Leave No Youth Behind: Opportunities for Congress to Reach Disconnected Youth
by Jodie Levin-Epstein and Mark H. Greenberg, Editors, Center for Law and Social Policy, July 2003 (pdf)
This report offers recommendations to help disconnected youth in six programs being considered by the 108th Congress for reauthorization: the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Higher Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Workforce Investment Act. It encourages federal policymakers to look across legislative initiatives to develop an integrated set of policies to address the needs of this population. The report concludes that the nation should commit itself to increase the proportion of young people who at age 25 (1) have a high school diploma and postsecondary degree or credential, (2) are employed in jobs with career advancement possibilities, and (3) are not engaged in adverse risk-taking behaviors. Action Center for Child Advocates
Many national organizations have online action centers that explain policy priorities for kids and families. Connect for Kids Action Center for Child Advocates allows you to view legislative agendas and learn how to stay involved. Advocates for Children and Youth
Identifies problems, promotes policies and programs, and evaluates the effectiveness of programs and policies. Building Blocks For Youth
An alliance of children and youth advocates, researchers, law enforcement professionals and community organizers that seeks to reduce over-representation and disparate treatment of youth of color in the juvenile justice system and promote fair, rational and effective juvenile justice policies. The alliance is engaged in: conducting new research; analyzing decision-making in the system; advocating for minority youth; building constituencies for change; developing communication strategies. Campaign for Meaningful Student Involvement
Bring resources to students, educators, administrators, researchers, and advocates who want to increase meaningful student involvement in schools. Meaningful involvement happens when students are connected to their learning and have voice, influence, and can affect the educational systems that serve them, there is meaningful involvement. Part of The Freechild Project, dedicated to building communities by engaging all people in active democracy through social justice. Connect for Kids (Parent Involvement in Education)
Multimedia project, helps adults make their communities better places for families and children. Offers a place on the Internet for adults—parents, grandparents, educators, policymakers and others—who want to become more active citizens, from volunteering to voting with kids in mind. The Institute for Responsive Education (IRE)
A research, policy, and advocacy organization that encourages and supports school, family, and community partnership to enable high quality educational opportunities for all children and to improve schools and raise education standards. The National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC)
Youth leadership initiatives that address a dual purpose: educating America's K-12 and college-age students through thoughtful and practical service, while at the same time benefiting the communities in which those young people live. NYLC advocates for service-learning, national service, as well as efforts to reform education and guide youth-oriented public policy. Pressroom Update
Connect for Kids tool for journalists and advocates looking for information on the issues that matter for children and families. Links to research and articles that offer a "kids' context" on policy issues. Public Education Network's School and Community Services Initiative
Addresses the challenge of meeting the non-academic needs of children to help ensure that students are at their best, academically and socially. The initiative takes a child-centered, coordinated-services perspective that recognizes the role of schools, families, and community agencies in the lives of children. Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a nonprofit nonpartisan policy research and educational organization that provides information and analysis to public and private decision makers to help them address these challenges and strives to raise citizen understanding of these issues and tradeoffs in policy making. | 
