Integrating Evidence-Based Youth Programs Into Community Initiatives

An expert roundtable and a listing of online resources provide ideas and tools in learning more about evidence-based youth programmes in the United States in these two briefs by Child Trends. Child Trends is an Atlantic grantee.

1) Integrating Evidence-Based Youth Programs Into Community Initiatives

There is growing recognition that single programs rarely produce large or permanent changes in the lives of disadvantaged children — that a series of sequenced and aligned programs and services is more likely to produce lasting improvements. At the same time, there is growing interest among policymakers, philanthropists, and program staff in investing in community-level interventions, to maximize the likelihood that programs will actually succeed in improving outcomes for children and youth.

A new Child Trends brief, Programs for Children and Youth in a Community Context, provides insights from a recent Child Trends Roundtable with leaders of community initiatives that incorporate evidence-based and evidence-informed programs. Insights include recognizing the value of using data to guide and shape programs; taking both program implementation and sustainability seriously; planning carefully; and being sure that missions are well-aligned across programs, community initiatives and education systems.

2) A User’s Guide to Online Resources for Identifying Evidence-Based, Out-of-School TimePrograms

In the current economic and political climate, knowing how to identify and select evidence-based programs adds value to any organization seeking to improve outcomes for children and youth. A new Child Trends brief, Online Resources for Identifying Evidence-Based, Out-of-School Time Programs: A User’s Guide, can help funders, administrators, and practitioners find evidence-based programs that may be appropriate for their target populations and communities.

The Guide provides an overview of 22 resources — 12 searchable online databases, two online interactive summaries, and eight online documents — that offer information on a range of evidence-based intervention programs. It also includes recommendations and questions to consider when searching for evidence-based programs, and what level of evaluation evidence or rigor is available — ranging from evidence-informed programs to experimentally-evaluated programs.

See also: Presentation