordable contraception for teens who are sexually active. Read the report.

April 25, 2011 HHS' CDC Announces New Adolescent and School Health Web Site

Please visit CDC's new Adolescent and School Health Web site at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth. Some of the enhanced features of the site include: updated information on adolescent health, including a new section on protective factors; a calendar of adolescent and school health events; interactive menus and widgets for Youth Online, where you can select, view, and analyze data about youth risk behaviors; individualized pages for different visitors: parents and teachers; and Funded Partner Success Stories highlighted throughout the site.

April 13, 2011 Webinar: "Highlighting Public Health's Contribution to Violence Prevention" (April 19, 2011)

You are invited to participate in the second session of the webinar series showcasing violence prevention efforts implemented through public health infrastructure. The session will emphasize how state and local health departments have successfully used their unique strengths to contribute to violence prevention efforts in their communities, states, and nationally. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about current national, state, and local violence prevention strategies led by health departments with emphasis on youth violence and child maltreatment prevention initiatives. The webinar will be held on April 19, 2011 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Register for the webinar.

April 13, 2011 New Study: Anti-Drug Media Campaign Reduced Marijuana Use Among Teen Girls

A recent study evaluating the effectiveness of the Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign for that exposure to the campaign's anti-drug messages reduced marijuana use among teen girls. The research, published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) in March are the latest indication that this drug education campaign is effectively reaching and resonating with youth in local communities across the Nation. Learn more.

April 06, 2011 National Summit on Gender-Based Violence Among Young People: Reading Materials

On April 6th and 7th, The Department of Education hosted The National Summit on Gender-Based Violence Among Young People. The summit brought together more than 150 major organizational, federal and academic leaders to discuss how to translate research into practice, highlight promising practices, and provide the field with the tools they need to serve our nation's students. The purpose was to engage federal partners and the broader field in developing a comprehensive federal strategy to address the issue of Gender-Based Violence among young people. Topics discussed included: domestic violence, teen dating violence, sexual harassment and sexual assault. Read the related materials (PDF, 137 pages).

April 06, 2011 Evidence-Based Practices for Children Exposed to Violence: A Selection from Federal Databases

The U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have jointly released, "Evidence-Based Practices for Children Exposed to Violence: A Selection from Federal Databases." The publication summarizes findings from federal reviews of research studies and program evaluations to help communities improve outcomes for children exposed to violence. It cites evidence-based practices that practitioners and policymakers can use to implement prevention services and activities for these children. Read the publication (PDF, 27 pages).

April 06, 2011 Highlights From Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders

This fact sheet presents an overview of some major findings from the Pathways to Desistance Study, a project that followed 1,354 serious adolescent offenders for 7 years following their convictions. The primary findings of the study to date deal with the decrease in self-reported offending over time by most serious adolescent offenders, the relative inefficacy of longer juvenile incarcerations in decreasing recidivism, the effectiveness of community-based supervision as a component of aftercare for incarcerated youth, and the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment in reducing both substance use and offending by serious adolescent offenders. Read the fact sheet.

April 06, 2011 New Video for Parents of Teen Drivers

CDC is pleased to release a new 60-second video as part of the Parents Are the Key campaign for safe teen driving. The new I Pledge video shows a number of moms and dads pledging to protect their teen drivers—the same way they pledged to keep them safe since the day they were born. Watch the video.

April 06, 2011 Helping Youth Transition - Community of Practice Webinar: "Relationships Matter" (April 20, 2011)

Courtney Harrison, Director of Policy & Program Development with Public Strategies, Inc., and Wendy Wheeler, The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development, will present relationship education as a youth development strategy from a holistic perspective, and strategies and highlights of the importance of advancing this skill set for youth in vulnerable circumstances. The webinar will be held on April 20, 2011 from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Register for this event.

April 04, 2011 White House Conference on Bullying Prevention

On March 10, 2011, President Obama, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hosted a conference on bullying prevention at the White House. The conference brought together students, parents, and teachers to discuss how communities can work together to address bullying. Access conference materials and video.

April 04, 2011 Register Now for OJJDP's 2011 National Conference (October 12-14, 2011)

On October 12-14, 2011, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will host its National Conference, "Children's Justice & Safety: Unite, Build, Lead," at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. Workshops, plenaries, and presentations by leading experts and researchers will promote evidence-based practices that address emerging concerns in delinquency prevention, juvenile justice, and victimization. Topics will include crimes against children, anti-gang strategies, children's exposure to violence, disproportionate minority contact, girls' delinquency, tribal youth programs, emergency planning for juvenile justice, faith-based and community involvement, mentoring, truancy and bullying, and substance abuse, among others. Learn more and register.

April 04, 2011 Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander Experiences: A Compendium of Assessment Tools

CDC's Injury Center is pleased to announce the release of "Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander Experiences: A Compendium of Assessment Tools." This compendium provides researchers, prevention specialists, and health educators with tools to measure a range of bullying experiences: bully perpetration, bully victimization, bully-victim experiences, and bystander experiences. This compendium represents a starting point from which researchers can consider a set of psychometrically sound measures for assessing self-reported incidence and prevalence of a variety of bullying experiences. Access the compendium.

April 04, 2011 Highlights From Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has published "Highlights From Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders." This fact sheet presents findings from a project that followed 1,354 serious juvenile offenders for 7 years after they had been adjudicated or convicted and examined the factors that caused these young offenders to continue, reduce, or stop offending. It describes how longer juvenile sentences, community-based supervision and aftercare, and substance abuse treatment may affect reoffending. Read the fact sheet.

April 04, 2011 U.S. ED'S OSDFS' Safe and Supportive Schools TA Center Announces the Launch of OSDFS' Safe and Supportive Schools Website

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is pleased to announce the launch of the Safe and Supportive Schools Website: http://safesupportiveschools.ed.gov. The Safe and Supportive Schools Website represents another step the OSDFS is taking to provide the technical assistance and expertise to keep our students safe. From this Website, state, district and school administrators; teachers; school support staff; and communities and families can find resources and support to develop rigorous measurement systems that assess school climate and implement and evaluate programmatic interventions.

April 04, 2011 Registration for U.S. ED's OSDFS National Conference August 8-10, 2011 is Now Available

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) will be hosting its National Conference August 8-10, 2011 at the Gaylord National Resort in suburban Washington, DC. The theme of this year's conference is "Making the Connection: Creating and Maintaining Conditions for Learning", which will address issues related to: alcohol, drug and violence prevention; health, mental health, and physical education; special populations; emerging issues; and other areas concerning drug and violence prevention. The National Conference will be a large-scale training and technical assistance event that will include: OSDFS grantees; education and prevention leaders; representatives of Federal agencies and national associations; public and private school administrators; school personnel; researchers and experts; as well as others in the field. Register for the conference.

March 23, 2011 Strengthening Families and Communities: 2011 Resource Guide

This free guide was created to support service providers in their work with parents, caregivers, and their children to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. It highlights strategies that can strengthen families by promoting key protective factors that have been shown to prevent child abuse and neglect. The guide also includes strategies to promote community awareness of these key protective factors, as well as tip sheets in English and Spanish to share with parents. Access the guide.

March 17, 2011 Lend a Hand: A Guide to Volunteering for Youth

This publication developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, lists the many ways community members can volunteer to help young people throughout the year. Read the guide.

March 17, 2011 Assessment and Screening Tools for Measuring Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Independent Living Skills in Adolescents

The screening and assessment tools developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY), are designed specifically for youth ages 14 to 21, and measure one (or more) of three categories relevant to runaway and homeless youth programs: mental health, substance abuse, and independent living skills. Access the tools.

March 17, 2011 The Employment and Training Administration Announces the Release of a Joint Letter from the U.S. Departments of Interior, Agriculture and Labor Supporting Youth Work Experience on Public Land

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) released Training and Employment Notice No. 24-10, which announces the release of a Joint Letter in Support of Youth Work Experiences on Public Lands. The joint letter reflects the efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of the Interior to identify and explore areas of collaboration that will expand meaningful work and learning opportunities for low-income youth and young adults on Federally-managed public lands. Read the notice and letter.

March 17, 2011 Funding Opportunity – Social Innovation Fund

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) released a Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2011 grant competition of the Social Innovation Fund. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

Through an innovative public-private partnership, the Social Innovation Fund and selected local and national grantmakers co-invest in programs that increase the scale of community-based solutions that have evidence of real impact in three priority areas: youth development, economic opportunity or healthy futures. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, the Corporation plans to award up to approximately $28 million in grants to up to ten intermediary grantmaking institutions. Each award will range from $1 - $7 million and will be matched dollar for dollar by the intermediary. Subsequent awards by the intermediaries to their selected subgrantees will also be matched 1:1, yielding up to $3 in private funding for every $1 in federal funding committed to this program.

Successful intermediary applicants will have the following characteristics:

A strong track record of using rigorous evidence to select, invest in, support, and monitor the replication and expansion of their subgrantees;
The capacity to conduct an open, competitive process for selecting innovative nonprofit community organizations with effective and potentially transformative approaches;
Expertise in one or more priority issue areas; and
Deep and broad relationships with stakeholders in one or more priority issue areas and and/or specific geographic regions.

Please consult the CNCS website to read or download a copy of the NOFO, which provides complete information about this grant competition, including instructions for how to apply. The website also contains information on other resources CNCS will make available to potential applicants, including technical assistance calls, a webinar and access to proposals and application executive summaries from the 2010 competition.

Applicants must apply using the Corporation’s eGrants system. The eGrants Web site is: https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp

March 3, 2011 OJJDP Invites Manuscripts for Upcoming Journal of Juvenile Justice

OJJDP will launch its new online, peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Juvenile Justice at the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, which will be held March 1–5, 2011, in Ontario, Canada. Authors are invited to submit manuscripts for consideration for publication in the first two issues of the journal scheduled for release in 2011. Proposed articles may address a broad range of juvenile justice-related issues, such as delinquency prevention, intervention and treatment, and juvenile victimization. Readers are anticipated to include researchers, clinicians, practitioners, administrators, policy analysts, educators, and students. Learn more.

February 28, 2011 President Obama Names February National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

On January 31, 2011, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation declaring February National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. In the proclamation, he voices his administration's commitment to engage community partners to stop teen dating violence, and provides links to online resources within the U.S. Department of Justice. Read the proclamation.

February 28, 2011 Get Involved in National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Throughout the Year

Learn how you can raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and create strong communities to support children and families to help prevent child abuse during Prevention Month in April and throughout the year. Visit the 2011 National Child Abuse Prevention Month website for resources and strategies on engaging communities and supporting families. The site features a resource guide, tip sheets, an activities calendar, and more. Visit the website.

February 28, 2011 Grants to Assist Children and Youth Exposed to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Children and Youth Exposed to Violence Program creates a unique opportunity for communities to increase the resources, services, and advocacy available to children, youth and their non-abusing parent or caretaker, when a child has been exposed to incidences of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. Collaborative efforts between community-based organizations and governmental agencies serving children and youth, such as domestic violence and sexual assault organizations, child welfare systems, or mental health service providers, can maximize community resources and ensure that children and youth in need of service are identified and referred for the assistance they need. Furthermore, collaborative efforts should support the ability of the non-abusing parents or caretakers to support the development of their children. Applications are due March 3, 2011. Learn more about the funding opportunity (PDF, 27 pages).

February 28, 2011 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health – Youth Website

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has launched a valuable new website focused on the healthy needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people, with specific suggestions for schools and parents, useful background information, and links to valuable resources. Visit the website.

February 28, 2011 "Speak Up!" Interactive Tool for Youth

"Speak Up! Using What You’ve Got to Get What You Want" is a new, interactive video developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth to encourage young people to speak up and advocate for themselves at the doctor's office, at school, at work or in common situations they may face. Youth are asked to think about—and type out—their goals, the steps they need to take to reach their goals, and who they might enlist to help them. If they choose, young people can receive an e-mail as a reminder of what was covered in the video. Watch the video.

February 18, 2011 Opportunities to Coordinate 21st Community Learning Centers Funding with the Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by the Office of Child Care, Administration on Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), U.S. Department of Education, are two of the largest federal funding streams that support access to high quality afterschool programs. Both federal programs have a common goal – to support safe places for school-age children to spend time before and after school and during the summer months. This funding note provides State child care administrators and other school-age stakeholders with an overview of the 21st CCLC program, and highlights potential areas for coordination with CCDF. Read the funding note (PDF, 5 pages).

February 15, 2011 Above the Influence Activities Toolkit

The Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign’s "Above the Influence Activities Toolkit" is a user-friendly resource to help youth group leaders develop strategies and tactics to address issues of influence, peer pressure, and risky behaviors with teens in their community. The toolkit helps facilitate discussions with teens about these issues and provides resources to help them "say no" to drugs. Read the toolkit (PDF, 28 pages).

February 15, 2011 2010 CHIPRA Annual Report: Connecting Kids to Coverage

To mark the second anniversary of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 , HHS is releasing the 2010 CHIPRA Anniversary Report, “Connecting Kids to Coverage: Continuing the Progress”. This report highlights state, federal and community efforts to enroll all eligible children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Read the report (PDF, 21 pages).

February 15, 2011 Child Welfare Outcomes Report Data Website

This new data website makes the latest Child Welfare Outcomes data available for you to view in a variety of ways according to your needs. The 2006-2009 State data shown include context data such as total Child Population in the State, breakdown by Race/Ethnicity, Child Victim Rate, Time-to-Investigation, Caseworker Visits, Number of Children in Foster Care, and Number of Children Adopted. Also included is the performance of each State on the various outcome measures. This site features a Custom Report Builder, which allows users to select specific States, data, and years that they would like to view. It also allows users to view the data they select as a table, graph, or map. Data may be examined within one State or across States. Access the website.

February 15, 2011 Civic Justice Corps Program – Grant Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the availability of approximately $20 million in grants through its Civic Justice Corps program. Projects funded through these grants will help juvenile offenders gain valuable jobs skills, and participants will demonstrate accountability for their actions through community service. These competitive grants will prepare participants for employment and reduce recidivism through on-the-job training, job placement, subsidized jobs and service projects that allow young offenders to take a positive role in their communities. Any nonprofit organization, unit of state or local government, and Indian or Native American entity eligible for grants under the Workforce Investment Act's Section 166 may apply for these grants. Full eligibility information for applicants and individual participants is included in the solicitation for grant applications. The solicitation can be viewed online at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm.

February 3, 2011 U.S. ED's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) Announces the OSDFS National Conference (August 8-10, 2011)

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) would like to announce that it will be hosting its National Conference August 8-10, 2011 at the Gaylord National Resort in suburban Washington, DC. The theme of this year’s conference is “Making the Connection: Creating and Maintaining Conditions for Learning”, which will address issues related to: alcohol, drug and violence prevention; health, mental health, and physical education; special populations; emerging issues; and other areas concerning drug and violence prevention. The OSDFS National Conference will be a large-scale training and technical assistance event that will include: OSDFS grantees; education and prevention leaders; representatives of Federal agencies and national associations; public and private school administrators; school personnel; researchers and experts; as well as others in the field. Additional information about the conference will be forthcoming shortly, including registration information.

January 27, 2011 OJJDP Announces FY 2011 Funding Opportunity for Multi-State Mentoring Initiative

This solicitation invites eligible applicants to propose the enhancement or expansion of initiatives that will assist in the development and maturity of community programs to provide mentoring services to high-risk populations that are underserved due to location, shortage of mentors, special physical or mental challenges of the targeted population, or other analogous situations that the community in need of mentoring services identifies. Applications are due February 28, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

January 27, 2011 OJJDP Announces FY 2011 Funding Opportunities for Research

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced the following funding opportunities:

Evaluations of Girls' Delinquency Programs: This solicitation is designed to fund grants to document and measure the effectiveness of delinquency prevention, intervention, and/or treatment programs in preventing and reducing girls' risk behavior and offending. Applications are due February 28, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

Evaluation of Second Chance Act Juvenile Mentoring Initiatives: OJJDP seeks to conduct a comprehensive process and rigorous impact evaluation of the Second Chance Act Juvenile Mentoring Initiative to determine the effectiveness of combining mentoring with other reentry services for participating juvenile offenders during their confinement, through their transition back to the community, and post-release. OJJDP will select one national evaluator to assess the implementation of these programs and their impact on service delivery and key outcomes for participating youth, including recidivism. Applications are due March 7, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

Field Initiated Research and Evaluation Program: The purpose of OJJDP's FY 2011 Field Initiated Research and Evaluation (FIRE) Program is to support methodologically rigorous research and evaluation studies that inform policy and practice consistent with the Department of Justice's mission. Applications are due March 7, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

Research on Best Practices for Mentoring: This solicitation seeks to fund research studies that will inform the design and delivery of mentoring programs. OJJDP expects that the results of this effort will encourage a more effective utilization of resources as well as enhance the implementation of evidence-based best practices for juvenile mentoring. Applications are due March 8, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

January 20, 2011 HHS' SAMHSA Announces a Funding Opportunity for States, Tribes, and Campuses

SAMHSA is now accepting applications for FY 2011 Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention grants, supporting States and Tribes in developing and implementing youth suicide prevention and early intervention strategies. SAMHSA is also accepting applications for FY 2011 Campus Suicide Prevention grants aimed at preventing suicide in institutions of higher education. Applications for States and Tribes are due February 16, 2011. Applications for Campuses are due March 4, 2011.

Learn more about the grant opportunity for States and Tribes.
Learn more about the grant opportunity for Campuses.

January 14, 2011 Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1972-2008

The report, released by the National Center for Education Statistics at the Institute of Education Sciences, builds upon a series of reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It includes national and regional population estimates for the percentage of students who dropped out of high school between 2007 and 2008, the percentage of young people who were dropouts in 2008, and the percentage of young people who were not in high school and had some form of high school credential in 2008. Data are presented by a number of characteristics including race/ethnicity, sex, and age. Annual data for these population estimates are provided for the 1972-2008 period. Read the report.

January 14, 2011 Help Build BullyingInfo.org by Sharing Your Resources and Practices

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Task Force is now accepting submissions from the public of field-based practices to combat bullying. Entries that are approved for posting online may be in any number of formats, from research articles to youth-produced Public Service Announcements (PSAs). All materials and resources posted online must be free of charge and hosted on a government or non-profit web site. Share your resources.

January 6, 2011 Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities

This publication, developed by National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), assists youth service professionals as they help young people with learning disabilities in their transition from adolescence to adulthood. This guide is in response to the overrepresentation of youth and young adults with learning disabilities in a wide array of government-supported programs—adult education, vocational rehabilitation, welfare, corrections, and others. The guide also provides individual strategies for youth with learning disabilities to succeed in both the classroom and the workforce. Read the guide.

January 6, 2011 Allied Health Access (AHA) Guidebook: How to Develop Programs for Youth in Allied Health Careers

The Department of Labor is investing in projects that focus on preparing participants for employment in the health care sector. The AHA Guidebook offers strategies and resources to create or expand programs and services leading to allied health opportunities for youth and young adults. Read the guidebook.

January 6, 2011 OJJDP Bulletin Describes Link Between Substance Use and Serious Offending

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Substance Use and Delinquent Behavior Among Serious Adolescent Offenders." This bulletin presents results from the Pathways to Desistance study, which interviewed more than 1,300 juvenile offenders for the 7 years after their conviction to determine what leads them to persist in or desist from serious offending. It focuses on understanding the connection between substance use and serious offending, including how these behaviors affect one another in adolescence and how they change in early adulthood, particularly when one behavior ceases. Read the bulletin.

January 6, 2011 Partnership to Promote Financial Education and Savings

On November 15, 2010, the FDIC and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) joined the U.S. Department of Education in signing a collaborative partnership to promote and enhance financial education access for low- and moderate-income students and families. Among the highlights is an agreement by the FDIC and the NCUA to assist the Education Department in helping "college access grantees" (organizations that work with students in communities less likely to graduate from college) in starting or enhancing their financial education programs. Learn more about the partnership.

January 6, 2011 DOJ's Civil Rights Division Releases Anti-Bullying Video

The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has released a video that focuses on stopping bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, as well as other youth who do not conform to traditional expectations about gender roles or appearance. The video is part of the Division's "It Gets Better" project, in which LGBT adults and straight allies share experiences to show youth that life gets better after high school. The video features DOJ employees, who share stories of their own experiences with bullying and harassment and provide personal messages of support to youth. View the video.

January 6, 2011 New Anti-Drug Ads Available

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has launched three new National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign ads: "Tree Service," "No Brainer," and "Lost." These television ads, along with others in the Ad Gallery, are available as free public service announcements to support anti-drug efforts in local communities. See the ads.

January 6, 2011 OJJDP Bulletin Provides Overview of Gang Prevention Research

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs." The bulletin presents an overview of gang research and programs in the United States and examines how gangs form and why youth join them. It also describes how community members can start assessing their gang problems and enhance prevention and intervention activities to help prevent delinquency and gang violence. The author identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention. Read the bulletin.

January 6, 2011 OJJDP Bulletin Presents Findings from the Evaluation of the Gang Reduction Program

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Findings From the Evaluation of OJJDP’s Gang Reduction Program." This bulletin presents findings from the Urban Institute's evaluation of the OJJDP Gang Reduction Program's work to reduce gang-related street crime in Los Angeles, CA; Milwaukee, WI; North Miami Beach, FL; and Richmond, VA. The Gang Reduction Program emphasizes addressing youth's needs and making changes in the families, communities, and organizations around them. Read the bulletin.

January 6, 2011 Teen Drug Use Increases, According to Latest Youth Drug Use Survey

According to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA)'s 2010 Monitoring the Future survey released today, drug use among teens has increased. Fueled by increases in marijuana use, the rate of eighth-graders saying they have used an illicit drug in the past year jumped to 16 percent, up from last year's 14.5 percent, with daily marijuana use up in all grades surveyed. The MTF survey also measured and reported a change in teen attitudes about the dangers associated with drug use, and perceptions about drug availability. Read the survey findings.

January 6, 2011 Webinar on How to Localize Above the Influence in Your Community (January 13 & 20, 2011)

The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is launching a monthly webinar series: “Implementing Above the Influence (ATI) in Your Local Community.” The Media Campaign created Above the Influence to help teens stand up to negative pressures and to inspire them to think critically about drug use. The Media Campaign has revamped the ATI youth campaign to provide a greater emphasis on supporting communities across the country working on youth prevention issues. The Media Campaign conducted pilot testing in three local communities (Bronx, Portland and Milwaukee) as part of the new initiative, and used lessons from the pilot markets to create an ATI toolkit of activities. During the webinar, offered at 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST on both January 13 and 20, the Media Campaign will discuss the ATI toolkit and walk through best practices.
Register for the January 13 webinar.
Register for the January 20 webinar.

January 6, 2011 Webinar: "Advancing Positive Youth Development Through Advocacy and Policy" (January 20, 2011)

Webinar participants will have the opportunity to learn how they can impact directly impact youth through advocacy and policy efforts that advance positive youth development. The Forum for Youth Investment is dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all young people are ready for college, work and life. The webinar will take place on January 20, 2011 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST. Learn more and register.

January 6, 2011 Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Block Grants Program

The Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Block Grants Program provides funding to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors and to prevent the purchase or consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors. Applications are due February 15, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

January 6, 2011 Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Program

The Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Program supports state and local government units in efforts to strengthen their juvenile justice systems. The program's goal is to improve juvenile justice systems by implementing accountability-based programs that focus on both offenders and the juvenile justice system. Applications are due February 24, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

January 6, 2011 HHS' National Institutes of Health—Reducing Risk Behaviors by Promoting Positive Youth Development

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering grants to effective, evidence-based, gender-inclusive programs that are adapted, translated, or disseminated for new populations of youth and adolescents for the purpose of reduction of youth risk behaviors. Eligible applicants are public/state controlled or private institutions of higher education, non-profits with or without 501(c)(3) IRS status, for profit organizations, and various other organizations, including non-U.S. entities. Applications are due February 5, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

December 21, 2010 Provide Your Input on the Strategic Plan for Youth Policy

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs requests public comments to inform the development of a strategic plan for Federal youth policy. The Working Group is focusing on youth across several developmental stages, including (1) early adolescence (ages under 14); (2) middle adolescence (ages 15-17); and (3) late adolescence/early adulthood (ages 18-24). The Working Group is focused on three overarching outcomes for youth through this framework: (1) basic needs: health, safety, and wellness; (2) school, family, and community engagement and connections; and (3) education, training, employment, transitions, and readiness for careers and adulthood. Provide your input, or to learn more, read the Federal Register notice.

December 16, 2010 Federal Task Force in Bullying Prevention Invites Public to Submit Ideas on Ways to Combat Bullying

The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Task Force has announced that it will begin accepting submissions from the public of field-based practices to combat bullying. Entries that are approved for posting on the website—www.bullyinginfo.org—can include formats ranging from research articles to youth-produced public service announcements (PSAs). All materials and resources posted must be free of charge and hosted on either a government or non-profit website. Submit field-based material and evaluated evidence-based programs.

December 16, 2010 Child Nutrition Legislation

Congress has approved new legislation that will make historic and urgent improvements to the nation’s federal child nutrition programs. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which President Obama has indicated he will sign in the coming days, dramatically improves the quality of meals children eat in school and in child care, increases the number of healthy meals available to children in need, and provides the first real increase in the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches in more than 30 years. It also eliminates junk food from schools by requiring schools to apply -- for the first time -- nutritional standards to food served outside the cafeteria. Learn more.

December 16, 2010 Webinar to Address Service Provision for High-Risk Juvenile Offenders (January 6, 2011)

On January 6, 2011, at 3 p.m. ET, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Court Coordination Program will host a free Webinar on providing community services for high-risk juvenile offenders. "Court Coordination Program: Thinking Small May Be the Best Way to Accomplish Something Big" will help juvenile justice practitioners learn to leverage the authority of a juvenile court judge and gain the assistance of public and private agencies in offering services to high-risk juvenile offenders. This no-cost approach can help communities improve delivery of critical juvenile services. Learn more and register.

December 9, 2010 OJJDP Bulletin Describes the Characteristics and Backgrounds of Youth in Placement

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Youth's Characteristics and Backgrounds: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement." The bulletin, part of OJJDP's Survey of Youth in Residential Placement series, describes the characteristics, family and educational backgrounds, offense histories, and expectations of youth in residential placement. Read the bulletin.

December 9, 2010 Environmental Protection Agency Releases New Draft Voluntary Guidelines for Selecting Safe School Locations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released draft voluntary guidelines to help communities protect the health of students and staff from environmental threats when selecting new locations for schools. The voluntary guidelines also provide tools to help communities ensure that new locations for schools are accessible to the students they are intended to serve. The new draft voluntary guidelines will give local communities tools to help them consider environmental health issues in establishing school site selection criteria and in conducting effective environmental reviews of potential school sites. The draft school site guidelines are being made available for public comment for 90 days. Comments will be accepted until 4 pm EST on February 18, 2011. Read and comment on the draft guidelines.

December 2, 2010 Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2010

This new report, issued jointly by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, examines crimes occurring in school, as well as on the way to and from school, and presents data on crime and safety at school from the unique perspectives of students, teachers, and principals. Read the report.

December 2, 2010 Information on OJJDP FY 2010 Awards Now Available Online

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has posted data on its fiscal year (FY) 2010 awards on its website. The information, which includes the names of the grantees and the amounts of their awards, covers formula and block grants, discretionary grants, statutory earmarks, and Recovery Act awards. In FY 2010, OJJDP awarded more than $519 million in grants in support of its mission to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and child victimization, including nearly $389 million in discretionary funding. Learn more about the awards.

December 2, 2010 Webinar: "Mapping the Impact of Youth on Community Development: What Are We Learning?" (December 3, 2010)

Land-grant university faculty in both youth and community development have engaged young people in seven states in mapping the impact of their work in diverse communities using the community capitals framework. Presenters will share initial findings about the characteristics of youth program experiences that link social capital development to youth civic engagement and will explore the connections between youth development and community development Extension work. The webinar will take place on Friday, December 3, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. EST. Register for this webinar.

November 18, 2010 Helping Youth Stay "Above the Influence"

The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has revamped the Above the Influence (ATI) youth campaign to provide a greater emphasis on supporting communities across the country working on youth prevention issues. The Media Campaign offers a variety of resources to help community groups and families address the abuse of alcohol, drugs, and other risky behaviors, including free customizable ads, brochures, CD-ROMs, youth posters, and postcards.
Find resources:

November 18, 2010 National Education Technology Plan

On November 9, Secretary Duncan released the U.S. Department of Education’s plan for transforming American education through technology, a process that would create an engaging, state-of-the-art, cradle-to-college school system nationwide. The National Education Technology Plan was written and refined over 18 months by leading education researchers, with input from the public, industry officials, and educators and students from across the country. The plan, “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology,” presents a model with key goals in five areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. Each section outlines concepts for using technology to holistically transform education, with the aim to achieve each goal by 2015. Learn more about the plan.

November 18, 2010 A Judicial Round Table on Underage Drinking

The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) are pleased to bring you “A Judicial Round Table on Underage Drinking.” This video presentation is 1 hour and 30 minutes in length and recorded live at the 2010 OJJDP’s Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws program in Anaheim, California as part of the conference judicial programming. The program explores how judges, administrative officers of the courts and university judicial officers have analyzed problems both inside and outside the college community. The session looks at the capacity of higher education institutions and explores how courts can leverage these resources while keeping their focus on the administration of justice. Access the video program.

November 18, 2010 Findings from the 2009 Child Maltreatment Prevention Environmental Scan of State Public Health Agencies

State public health agencies can play an important role in preventing child maltreatment and associated health problems in several ways: a focus on primary prevention; expertise in reducing risk factors; and access to families through a number of public health programs, within which they can apply and support both new and existing child maltreatment prevention strategies. This document provides information on state public health agencies' involvement in child maltreatment prevention efforts. A product of the Public Health Leadership (PHL) Initiative, the scan findings offer a better understanding of the work state public health agencies currently do to enhance family resiliency, foster healthy child development, and prevent child maltreatment. Read the results.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Violence Prevention is also hosting an upcoming webinar, at which the environment scan findings – and what they tell us about state public health agencies' involvement in child maltreatment prevention – will be discussed. The webinar will take place on December 7, 2010, at 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST. Register for this webinar.

November 3, 2010 The Employment and Training Administration Announces a Publication on the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) released Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 12-10, which announces the availability of ETA Occasional Paper 2010-09, Innovating Under Pressure: The Story of the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative: Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis & Marion County, Phoenix & Maricopa County. This study documents the implementation of the Recovery Act summer youth employment initiative in four featured communities. These communities collectively received an infusion of more than $37 million and provided an estimated 16,650 summer jobs for low-income and disadvantaged youth. Read the study.

November, 1, 2010 Guidance Targeting Bullying

The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance to support educators in combating bullying in schools by clarifying when student bullying may violate federal education anti-discrimination laws. The guidance also makes clear that while current laws enforced by the agency do not protect against harassment based on religion or sexual orientation, they do protect against harassment of members of religious groups based on shared ethnic characteristics and both gender and sexual harassment of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender individuals. The guidance is in the form of a "Dear Colleague" letter sent to schools, colleges, and universities nationwide. The letter explains educators' legal obligations to protect all students from student-on-student racial and national original harassment, gender and sexual harassment, and disability harassment. It also provides examples of harassment and illustrates how a school should respond in each case.

Read the letter (PDF, 10 pages).
Read the related fact sheet (PDF, 2 pages).

November 1, 2010 A Personal Message From President Obama to LGBT Teens

In the wake of the recent suicides of students who have been bullied, President Obama has released a personal message to LGBT teens. Watch the video.

November 1, 2010 Emotional Wellness Tool for Young Women

HRSA Office of Women's Health is pleased to share with you a new Bright Futures for Women's Health and Wellness, Emotional Wellness Tool, now available in Spanish for young women. This tool, which focuses on finding balance and purpose, and building connections and resilience, is the result of several focus group tests with Spanish speaking women to ensure cultural acceptance. Access the tool.

November 1, 2010 Vital Signs: Binge Drinking Among High School Students And Adults—United States 2009

CDC analyzed data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) on the prevalence of binge drinking among U.S. adults. Data also were analyzed from the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) on the prevalence of current alcohol use and binge drinking among U.S. high school students. Prevalence among high school students was 41.8% for current alcohol use, 24.2% for binge drinking, and 60.9% for binge drinking among students who reported current alcohol use. Read the report.

November 1, 2010 HRSA's Children's Health USA 2010 Databook Now Available

This report is the 17th edition of the annual statistical report that highlights the health status and service needs of America's children. It provides data to child health practitioners to assist them in planning, developing, and implementing effective programs to meet public health challenges related specifically to children. The report contains easy-to-access graphs and charts summarizing significant indicators of children's health status, statistics, figures, and references. Order a free copy of the report.

November 1, 2010 www.MyFuture.com Provides Youth with Information about Colleges, Career and Military Services

The Department of Defense has recently announced the launch of Myfuture.com which helps young adults plan their next steps in life by bringing together the most recently available information about colleges, careers and military services. Designed primarily for individuals between 16 and 24, the site features information drawn and collated from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education and Labor. The site contains information on more than 1,000 military and civilian careers and nearly 7,000 accredited colleges, universities and trade schools, and can serve as a central resource for valuable background on college admission requirements, employment trends and military benefits.

MyFuture also provides useful advice across a wide spectrum -- help on taking the SAT examination to interviewing for a first job to preparing for boot camp. Step-by-step planning checklists are also available along with the capability to store favorite job and educational information for future visits.

The site architects do note that Myfuture does not offer career counseling, but acknowledges that self-assessment is key to developing career goals. This site joins www.careeronestop.org and www.mySkillsmyFuture.org in the constellation of governmental websites designed to assist all Americans in their educational pursuits, career-decision making, job search, and reemployment ambitions.

October 21, 2010 ACF awards $2 million for Diligent Recruitment of Families for Children in the Foster Care System

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) Children’s Bureau (CB) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced the award of $2 million, as cooperative agreements over a five year period, to states, tribes and territories to develop comprehensive multi-faceted recruitment programs and services for resource families, including kinship, foster, concurrent and adoptive families for children and youth served by public child welfare agencies as a means to promote the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families.

Grantees will develop and implement a national adoption and foster care data gathering and analysis system; a national adoption information exchange system and adoption training and technical assistance program; work to increase the placements in adoptive families for children of color who are in the foster care system and have the goal of adoption, with a special emphasis on recruitment of families of color who are from communities representative of the children in care and provide adoption services for families who have adopted children with special needs, including day treatment and respite care.

Recruitment toolkits, resource guides, tips for professionals and other publications are available at http://www.adoptuskids.org/resourceCenter/atcPublications.aspx.

For more information regarding resources, techniques, and approaches used by various organizations and The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids to recruit potential foster/adoptive parents visit http://www.childwelfare.gov/outofhome/resourcefam/fosteradopt/recruiting.cfm.

October 20, 2010 ACF Awards Grants to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced six awards to help reduce the number of children in long-term foster care. The grants will fund partnerships between state and local public child welfare agencies, non-profits and institutions of higher education to develop innovative intervention strategies to help move children into permanent homes. This is the first year of funding in a five-year initiative. These projects will test new approaches to reducing long-term foster care placements for children with high rates of long-term placement. Learn more about these awards.

October 20, 2010 New Video on Making Employment Connections for Youth with Disabilities

This video highlights how Minnesota's WorkForce Centers established Youth Zones to serve youth and young adults, including those with disabilities, ages 14-21. Youth and young adults, particularly those with disabilities, do not readily access Minnesota's Workforce Centers because they are not perceived as being youth or disability friendly, and are rather viewed as being for adult use only. Youth Zones were established to provide a physical and virtual space for all youth and young adults, ages 14-24, to gain the knowledge and skills to conduct a successful job search and select a career path. The Youth Zone model is being expanded throughout Minnesota and has replication potential in the One-Stop Career Center service delivery system. The video features two youth with learning disabilities who used Minnesota Workforce Centers' Youth Zone.

The video is accompanied by a promising practice brief, "Maximizing the Self-Sufficiency of Youth with Disabilities in the One-Stop Career Center System.” Read the brief.

October 20, 2010 The Partnership for a Drug-Free America Launches Innovative Community Education Web Site Educating Parents and Teens About the Dangers of Drugs and Alcohol

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, with funding from the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, has launched a new and innovative website, PACT360. This website features five law enforcement-led community prevention education programs designed to deal with existing drug and alcohol issues and empower parents and teens to protect themselves against these dangers: Meth360®, Parents360, Youth360, Latino360 and Padres360. Each of these programs is designed to be delivered by our local partners, law enforcement, prevention and treatment professionals, and can be customized to reflect the needs and issues of the community. Visit the PACT360 website.

October 15, 2010 Fostering Physical Activity: Opportunities for a Lifetime of Health

Prevention Institute’s new brief provides research about the current state of physical activity in the nation and highlights organizational practices and public policies to improve physical activity among children and youth. The report serves as a launching pad for action for practitioners and advocates who are interested in engaging in systems and environmental change approaches in four key arenas: schools, early childcare and education settings, out-of-school-time programs, and communities. Commissioned by the Convergence Partnership, a national collaborative of health funders in the U.S. that includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report was informed by research and key informant interviews. Read the brief.

October 15, 2010 Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model (Second Edition)

This Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) report provides communities that are considering implementing OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model with critical, evidence-based information to inform and direct their efforts. This second edition includes a summary of findings from an independent evaluation of OJJDP's Gang Reduction Program in four demonstration sites. Read the report.

October 15, 2010 SAMHSA Releases the Latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health Results

The recently released National Survey on Drug Use and Health, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is the primary source of information on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old or older. According to the report, the rate of current alcohol use among youths aged 12 to 17 was 14.7 percent in 2009, which is similar to the 2008 rate (14.6 percent). Youth binge and heavy drinking rates in 2009 (8.8 and 2.1 percent) were also similar to rates in 2008 (8.8 and 2.0 percent). The rate of past month illicit drug use increased from 2008 to 2009 among youths aged 12 to 17 (from 9.3 to 10.0 percent) and young adults aged 18 to 25 (from 19.6 to 21.2 percent). Read the report.

October 7, 2010 The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood

Health in the earliest years lays the groundwork for a lifetime of well-being, according to a new report from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and funded, in part, by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This report proposes a new framework for improving physical and mental health, and states that significant progress in lifelong health promotion and disease prevention could be achieved by reducing hardships (or stressors) experienced by young children. Read the report.

October 7, 2010 October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Find events in your community by contacting your state domestic violence coalition. Help respond to and prevent teen dating violence with resources from the Choose Respect initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

October 7, 2010 Community Partnerships: Improving the Response to Child Maltreatment

This volume of the Child Abuse and Neglect User Manual Series from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) Administration for Children and Families offers guidance on how community agencies, organizations, and individuals can work together to support families and create safe, healthy environments where children can thrive. The manual describes the benefits of community partnerships, outlines steps for establishing and sustaining partnerships, and demonstrates how to measure results. Read the manual (PDF, 150 Pages).

October 7, 2010 Attorney General Announces Defending Childhood Initiative

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced its new Defending Childhood Initiative. This initiative is providing resources to prevent children's exposure to violence, mitigate its negative impact when it does occur, and develop knowledge and raise awareness about children’s exposure to violence. Learn more about this initiative.

October 6, 2010 The YouthBuild Solicitation for Grant Applications is Out!

The Department of Labor is happy to announce a solicitation for grant applications (SGA) for the YouthBuild youth and community development program. Designed to serve out of school youth ages 16-24, the YouthBuild model combines educational learning with occupational training. Youth obtain a diploma or GED while gaining certification in construction skills and building low cost housing for families in their communities. To get more information on this program and the requirements for funding, see the Federal Register notice at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-24825.pdf (PDF, 18 Pages)

October 1, 2010 Census Reports More Children Living in Poverty: Implications for Well-being

Both the number of children in poverty and the child poverty rate increased between 2008 and 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which has released new national estimates of poverty. The number of children in poverty rose from 14.1 million to 15.5 million in 2009 and the child poverty rate increased from 19 percent to nearly 21 percent. In addition, the number and percentage of children living in "deep" poverty (households with incomes below 50 percent of the federal poverty level) also increased. Children made up more than a third of all people in poverty in 2009. Read the press release.

October 1, 2010 Community Partnerships: Improving the Response to Child Maltreatment

This manual from the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect within the Children's Bureau offers guidance on how diverse community agencies, organizations, and individuals can work together to form a web of support for families and create safe, healthy environments where children can thrive. The manual describes the benefits of community partnerships, outlines the steps for establishing and sustaining partnerships, and demonstrates how to measure results. In the appendices are valuable resources such as checklists, sample forms, and success stories. Read the manual.

October 1, 2010 Depression High Among Youth Victims of School Cyber Bullying, NIH Researchers Report

Unlike traditional forms of bullying, youth who are the targets of cyber bullying at school are at greater risk for depression than are the youth who bully them, according to a survey conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The new finding is in contrast to earlier studies of traditional bullying, which found that the highest depression scores were reported by another category of youth involved in bullying – bully victims. Past studies on traditional bullying show that bully-victims – those who both bully others and are bullied themselves – are more likely to report feelings of depression than are other groups. The report authors noted that, although bullies are less likely to report feelings of depression than are bully-victims or victims, they are more likely to report depression than are youth not involved with any bullying behaviors. Read the report abstract.

September 27, 2010 Region VII (IA, KS, MO, NE) Listening Session in Kansas City on Physical and Mental Health and Wellness Thursday, October 14, 2010 from 9:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, a collaborative of 12 federal agencies, is hosting a series of listening sessions around the country to gather input to inform the development of an overarching strategic plan for federal youth policy. This is your opportunity to share your perspective on how to improve youth outcomes, including ideas for enhancing the coordination, effectiveness, and efficiency of youth programs and policies.

The focus of the session in Kansas City will be on:

Physical and Mental Health
Wellness

We want to hear from stakeholders at the state and local levels, including:

Youth and families
Practitioners
Researchers
Policy makers
State and local affiliates of youth serving organizations

We look forward to hearing your ideas in this interactive listening session.
Register Now. Registration limited to the first 50.

September 16, 2010 Juvenile Court Statistics, 2006–2007

The National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) recently published Juvenile Court Statistics, 2006–2007 (NCJ 230105). The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) funds the annual report. The report describes trends in delinquency cases that more than 2,100 juvenile courts processed between 1985 and 2007 and status offense cases they handled between 1995 and 2007. It also profiles the almost 1.7 million juvenile court cases handled during 2006 and 2007. Comprehensive information about juvenile cases will help policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in their efforts to enhance the juvenile justice system. Read the report.

September 16, 2010 Field Experiences in Effective Prevention: The U.S. Department of Education's Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models on College Campuses Grants, 2010

As a follow-up to Experiences in Effective Prevention: The U.S. Department of Education's Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models on College Campuses Grants, which reports on the experiences of the 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004 model program grantees, this publication describes the experiences of the 2005, 2006, and 2007 model program grantees. It includes lessons learned as a way to assist other campuses develop and implement effective prevention programs on their campuses and in surrounding communities. This publication is based on information obtained through site visits and materials review to relay the experiences, lessons learned, and recommendations of these 12 model program grantees. In addition, the publication reflects the Department's perspective on developing, implementing, and sustaining evidence-based prevention. Read the report.

September 16, 2010 Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities

This guide, developed by The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), is intended to help practitioners, administrators, and policymakers in secondary and postsecondary education programs, transition programs, One-Stop Career Centers, youth employment programs, and community rehabilitation programs to improve services and outcomes for youth ages 14 to 25 with diagnosed and undiagnosed learning disabilities. This Guide includes numerous quick reference charts, tables, and tools for counselors, career advisors, and other professionals who work directly with youth. In-depth information is provided on a variety of topics, including the types and impact of learning disabilities, needed supports, and research-based interventions. Read the guide.

September 16, 2010 Youth Guides to Budgeting and Developing Logic Models

These guides from The Finance Project provide step-by-step instructions, tips and strategies that youth leaders can use to develop a budget for their organization and develop a logic model to measure their progress, demonstrate their accountability and link investments to results.

Read the Youth Guide to Budgeting (PDF, 27 pages)
Read the Youth Guide to Developing Logic Models (PDF, 32 pages)

September 16, 2010 Archived Webinar: "It Takes a Network": The Power of Cross-System Collaboratives for Youth

On August 25, the Employment and Training Administration hosted a Webinar entitled: WIRED TAT Webinar Series: "It Takes a Network": The Power of Cross-System Collaboratives for Youth. The Webinar highlighted successful cross-system networks that have organized to better meet the needs of disadvantaged and disconnected youth. The Webinar featured discussions from seasoned intermediary organizational leaders at local, regional, and state levels who discussed what catalyzed their collaboration, what they have accomplished, and how they continue to sustain their efforts. Become a registered user of Workforce3One to view the archived Webinar.

September 16, 2010 September is Recovery Month

The President has proclaimed September 2010 as National Alcohol and Drug Addition Recovery Month stating, "Across America, we must spread the word that substance abuse is preventable, that addiction is treatable, and that recovery is possible." As such, it's a great opportunity to raise public awareness about addiction, celebrate people in recovery, and assist others who are still struggling. Recovery Month also provides a platform to promote the societal benefits of treatment for substance abuse disorders, laud the contributions of treatment providers, and promote the message that recovery from alcohol and drug disorders in all its forms is indeed possible - a point emphasized by the 2010 theme, "Join the Voices for Recovery: Now More Than Ever!" Visit the Recovery Month website.

September 16, 2010 September is National Youth Court Month

Youth courts play an important role in our juvenile justice system, a role which is recognized each September through our observance of National Youth Court Month. The National Criminal Justice Reference Service, a key partner of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, features a Youth Court Web page that provides additional information about youth courts and links to pertinent publications and other relevant resources. Visit the Youth Courts website.

September 16, 2010 National Drug Facts Week: November 8–14, 2010

National Drug Facts Week (November 8th–14th, 2010) is a health observance week for teens that aims to shatter the myths about drugs and drug abuse. Through community-based events and activities on the Web, on TV, and through contests, the National Institute on Drug Abuse is working to encourage teens to get factual answers from scientific experts about drugs and drug abuse. National Drug Facts Week is being supported by multiple federal agencies that share an interest in preventing teen drug abuse. Visit the National Drug Facts Week website.

September 2, 2010 Department of Justice Holds Tribal Youth Summit: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) hosted a Tribal Youth Summit at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, on July 19–23, 2010. More than 110 American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth representing 21 tribal communities from across the nation participated. The summit featured sessions on the prevention of substance abuse, teen dating violence, and gang involvement. Among other topics covered were strategies for promoting academic success during the middle- and high-school years and career opportunities for youth. On July 21, DOJ convened its first Listening to the Voices of Tribal Youth Circle, in which youth from tribal communities across the United States shared their high-priority issues with federal officials. The goal of the Circle was to create a venue for communication between tribal youth and federal government staff as a tool in shaping policy and programs that will affect tribal youth for years to come. Learn more about the Summit.
September 2, 2010 OJJDP To Develop Publication Series on Bullying in Schools: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) plans to publish a bulletin series, Bullying in Schools, which summarizes findings from OJJDP-funded research on the impact of bullying on student engagement, attendance, and achievement. The research, conducted by the National Center for School Engagement (NCSE), found that a caring school community, in which individual students are meaningfully challenged and supported by the adults around them, can serve as a powerful antidote to the process by which victimization distances students from learning and leads to truancy, academic failure, and other problems. Learn more about the forthcoming publication series.
September 2, 2010 Understanding the Common Ground Between Systems of Care and Child Abuse Prevention: This FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) fact sheet was developed in response to the CBCAP State Lead Agencies' request for information about systems of care and how they might link to and collaborate with existing system of care efforts underway. It describes the system of care approach and framework, and explains the correlation between systems of care principles and child abuse and neglect prevention and family support principles. Additionally, many ideas for linkages and ways to collaborate are offered. View the Systems of Care and child abuse prevention fact sheet (PDF, 8 pages).
September 2, 2010 Census Sheds Light on Key Juvenile Justice Segment: Youth on Probation: On August 17, 2010, in Washington, DC, at the American Probation and Parole Association's Annual Training Institute, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) presented findings from its Census of Juveniles on Probation (CJP), a major milestone on the road to describing youth under justice supervision and the services they receive. The Census provides critical data on the characteristics of youth on probation, the nature of their offenses, and how they are served. The significance of such information, now available for the first time, is evident when one considers that the number of youth on probation is roughly five times that of the population of youth in custody.
September 2, 2010 NIH Grant Opportunity: Reducing Risk Behaviors by Promoting Positive Youth Development: The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking Research Project Small (R03) Grant applications from institutions/organizations that propose to conduct high quality, behavioral and social science research that will advance the field of positive youth development. Studies may include the evaluation of particular components of new or existing youth development programs; the examination of child and adolescent assets, behaviors, and development that influence positive youth trajectories; and the evaluation of family, community, or social assets and liabilities that contribute to or hamper youth development. Applications are due September 7, 2011. Learn more about the grant opportunity.

July 14, 2010 New Resource for Transition-Age Youth: Youth Connections Community of Practice: On July 7, the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration launched the Youth Connections Community of Practice (CoP) on Workforce3 One. This online community is a shared electronic space where youth practitioners can learn from one another, share successful approaches and models, advance youth workforce development efforts, and foster continued collaboration, problem solving and partnerships. To join the Youth Connections CoP, visit: http://youth.workforce3one.org/page/home.

July 14, 2010 Regional Treatment Center Network for Tribal Youth: The Youth Regional Treatment Center Network provides inpatient substance abuse and alcohol treatment to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native youth. The primary responsibility of the Network is to help California tribal youth find healthy directions in life. The Network supports youth by offering inpatient care, as well as technical assistance, training, and consultation to the tribal alcohol program counselors. The tribal communities assist their youth by participating in the Network and by providing continuing care (aftercare) once the youth returns to the community. Click here for more information.

June 24, 2010 HHS' SAMHSA and partners raise awareness on teen suicide: Helping teens through tough times

Tools for Teens: Why ReachOut.com?-- “Walk into any American high school classroom and the odds are that two of the young people before you will have attempted suicide over the past 12 months,” said Jack Heath, president of the Inspire USA Foundation. “Through our collaboration with SAMHSA and the Ad Council, the We Can Help Us campaign can bring a message of hope to literally millions of young Americans having a tough time.”

ReachOut.com integrates youth-generated, expert-reviewed information and real-life stories with opportunities to connect with others in a supportive, safe environment.

Each page on ReachOut.com includes a prominent call-out to SAMHSA’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a resource for individuals who are in crisis and need immediate help and support.

June 1, 2010
Maximizing the Self-Sufficiency of Youth with Disabilities in the One-Stop Career Center System.

The U.S. Department of Labor has posted a Promising Practices Brief on the Disability Program Navigator (DPN) on Workforce3One. Minnesota and Colorado are highlighted in the brief. To view the brief, visit: http://disabiityworkforce3one.org.

June 1, 2010 New: Empowerment Evaluation Approach for Violence Prevention Organizations

CDC has published Evaluation for Improvement: A Seven-step Empowerment Evaluation Approach for Violence Prevention Organizations. This manual is designed to help violence prevention organizations hire an empowerment evaluator who will assist them in building their evaluation capacity through a learn-by-doing process of evaluating their own strategies. It is for state and local leaders and staff members of organizations, coalitions, government agencies, and/or partnerships working to prevent sexual violence, intimate partner violence, youth violence, suicide, and/or child maltreatment.

The manual discusses seven steps an organization might take to hire an empowerment evaluator from preparing for the hiring process to assessing and sustaining the evaluation. Resources, worksheets, and sample documents are included to make the hiring process easier. The manual also includes “Field Notes,” documenting the experiences and lessons learned from CDC’s DELTA and EMPOWER grantees in hiring empowerment evaluators.

June 1, 2010 ED Newsletter on Program Sustainability Now Available

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools announces a new issue of The Challenge Newsletter around the subject of Program Sustainability. In this issue, you will learn about program sustainability in challenging economic times; insights on sustainability from grantees; lessons learned; and more. To read the full newsletter, please go to: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/resources.html

June 1, 2010 New Campaign to Help Tweens Find Truth-in-Advertising

The Federal Trade Commission has launched a new campaign which aims to educate tweens (kids ages 8 to 12) about advertising so they can become more discerning consumers of information. The goal of the campaign is to boost advertising literacy by raising awareness of advertising and marketing messages; teaching critical thinking skills that will allow tweens to better analyze and interpret advertisements; and demonstrating the benefits of being an informed consumer. The campaign involves tweens, their parents, and their educators. It is based on Admongo.gov (go to: http://www.admongo.gov), which teaches core ad literacy concepts through game play. Other elements of the campaign include in-school curricula (go to: http://www.admongo.gov/curriculum.aspx) that are tied to state standards of learning; sample ads that can be used at home and in the classroom; and teacher training videos.

May 24, 2010 OJJDP Publishes FY 2010 Program Plan

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published its Final Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 (PDF, 8 pages) in the May 20, 2010, Federal Register. The Final Plan describes discretionary program activities that OJJDP intends to carry out during the current fiscal year.

The Plan's development was guided by priorities of the Department of Justice set forth by the Attorney General and took into account the 150 submissions received in response to OJJDP's request for comments on its Proposed Plan, published in the Federal Register last December.

OJJDP's Final Plan for FY 2010 is available online at ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/funding/FY10OJJDPFinalPlan.pdf (PDF, 8 pages).

May 24, 2010 Net Cetera: A Guide to Chat with Kids

On Guard Online (http://www.OnGuardOnline.gov) recently released Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online, a guide for parents, teachers and other mentors with practical tips to help kids navigate the online world safely. Net Cetera covers a variety of topics – from cyber bullying to file-sharing – as well as where to go for more information and issues to raise with kids about living their lives online. Read it at www.onguardonline.gov/netcetera and in Spanish at www.alertaenlinea.gov/netcetera . OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information. To order copies to share with schools and community go to: http://bulkorder.ftc.gov.

May 24, 2010 Child Obesity Task Force Action Plan Released

First Lady Michelle Obama recently announced the release of the action plan from the Interagency Childhood Obesity Task Force. Titled Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation. This report provides a national road map that will help solve the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight. The action plan focuses and expands on how communities can work together to:

Create a healthy start on life for our children, from pregnancy through early childhood;
Empower parents and caregivers to make healthy choices for their families;
Serve healthier food in schools;
Ensure access to healthy, affordable food; and
Increase opportunities for physical activity.

For more information go to the Let's Move! website at: www.letsmove.gov.

May 19, 2010 Bulletin Describes Results of Youth Survey on Conditions of Confinement

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Conditions of Confinement: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement." The third in a publication series derived from findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement, this OJJDP bulletin describes the characteristics of the facilities in which youth are confined and the programs that serve them. Print copies may be ordered at www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+227729. For an overview of the series, see "Introduction to the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement" at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/218390.pdf .

May 19, 2010 New 2010 National Drug Control Strategy Released: On May 11, President Obama and Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Kerlikowske released the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy, which serves as a blueprint for the new, balanced, and collaborative approach to reducing drug use and its consequences. Prepared by ONDCP, the Strategy establishes goals for reducing drug use and its consequences through a balanced policy of prevention, treatment, enforcement, and international cooperation. To access the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy online visit: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/strategy/index.html.
April 27, 2010 HHS Report Notes Decrease in Child Maltreatment: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has published "Child Maltreatment 2008." The report, the latest in an annual series issued each April in observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, indicates that 2008 saw the lowest child victimization rate in five years. An estimated 772,000 children were victims of child abuse and neglect, a rate of 10.3 per 1,000 children, with almost a third of the victims less than four years old. "Child Maltreatment 2008" is available online at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm08/.
April 27, 2010 ED Report Shares Postsecondary Enrollment and Graduation Info: This report presents findings from the 2009 data collection of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System from the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences. Approximately 57 percent of full-time, first-time bachelor's or equivalent degree-seekers in 2002 attending 4-year institutions completed a bachelor's or equivalent degree at the institution where they began their studies within 6 years. In fall 2008, Title IV institutions in the United States enrolled a total of 19.6 million graduate and undergraduate students; 62 percent were enrolled in 4-year institutions, 36 percent were enrolled in 2-year institutions, and 2 percent were enrolled in less-than-2-year institutions. To view the full report please visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2010152.

April 27, 2010 Suicide Prevention Resources Added to SAMHSA Program Directory: The National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices has added Reconnecting Youth: A Peer Group Approach to Building Life Skills (RY) to its searchable online registry of interventions. This school-based prevention program for students aged 14-19 years teaches skills to build resiliency against risk factors and control early signs of substance abuse and emotional distress. RY targets youth who demonstrate poor school achievement and high potential for school dropout. Eligible students may show signs of multiple problem behaviors, such as substance abuse, aggression, depression, or suicidal ideation. For more information, go to http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=96.
April 27, 2010 CDC Report Links Physical Activity and Academic Performance: CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) recently released a new report, The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance. The report indicates that school-based physical activity may help improve students' grades and test scores and positively affect other factors that influence academic achievement. The report also concludes that adding time during the school day for physical activity does not appear to take away from academic performance. This Executive Summary for this report and the complete report is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm#3.
April 20, 2010 Grants 101 Website Helps Applicants for Justice Grants: The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has launched a Grants 101 Web page to assist applicants in navigating the challenges of a highly competitive application and grant award process. This page offers several resources, which are particularly useful for new applicants. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has posted a number of current solicitations on OJJDP's Funding Opportunities Web page. Additional funding opportunities from other OJP components may be found on OJP's Open Solicitations Web page.

April 13, 2010 OJJDP Bulletin Examines Causes and Correlates of Girls' Delinquency

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Causes and Correlates of Girls' Delinquency." Part of OJJDP's Girls Study Group series, the bulletin summarizes the research team's review of social science literature on factors impacting girls' delinquency and notes their policy and program implications. The bulletin identifies factors correlated with girls' delinquency.

For further information and resources on girls' delinquency, visit OJJDP's Girls' Delinquency Web portal.

April 13, 2010 DOJ Launches Comprehensive Web Site for Tribal Communities

The Department of Justice's Tribal Justice and Safety Web site is a one-stop shop for tribal communities, to help further improve public safety. The site features an easy to navigate format and access to the latest announcements, press releases, speeches and information regarding Department of Justice initiatives in tribal communities. It also provides comprehensive resources available through the Office of Tribal Justice and the Department's grant-making divisions: the Office of Justice Programs, Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office on Violence Against Women.

Access to the Department's Combined Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) is also available on the Web site. Last month, the Department announced the creation of CTAS, a newly streamlined grant program for federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal communities, governments and consortiums to apply for Fiscal Year 2010 funding opportunities.

April 13, 2010 CDC Hosts Parent Portal for Healthy, Safe Children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched Parent Portal, an encyclopedic website with links to information from all areas of CDC. The portal is a source for credible, accurate information in helping parents raise healthy kids and provide a safe home and community. Some of the many sections hold information about child abuse prevention, autism signs, body piercing, school violence, and information on the effects of childhood stress. Quick links go to developmental milestones and safety in the home, among other subjects. Users can subscribe to receive email updates and RSS feeds. Podcasts are also accessible. Visit the portal on the CDC site: www.cdc.gov/parents

April 13, 2010 OJJDP Bulletin Reports on Youth in Custody's Needs and Services

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Youth's Needs and Services: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement." The Survey of Youth in Residential Placement is the first national study to gather information on youth in custody by surveying detained offenders. The second in a series, the bulletin reports on the survey's findings on youth in custody's needs and the services they receive. Print copies may be ordered at www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+227728.

April 7, 2010 New Toolkit Helps Federal Grant Applicants: U.S. Department of Labor Announces Online Tool for Grant Applicants. The U.S. Department of Labor launched an online suite of resources for grant applicants. Created by the department's Employment and Training Administration, the new site introduces potential grantees to ETA grants and provides examples to guide applicants through the process of applying. Included on the site are an Annotated Sample Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA); an interactive, self-paced tutorial on the ETA grant-making process; and a compilation of resources to help prospective applicants develop competitive grant applications. To view the tool, visit: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.
April 7, 2010 Fact Sheet on Gangs and Gang Violence: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has released "Highlights of the 2008 National Youth Gang Survey." The fact sheet draws on findings from OJJDP's annual National Youth Gang Survey to provide data on gangs, gang members, and gang-related crime and violence. In 2008, approximately 774,000 gang members and 27,900 gangs were active in some 3,300 jurisdictions across the United States, estimates that remain virtually unchanged from 2007. Print copies may be ordered online at www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+229249. To access additional gang-related information and resources, visit the National Gang Center's Web site at www.nationalgangcenter.gov.

March 22, 2010 Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge Informing Transformation Toolkit Launched

SAMHSA has recently published the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Knowledge Informing Transformation (KIT) tookit. The materials provide innovative, engaging, and effective learning tools that help shape mental health services toward recovery. The first-generation EBP KIT topics include:

March 18, 2010 Fact Sheet Reviews Trends in Girls' Delinquency

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Girls' Delinquency," a fact sheet reviewing trends in girls' delinquency and describing research conducted by OJJDP's Girls Study Group. The fact sheet also reports on OJJDP programs and publications that address girls' delinquency. "Girls' Delinquency" (NCJ 228414) is available at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=250433. Print copies may be ordered online at www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+228414&repro=0. For further information about girls' delinquency, visit OJJDP's Girls' Delinquency page at ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/programs/girlsdelinquency.html.

March 18, 2010 Connecting With Your Teen: A Parent Tipsheet

Teens are becoming more independent, but they still need their parents' love, support, and guidance. This tip sheet helps parents understand typical teen behavior. It offers suggestions for how parents can use simple, everyday activities to reinforce their connection with their teens and show they care.

March 12, 2010 Runaway/Homeless Youth and Dating Violence Toolkit

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence recently launched an online toolkit for runaway and homeless youth service providers interested in addressing teen dating violence (TDV) and to help TDV service providers include runaway and homeless youth. Runaway and homeless youth often fall through the cracks of our dating violence prevention efforts, but they are an extremely vulnerable group. This Toolkit was developed by and for advocates in the runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and domestic and sexual assault (DV/SA) fields to help programs better address relationship violence with runaway and homeless youth. The Toolkit organizes information, resources, tips and tools drawn from the lessons learned by collaborative projects funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which brought together domestic violence programs and runaway and homeless youth agencies to address relationship violence among street youth.

SAMHSA and Ad Council to Launch Mental Health Campaign for the African American Community

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in collaboration with the Ad Council and the Stay Strong Foundation, announced the launch of a national campaign designed to raise awareness of mental health problems among young adults in the African American community. The new public service announcements were unveiled at a Black History Month event at Howard University on February 24 to coincide with the first annual HBCU National Mental Health Awareness Day.

Mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are widespread in the U.S. and often misunderstood. According to SAMHSA, among adults, the prevalence of serious mental illness is highest in the 18 to 25 age group, yet this age group is also the least likely to receive services or counseling. In 2008, 6.0 percent of African Americans ages 18-25 had serious mental illness in the past year. Overall, only 58.7 percent of Americans with serious mental illness received care within the past 12 months and the percentage of African Americans receiving services is only 44.8 percent.

"Raising understanding and attention to these issues within the African American community will provide greater opportunities for those needing help to receive effective mental health services," said Kathryn A. Power, Director of SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services.

Created pro bono by Grey Worldwide through the Ad Council, the campaign aims to promote acceptance of mental health problems within the African American community by encouraging, educating and inspiring young adults to step up and talk openly about mental health problems. The television, radio, print and Web ads feature real personal stories of African Americans dealing with mental health problems, and they aim to engage those in the community to support young adults who need help. The PSAs direct audiences to visit a new website, www.storiesthatheal.samhsa.gov, where they can learn more about mental health problems and how to get involved.

"According to our research and the leading mental health experts, young adults with mental health problems are more likely to seek help if social acceptance is broadened and they receive support and services early on," said Peggy Conlon, president & CEO of the Ad Council.

Terrie M. Williams, MSW, co-founder of The Stay Strong Foundation, collaborated on the development of the Web videos and PSA materials and serves as a campaign spokesperson. The Stay Strong Foundation works to support, educate and inspire African American youth through a series of programs and events that are designed to raise awareness of teen issues, promote the personal well-being of young people and enhance their educational and professional development.

"It is the work of the Stay Strong Foundation and my personal mission to educate everyone, and in particular the African American community, about depression and its impact on our communities," said Williams. "Every day so many of us wear the "mask" of wellness that hides our pain from the world. Now is the time to identify and name our pain—minus the myths and the stigmas—and seek the help so many of us need."

SAMHSA's Campaign for Mental Health Recovery partners include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Mental Health, state mental health agencies, leading researchers on stigma and a broad coalition of stakeholders, including organizations that represent provider organizations and consumer and family member groups. The Campaign held a series of regional meetings to develop a grassroots network to support the Campaign and provide assistance with anti-stigma efforts to states and local communities.

A resource guide entitled, "Developing a Stigma Reduction Initiative," is also a part of the campaign and is based on the evaluation and lessons learned from the Elimination of Barriers Initiative. The guide provides information on how to mount a statewide anti-stigma campaign, examples of outreach materials, reports on the best practices for stigma reduction, and lists important resources for technical assistance. Copies of the guide can be downloaded at http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/ken/pdf/SMA06-4176/Developing_a_Stigma_Reduction.pdf (PDF, 108 pages)or by calling SAMHSA's Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA7. SAMHSA also maintains a national technical assistance center called the ADS Center (Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity, and Social Inclusion) to help States, communities, and individuals get the necessary information and resources to counter misperceptions, prejudice and discrimination associated with mental illnesses. For more information, visit www.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov.

Additional public service efforts designed to reach Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans will also be launched this spring. To view the ads, please visit www.adcouncil.org. The PSAs will air in advertising time that will be entirely donated by the media.

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator Enhanced

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has updated the National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs. The publication includes an inventory of more than 11,000 substance abuse treatment programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 5 U.S. Territories. The directory includes public and private facilities which are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved by substance abuse agencies in each state. The directory complements SAMHSA's online Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator. For further assistance, contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).

Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention

On February 25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with Liz Claiborne Inc. released a new online training, Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention. The training is designed to help educators, youth-serving organizations, and others working with teens understand the risk factors and warning signs associated with teen dating violence. The 60-minute course also will highlight the importance of promoting healthy relationships.

Participants will find themselves in a virtual school setting, navigating the training course through hallways, classrooms, and interactions with students. A teacher's whiteboard will present information in a user-friendly way and provide navigation, help, and interactive resources for use throughout the course.

For more information, go to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control's webpage at www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention. If you have questions about Dating Matters, please contact DatingMatters@cdc.gov.

New Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: The Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics have published "Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2009." The report draws on federally funded studies to provide detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools and school environments and responses to violence and crime at school.
A Comprehensive Approach to Teen Driver Safety: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed a four-tier strategy to prevent vehicle-related deaths and injuries among teen drivers: increasing seat belt use, implementing graduated drivers licensing, reducing teens' access to alcohol, and promoting parental responsibility.
National Public Health Strategy to Prevent Youth Violence: Young people are both the victims and perpetrators of violence, with homicide being the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24. An average of 16 young people are murdered each day, and in 2007 more than 668,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries sustained from violence. But youth violence can be prevented. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing a National Public Health Strategy to Prevent Youth Violence (PDF, 2 pages), aimed at reducing the perpetration of violence by youth ages 10 to 24. This approach includes evidence-informed programs, practices, and policies.
New Website Promotes Green Jobs: Within the Department of Labor, the Employment and Training Administration has launched a "Shades of Green" website for the YouthBuild community. YouthBuild helps young workers develop job skills and give back to their communities. The Shades of Green website offers a comprehensive guide to green building practices and possibilities for YouthBuild programs, clear presentations of the comparative benefits and challenges of available methods and materials, and honest reports from the field where real groups have successfully incorporated these powerful ideas.
Guideposts for Success for Youth with Mental Health Needs: Guideposts for Success for Youth with Mental Health Needs, a website supported by a grant from the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the Department of Labor, provides a comprehensive framework that identifies what all youth, including youth with disabilities, need to succeed during the critical transition years. This website is particularly helpful for youth service practitioners serving youth with mental health needs.

Website Helps Federal Staff Design Comprehensive Community Initiatives: cciToolsforFeds is a web-based resource for Federal staff who work with Comprehensive Community Initiatives (CCIs), also known as Community Change Initiatives. Through cciToolsforFeds helps federal staff decide what Federal partners you need to involve in a CCI project; select a way to coordinate funding from multiple agencies; determine each partner's contribution to the project; choose a structure for governing, managing and collaborating among agencies; and plan for sustaining the partnership. The website also provides assistance in writing solicitations, planning budgets, selecting and orienting CCI project sites, developing and funding technical assistance and evaluations.
Understanding Teen Use of Technology: The Parents: The AntiDrug website offers a crash course in the most popular communication tools used by teens today – such as social networking sites and cell phones – as well as guidance and advice to help parents monitor their teen's activities on these devices to keep them safe.
New Report from the National Survey of Adoptive Parents: Adoption USA presents findings from the first nationally representative survey of adoptive parents in the United States. Several agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services collaborated to produce this chartbook based on the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents. Highlights of findings related to youth ages 12 to 17 years include, 1) Most parents of adopted youth (77 percent) describe their relationships with their children as good or better than they ever expected; 2) Compared to parents of all youth, parents of adopted youth are less likely to report their children are usually or always engaged in school; and 3) adopted youth are more likely than the general population of youth to have health and behavioral issues.
A National Report on Children's Exposure to Violence: The Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention published a report based on the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence. Children's Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey includes data on both past-year and lifetime exposure to violence across a number of categories, including physical assault, bullying, sexual victimization, child maltreatment, dating violence, and witnessed and indirect victimization.
New National Teen Drug Study Reports Improvement and Offers Warning Signs for the Future: Findings from the 2009 Monitoring the Future study reveal that alcohol use among adolescents has continued its gradual decline. While cigarette smoking continues at its lowest levels in history, smokeless tobacco use increased among 10th graders. Marijuana use has increased slightly over the last two years.

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National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development/GreatSchools Partnership — Coordinating Housing Assistance with Educational Opportunities

Myth Busters: National Reentry and Medicaid

Martin Luther King Day of Service-2012

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