Application Deadline: June 30, 2013
Youth in grades 8–11 are encouraged to apply for membership on NIDA’s Teen Advisory Group, which meets online for one hour, four to six times a year, to provide feedback on NIDA materials and programming. Teen Advisory Group members are eligible for a $25.00 gift certificate for each discussion they participate in. E-mail NIDATAG@iqsolutions.com to request an application.  

President Obama has announced the new ConnectED Initiative, which aims to bring America’s students into the digital age by ensuring access to the Internet and other educational technologies by using existing federal funds and partnering with businesses, states, districts, communities, and schools. Learn more.

This blog entry describes President Obama’s High School Redesign initiative. This multifaceted plan aims to transform the high school experience for America’s youth through a comprehensive redesign effort. Learn more.  

This blog entry discusses the challenges that foster youth can have in maintaining good credit and highlights a new resource, “Youth and Credit: Protecting the Credit of Youth in Foster Care.” This publication, developed by the FTC, ChildFocus Inc., and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, can help young adults in foster care and those that work with them to understand the importance of financial stability and to take action if they should become the victim of identity theft. Learn more.  

MentalHealth.gov provides users with information on a variety of mental health issues, including potential signs of mental illness, ways to seek help for mental health challenges, and videos that feature individual stories of mental illness, hope, and recovery. Learn more.  

DHS has unveiled the redesigned Blue Campaign, the Department’s initiative for combatting human trafficking. The Blue Campaign develops resources on recognizing and reporting human trafficking, as well as resources for victims, and promotes collaboration among law enforcement, government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector in order to increase awareness and response to human trafficking. Learn more. 

Dates: Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 4:00PM-5:30PM ET and June 13, 2013, 11:00AM-12:30PM ET
This webinar will provide information on designing and conducting surveys that measure bullying, violence, and substance abuse and will describe key elements of effective measurement and survey management and administration. Learn more. 

This podcast highlights a study that found teens who slept less had higher body mass indexes, suggesting that increasing sleep duration could help decrease obesity in teens. Learn more.

In commemoration of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2013, the CDC released this article which highlights the ways in which tobacco companies specifically market to teens and the ways in which parents and those who work with youth can help counter the effects of tobacco marketing. Learn more.

This article features multiple tools and resources that can help recent college graduates start their own businesses, including free online trainings and mentor services. Learn more.

Application Deadline: July 1, 2013
FY 2013 Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) State Planning, Local Education Agency, and Local Community Cooperative Agreements will provide funds to state education agencies, mental health authorities, and tribes and tribal organizations to create safe and supportive schools and communities by bringing the SS/HS model to scale through partnerships among educational, behavioral health, and criminal/juvenile justice systems. Learn more.

Date: July 8, 2013; 2:00PM-3:30PM ET
This webinar will help practitioners working to prevent child maltreatment understand the multiple forms of evidence involved in evidence-based decision making, standards of rigor for best available research evidence, sources of evidence, and key stages of evidence-based decision making. Presenters will also illustrate how practitioners, coalitions, and evaluators can use the new interactive web resource Understanding Evidence, developed by the CDC to help practitioners make evidence-informed decisions around violence prevention. Learn more.

This collection of articles highlights youth engagement strategies used by various organizations to encourage youth to take charge of their own well-being. Topics include trauma-informed youth self-advocacy, the employment of transition age youth, and youth-driven programming. Learn more.

This report illustrates that the teen birth rate in the United States declined 25 percent between 2007-2011, a record low, with the steepest declines seen for Hispanic teenagers. Learn more (PDF, 8 pages).

This podcast highlights data from a recent study that found that teenage girls who presented themselves proactively in social media had a greater chance of meeting in person someone they first met online. Learn more.

This report outlines the current state of education in the United States, including data on 42 indicators grouped under four areas: population characteristics, participation in education, elementary and secondary education, and postsecondary education, as well as key areas of interest, such as trends in employment rates by educational attainment and the status of rural education. Learn more.

Application Deadline: June 24, 2013
Funds will support the research in the development and validation of a risk assessment tool designed to estimate the risk that juveniles with a history of sex offenses may recommit similar offenses. Learn more (PDF, 27 pages).

Based on findings from SAMHSA's 2007 to 2010 Treatment Episode Data Set, this report illustrates that pregnant teen substance abuse treatment admissions involved greater challenges than other female teen admissions in a number of key areas, such as financial and educational status. Learn more.

On June 15, 2013, public housing authorities across the country will hold Father’s Day events as part of HUD’s Father’s Day 2013 Initiative to promote the importance of fathers in children’s lives. Communities are encouraged to join our effort by scheduling events that provide an opportunity for fathers and children to spend time together. Learn more.  

Date: May 22, 2013 2:30-4:00 PM ET
This webinar will review the unique issues in health and health care for transition age youth, including those with special health care needs, and the specific components of the ACA that will impact adolescents and young adults. Learn more.

Deadline: June 24, 2013
State health departments are invited to apply for funds that will support the coordination and management of new and existing partnerships with child maltreatment prevention organizations and other partners to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children. Learn more.

Date: May 13-27, 2013
The public is invited to contribute to an online conversation about the impact of federal regulations on the successful transition from school to work of youth with disabilities in order to help improve  policies, practices, and interagency strategic planning. Learn more.

This series of articles articulates the FYSB’s position on implementing evidence-based practices in youth programming, provides the perspective of an FYSB grantee on implementing an evidence-based program, and discusses working with researchers to illustrate the effectiveness of programs. Learn more.  

The recently created Teen Pregnancy Prevention Resource Center provides training materials, e-learning modules, podcasts, webinars, and other resources to assist organizations as they work to reduce teen pregnancy. Learn more.

Deadline: May 20, 2013
American Indian and Alaska Native youth who are 13-21 years old are encouraged to submit a photo or video of themselves gardening, illustrating why it’s important for a community to grow its own vegetables. Winners will receive cash prizes of $75 (1st place), $50 (2nd place), and $25 (3rd place). Learn more.   

Date: May 16, 2013; 2:00PM-4:00PM ET
This webinar will focus on strategies for developing, and engaging system-involved youth in, education programs that are culturally relevant and high quality, and the benefits of higher education in juvenile justice settings. Learn more.

Date: May 14, 2013; 2:00PM-3:30PM ET
This webinar will feature Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Administrator Robert L. Listenbee and an expert panel discussing the importance of justice system involvement in preventing underage drinking. Presenters will cover the negative impact of alcohol on young people, the crucial role enforcement agencies play in preventing underage drinking, and the role of media and policy advocacy in efforts to move effective strategies forward. Learn more.

This document can help organizations plan for National Prevention Week, which will be held May 12-18, 2013. Ideas for events, promotional materials, budgeting tips, and fact sheets are included along with other relevant resources. Learn more.

This document provides information to young workers and practitioners that can help them connect young people with services. The guide contains information about programs at the state and local level. Learn more (PDF, 14 pages).

Date: Tuesday May 21, 2013; 2:00PM-3:30PM EST
Developing an understanding of how trauma affects the lives of youth, and how service providers can infuse this understanding into their work with young people from various populations, can make an important difference in outcomes for youth. This webinar will provide an overview of trauma and the effect it can have on youth development, recognizing the dangers of re-traumatizing youth if services are not trauma-informed, trauma-informed approaches and what they mean for different service sectors, and how trauma-informed interventions can be used in a range of youth service systems to improve outcomes for youth. Learn more.

Application Deadline: May 22, 2013
SAMHSA is accepting applications for cooperative agreements for State Adolescent and Transitional Aged Youth Treatment Enhancement and Dissemination grants, which provide funding to states, territories, and tribes to improve treatment for adolescents and transition age youth through the development of a learning laboratory with collaborating local community-based treatment provider sites. Learn more.

This article highlights findings from a University of Michigan study that surveyed youth to determine how staying in an emergency shelter affected their social and emotional well-being. The results suggest that the supportive, structured atmosphere of emergency shelters can improve runaway and homeless youths' self-perceptions, relationships, and well-being. Learn more.  

The Department of Education (ED) welcomed four individuals to participate in an ED Youth Voices panel discussion to discuss the policies and programs they say helped them succeed. Learn more.  

As part of National Volunteer Week (April 21-27), youth can participate in community service during Global Youth Service Day, taking place April 26-28, 2013.  Find volunteer opportunities and watch a video developed by CNCS which features young people making a difference in their communities.  

Date: May 2, 2013; 2:00PM-3:30PM ET
Experts will provide an overview of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, as well as prevention-related information and resources available for schools. Participants will also learn how Department of Education grantees are addressing these issues. Click here to join the event.  

Date: April 24, 2013; 4:00PM-5:30PM ET
In the face of the current call for increasing the number of school resource officers (SROs), this webinar will present what the field has learned about the development of high quality relationships between SROs and schools. The webinar will feature related experiences, practices, and strategies as seen through the lenses of a national organization, technical assistance entity, and a community that is working towards an effective SRO and school partnership. Learn more.  

This podcast features new research that indicates youth who date in middle school can experience many long term negative outcomes, including increased substance abuse and high school dropout rates, and worse study skills, than their peers. Learn more.

Healthy People 2020 launched an online learning lesson to help users learn about determinants of childhood obesity, processes to impact large-scale change, and measures to evaluate changes related to nutrition and physical activity. Learn more.  

Date: May 7, 2013; 2:00PM-3:30PM ET
The National Wraparound Initiative will host a webinar that will provide an overview of the Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP) system and how it can be used in wraparound initiatives to promote integration of evidence-based practice into planning and implementation. Learn more.  

Attorney General Eric Holder announced the plan to create an American Indian/Alaska Native Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, which will be a joint effort between Departments of Justice and Interior, as well as tribal governments. The purpose of the taskforce will be to improve the identification and treatment of American Indian and Alaska Native children exposed to violence, support communities and tribes as they define responses to the issue, and involve youth in developing solutions. Learn more.

Application Deadline: May 17, 2013
SAMHSA is accepting applications for Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Success grants, which address underage drinking and prescription abuse prevention. Learn more.

Application Deadline: June 3, 2013
The Department of Education is currently seeking applications for the AP Test Free Program which awards grants to states to pay all, or some, of AP test fees for low-income students. Learn more.

Application Deadline: May 31, 2013
This program is designed to improve performance in science and engineering education at predominantly minority institutions and to increase the representation of minorities in related careers. Learn more.

This podcast discusses a new research study that found bullying in childhood can cause issues into adulthood, including depression, panic disorders, and suicidal thoughts, highlighting the importance of bullying prevention. Learn more.

Date: August 7-9, 2013
This event will bring together professionals who work in the youth transitional and independent living service areas to discuss innovative practices in promoting positive transitions to adulthood, including strategies involving youth and families and effective public and private collaborations. Learn more.
 

In observance of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, this blog entry features information about the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), an organization that works to promote responsible driving among youth. This entry also provides information about recent youth-led NOYS Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Summits and the upcoming launch of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month on May 8, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Learn more.

Application Deadline: May 13, 2013
Funds will support training and technical assistance for states, state and local courts, local government, and tribal governments to develop and enhance juvenile drug courts for youth with substance abuse challenges. Learn more (PDF, 25 pages).

Application Deadline: May 10, 2013
DOL announced the availability of $26 million in Face Forward grants, which aim to improve the long-term job prospects of youth involved in the juvenile justice system by offering these young people support services and training. Learn more.

Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013; 3:00PM-4:15 ET
This webinar will focus on underage drinking data sources, indicators, and latest trends. Presenters will discuss an example of a logic model that illustrates how to use data for underage drinking prevention. Learn more.

Date: April 17, 2013; 2:00PM-3:00PM ET
This webinar will focus on the importance of using a victim-oriented approach in child-exploitation investigations and how multi-disciplinary team investigations can help reduce victim trauma. Learn more.

Deadline: May 6, 2013
ED seeks public comment on its technical assistance (TA) to promote the implementation of re-engagement centers for out-of-school youth. These comments will inform the development of a relevant, up-to-date resource guide for establishing re-engagement centers. Learn more (PDF, 2 pages).

This blog post highlights a new infographic, titled “Keeping Up with Kids’ Apps” that can help parents as they make decisions about what apps their children should download. Learn more.

This report indicates that the employment status of young adults varies by education, illustrated by the finding that, at age 25, people with more education were more likely to be employed than their peers with less education. Learn more.

This blog post provides highlights from this recent conference, which brought together national leaders, practitioners, advocates, educators, and people who have experienced homelessness to engage in a dialogue about a vision for ending youth homelessness, share new initiatives from the federal government, and understand how to build on the work currently being done in communities. Learn more.

“Your voice. Your choice. Make a difference." This  is the theme for this year’s National Prevention Week, an annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, substance abuse and mental health issues. Visit the Prevention Week website to learn how to plan and host a prevention event in your community and how to participate in the “I Choose” Project which encourages people to submit a photograph of themselves with a sign explaining why they choose prevention.  Learn more.

Application Deadline: April 26, 2013
The Department of Education has released information about the 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition, and an invitation for pre-applications for the i3 "Development" grant category. The i3 program aims to develop practices that promote student achievement and prepares them for success in college and in their careers. i3 includes three grant categories: Development, Validation, and Scale-up. Applications for the Validation and Scale-up categories will be announced later this spring. Learn more.

This report from the CDC presents information about, and trends in, repeat births to teens, ages 15-19. As the report points out, teen births overall have fallen in the last two decades, but 1 in 5 births to teens are repeat births, with about 67,000 teens giving birth to a second (or more) child in 2010. Learn more.

As the summer months draw near, the USDA is seeking new partners to participate in, and spread the word about, the Summer Food Program, which provides meals to children when school is not in session. Learn more.

During the month of April, children of military families are applauded for the sacrifices they make in service to our country, as they face tough challenges, such as parental deployment. In commemoration of this month, Operation Military Kids has organized, “Purple Up! For Military Kids,” asking everyone across the country to wear purple on April 15, 2013 to show support for military children. Learn more. 

The Take 25 Campaign encourages parents and educators to stop and take 25 minutes to start a dialogue with children about the importance of safety and ways to stay safe. The Take 25 Campaign offers free webinars and resources to help start these conversations and host related events in your community. Learn more.

As we reflect on the third anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), learn how the ACA helps youth access medical care and browse resources that help youth find low-cost care. Learn more.

This article discusses new research on the attitudes and behaviors of homeless youth that put them at a higher risk of engaging in risky sex than their peers. This new information can help youth workers and educators create prevention programs that are tailored to this population. Learn more.

Date: March 27, 2013; 3:00PM-4:30PM ET
This webinar will inform participants about resources and lessons learned from community and school violence, and give an overview of key programs and efforts at the federal level. Learn more and register.

Application Deadline: May 14, 2013
This solicitation will fund evaluation studies to  produce helpful findings for tribal communities, practitioners, administrators, and policymakers in the identification, adaptation, and testing of promising programs, policies, and strategies for tribal juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. Learn more.

Application Deadline: May 6, 2013
The selected training and technical assistance provider will provide culturally appropriate support and resources to tribal grantees and federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. Learn more (PDF, 28 pages). 

This blog post highlights some of the findings from a recent study on smartphone and Internet use among American teens. Learn more.

Six hundred and ninety institutions of higher education were highlighted in the  2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in recognition for their commitment to  volunteering, service learning, and civic engagement. Learn more.

Deadline: May 20, 2013
NIJ is seeking multidisciplinary research and evaluation proposals related to childhood exposure to violence, particularly polyvictimization, Internet harassment, resilience, or justice system responses to children exposed to violence. Learn more (PDF, 28 pages).

Date: March 27, 2013, 2:00PM-3:30PM ET
Webinar presenters will discuss tools and resources to address youth drug use and abuse, introduce the newly redesigned NIDA for teens website, talk about the development of National Drug Fact Chat Week, and provide examples of events organizations have facilitated as part of that week. Learn more.

This podcast identifies common reactions of children and youth to disaster and trauma, discusses helpful approaches to support young people’s recovery, and presents examples of how communities that have experienced traumatic events—such as the shooting incident at Virginia Tech—have used coping strategies to promote resilience. Learn more.  

As part of her “Let’s Move” program, First Lady Michelle Obama has created a new website, “Let’s Move Active Schools,” where schools can identify their fitness needs, set fitness goals and measure progress, and celebrate successes. The website also provides information about grants and resources, and profiles of schools that have successfully used physical activity to help students thrive. Learn more. 

Show Your Love is a national campaign that promotes preconception health and healthcare with the goal of increasing the number of women planning pregnancies, and engaging in healthy behaviors prior to conception, and encouraging women who do not want to become pregnant to choose healthy behaviors and achieve their goals. Learn more.

In January, OJJDP joined with other partners to host the third annual National Mentoring Summit, which brought together youth mentoring organizations and government, civic, research, and corporate leaders to review best practices and new research and discuss the mentoring field’s future. Learn more.

National School Breakfast week, organized through an annual partnership between USDA and the School Nutrition Association, is an opportunity to raise awareness of the School Breakfast Program, which provides healthy breakfasts to nearly 13 million children each day. Learn more.

This article provides advice from experts on how youth workers can spot unhealthy teen relationships and how they can help victims. Learn more.

A new Dear Colleagues letter, released by the Department of Education during a White House event on teen dating violence prevention, calls on state school chiefs to take immediate action to reduce gender-based violence in schools. Accompanying the letter was the “What Schools Can Do” toolkit, which outlines simple actions that communities can take to reduce gender-based violence, as well as available resources. Also, the department’s National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments released a new training module, “Get Smart, Get Help, Get Safe,” that helps school nurses, school counselors, and school psychologists in identifying and responding to signs of abuse. Learn more.

A new report indicates youth who are old enough to be in 12th grade, but have dropped out, are more likely to use cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs than their peers who are in school. Learn more.  

Throughout the year, the ICCPUD will host a series of webinars on underage drinking, featuring national leaders and experts discussing the extent of the issue, lessons from recent research, and evidence-based strategies for addressing it. Learn more.

On February 4, 2013, President Barack Obama delivered his first public address on reducing gun violence throughout the country from Minneapolis, one of the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention’s newest members. The President also met with local officials, victims, family members of youth affected by violence, and other stakeholders. Learn more.

Application Deadline: March 14, 2013
BJA and OVC will award cooperative agreements up to $500,000 for combating sex trafficking and labor trafficking of foreign nationals and U.S. citizens. Learn more (PDF, 40 pages).

On February 19, 2013, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn met at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates to formalize a partnership enhancing the Wallace-Carver Internship Program for students involved in cutting-edge agriculture, science, and research. This partnership aims to expand opportunities for high school and college students and prepare the next generation of agricultural and scientific leaders. Learn more.

This Spanish version of the guide educates parents and teachers about common reactions children and youth may have after experiencing a disaster or traumatic event and provides tips for responding in a helpful way. Learn more.

This blog entry illustrates the critical role that school counselors can play in addressing school violence and promoting student safety. Learn more.

Developed by the Equity and Excellence Commission, a federal advisory committee, to advise Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, this report highlights the need to eliminate educational disparities and provides recommendations for how the federal government can address these disparities. Learn more (PDF, 52 pages).  

The Department of Education is inviting students to develop solutions to help their peers become ready for college and careers. Students can submit a business plan and a video clip promotion for a for-profit or non-profit startup that includes an innovative strategy, product, or service designed to address one of four areas of education: middle school transition to high school and graduation, skills for postsecondary education, choosing a college or career, or college degree completion. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2012. Learn more.

The tenth in a series of reports from the Department of Health and Human Services, "Child Welfare Outcomes 2006–2009: Report to Congress" is designed to inform Congress and child welfare professionals about national and state performance on several measures of outcomes for children served by child welfare systems across the United States. Read the report.