"I am highly enthusiastic about this work….this volume will be a watershed event in the field of applied developmental science (ADS) generally and, more specifically, in the study and enhancement of youth development….The editors of this book are among the premier ADS scholars in the youth development field. Indeed, their leadership has been, I would guess, the reason they have been able to assemble such a "star-studded" group of contributors to this project."--Richard M. Lerner, Tufts University

In the face of the public perception that youth are engaged in more violence now than at any other period in our nation’s history, what does it take to create a community that promotes positive opportunities for all young people? Or, in other words, how do we look at teenagers as resources to be nurtured, rather than viewing them as problems to be remedied?

Community Youth Development: Programs, Policies, and Practices focuses on positive methods for youth development that are rapidly supplanting the traditional deficit-oriented, problem-reduction approaches. Edited by eminent scholars Francisco A. Villarruel, Daniel F. Perkins, Lynne M. Borden, and Joanne G. Keith, this accessible volume provides practical tools and models for developing community-wide initiatives that strengthen protective factors, build competencies, and focus on thriving indicators. Examining the needs of multiple audiences, programs, and policies, each chapter contributes to an overall understanding of the "how" and "why" of community youth development.

A diverse and distinguished group of contributors formulate a comprehensive framework of positive youth development by examining

• African-American, Latino, American Indian, and immigrant youth issues
• The role of gender and sexuality in youth development
• Strategies for success with disabled youth
• Approaches to job and career development
• Key elements of community-based youth development
• Skills and characteristics of successful youth workers

Community Youth Development supplies readers with the essential information to successfully create an environment that provides optimal opportunities for healthy youth development. The editors gather together the top names from many of the most innovative programs in youth development to ensure authoritative, cutting-edge coverage.

Designed for upper division undergraduate and graduate students in human development, family studies, and education, Community Youth Development is also an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policy advocates for youth and community development.