Available free of charge and online at http://www.americaspromise.org/gradnation, this "road map" includes the latest research, best practices, and tools for meeting your specific high school dropout challenges. In addition to the research-based guidance for addressing the crisis, Grad Nation also includes ready-to-print tools and links to additional online resources.
Authored by Robert Balfanz, Ph.D. and Joanna Honig Fox from the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, and John M. Bridgeland and Mary McNaught of Civic Enterprises, Grad Nation presents a compelling case for a broad cross-section of all organizations and individuals to get involved. The guide offers a variety of resources and solutions that address the challenge at every level, while recognizing that there is no silver bullet for reducing the nation's dropout rate. Grad Nation is the first 'one stop shop' for anyone who wants to assemble the best set of approaches that will impact the problem.

Evidence-based Kernels: Fundamental Units of Behavioral InfluenceThis paper describes evidence-based kernels, fundamental units of behavioral influence that appear to underlie effective prevention and treatment for children, adults, and families.

Identifying and Promoting Promising PracticesBy reading this article organizations will be equipped with the knowledge and information needed to be able to identify, validate and promote best practices among themselves and the faith-based and community-based organizations they serve.

Developing Healthy Communities: A Risk and Protective Factor Approach to Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse.All across our country, adults concerned about the healthy development of young people are searching for answers to the behavior problems of alcohol and other drug abuse, delinquency, violence, school dropout, and teen pregnancy.

Basics of Program Designfrom CCF National Resource Center

Reclaiming Philanthropy This article explores the term and encourages us to give "something."

How Can Our Board Members Help Raise Money? This article proves the crucial role that an agency board of directors plays in securing a diverse number of sources for income, the key thing all good fundraising plans have in common. By Meridian Consulting, Board Development Series.

Five Fundraising Mistakes We Make With Our Boards, outlines the most common of these mistakes which often lead board members to shy away from fundraising.

What We Know About Youth Violence is a summary of local statistics from the court and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey alongside some basic statements about the causes of cures of youth violence.

Vermont Youth Risk and Behavior Survey for Windham County is a report published every two years since 1985, by the Department of Health's Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs and the Department of Education's Comprehensive School Health Program who has sponsored a survey of Vermont students. The Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) measures the prevalence of behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disease, and injury among youth.

Youth Violence Research by the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. This research has shed light on a number of critical questions: How prevalent is youth violence? What are the factors that lead people to engage in violent behavior? And which strategies and programs are effective in preventing violent behavior and intervening when violent behavior occurs? Research findings are providing a clearer understanding of the root causes of youth violence and also practical knowledge about which preventative approaches and interventions work best, and why.

Lots More Positive Attitude: What Young People say and see in one Rural County. In August NEN released a report describing youth life in Windham County, Vermont, where we are doing capacity-building work to improve youth development and reduce violence. The report presents survey findings and the results of a youth 'Photovoice' project in the county — an effort that we hope will inspire coalitions in other places setting out to understand the hopes and fears of young people in their own communities.

From Surviving to Thriving: How Communities Can Help Vermont's Rural Homeless Youth and the Programs that Serve Them. Transitional living programs (TLPs) located in rural areas have one of the toughest jobs in child welfare: connecting disadvantaged and sometimes troubled young people with services and opportunities that may barely exist. 'Surviving to Thriving,' a needs assessment of Vermont's federally funded TLP system, looks at promising practices in rural programming for youth, and makes recommendations that can easily be generalized to all rural parts of the United States.

Strategies for Improving Out of School Programs in Rural Communities. Out-of-school time programs in rural areas can provide healthy and constructive activities that offer productive ways for children and youth to spend their time, build positive relationships, and receive academic support.5,6,7,8 This brief highlights the challenges faced by rural out-of-school programs and suggests several strategies that can strengthen these programs.

Developing Healthy Communities: A Risk and Protective Factor Approach to Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse. As an update to the early work on risk and protective factor-focused prevention of J. David Hawkins, Ph.D., Richard F. Catalano, Ph.D., who were some of the earliest researchers in the field, this article looks at the risk factors and the problems they predict. It ties substance use to youth violence.

Adolescent Heart & Soul: Achieving Spiritual Competence in Youth-Serving Agencies. In this first-ever study of spiritual programming in youth-service agencies, New England Network for Child, Youth & Family Services describes how spirituality programs - both secular and religious - look in agencies that do them well. These 'spiritually competent' agencies recognize spirituality as an important component of a holistic therapeutic approach, and deliver their spiritual programs in conformance with widely accepted standards of clinical care and the principles of youth development. This report is indispensable for social service professionals interesting in incorporating spiritual activities into their own practice with young people.

Practice Unbound: A Study of Secular Spiritual and Religious Activities in Work with Adolescents. This report provides one of the first comprehensive looks at the ways human service agencies are introducing secular spiritual and religious programming in work with troubled adolescents. Of a random sample of nearly 200 youth-serving agencies, reaching from the U.S. eastern seaboard to Alaska, Hawaii and Guam, 60% report using at least one secular activity - guided visualization and 12-step groups are the most common - and 35% offer at least one religious activity. Both secular and faith-based organizations that already offer spiritual activities strongly support them and intend to do more, but say they need more training. Of those agencies resistant to incorporating spiritual activities, many cite the dearth of conclusive evidence showing that it is beneficial. Others claim they lack time, money and manpower. And still others have the impression that instituting such programs, especially those with religious content, could jeopardize board and community support as well as public funding. In fact, though, the risk of losing government funding appears to be minimal.

"Rural Nonprofits Must Overcome Significant Hurdles to Attract Funding, Study Finds." Grantmakers' perceptions of rural life, geographical isolation, and capacity-building needs greatly reduce the ability of rural nonprofits to secure funding, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds.

"Despite the Downturn There’s Hope for Charitable Giving..." Despite turmoil in the financial markets and a slowing economy, charitable giving levels may not be affected as much or for as long as some fear, say researchers at Boston College's Center on Wealth and Philanthropy.