Helping youth reach their full potential

The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), a 40-year old affinity group, is a coalition of the National Assembly member organizations that have a significant interest in youth development. Members of NCY include more than 50 national, non-profit, youth development organizations.

Its mission is to provide a united voice as advocates for youth to improve the conditions of young people in America, and to help young people reach their full potential.

Collectively, the member organizations of the National Collaboration for Youth

  • Serve more than 40 million young people
  • Employ over 100,000 paid staff
  • Utilize more than six million volunteers
  • Have a physical presence in virtually every community in America
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Recent News

One in four young children under age 6 lives in a family earning just $60 a day  4/16/2012
One in four young children under age 6 lives in a family earning just $60 a day, yet Early Head Start reaches less than 4 percent of eligible children. An analysis of enrollment, teachers, health, service provision and other data is in “Supporting Our Youngest Children, Early Head Start Programs in 2010.” (CLASP)
Forty-eight percent of poor children – versus 75 percent of children from moderate- and upper-income families  –  are identified as school ready at age 5  4/16/2012
Forty-eight percent of poor children – versus 75 percent of children from moderate- and upper-income families  –  are identified as school ready at age 5, says a new report from Brookings Institution on why poor children are less ready for school.  Findings are based on a summary measure that looks at early math and reading skills, learning-related and problem behaviors, and overall physical health.
Quality Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) programs come from having better educated and trained workers  4/16/2012
Quality Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) programs come from having better educated and trained workers in the approximately 1.8 million ECCE workforce, says a new GAO report, which also acknowledges that gaps in ECCE workforce data exist and need to be addressed.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education have unveiled an enhanced StopBullying.gov  4/16/2012
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education have unveiled an enhanced StopBullying.gov. The site encourages everyone to take action to prevent and respond to bullying.
Afterschool programs get better the more they assess themselves and make changes based on those assessments  4/16/2012
Afterschool programs get better the more they assess themselves and make changes based on those assessments, says a new study funded by the William T. Grant Foundation and which examines the Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) model.
What types of collaborations support children and youth?  4/16/2012
What types of collaborations support children and youth? National Collaboration for Youth seeks youth community partnership information through a survey to discover which types of collaborations to support children and youth are active in communities across the country. The survey takes 5-10 minutes; research is not required. Deadline: April 30. 

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RSS feed of Collaboration for Youth resources.

Resources

Improving Federal Collaboration for Homeless Children and Youth  10/26/2011
The National Collaboration for Youth has released a joint policy brief on “Improving Federal Collaboration for Homeless Children and Youth” with the Campaign to End Child Homelessness, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, and National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. The brief contains recommendations on how the federal government can enhance policy and program coordination to improve outcomes for homeless children and youth.
The Impact of Youth Development Programs On Student Academic Achievement  7/15/2011

This brief cites the importance of a full-range of developmental assets, in school, in the home and in the community, that youth need to succeed.  It indicates that “meaningful progress in improving educational outcomes must involve multiple stakeholders and a variety of sustained efforts over time.”

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An Invitation to the Big Picture: Implementing a Local Collaboration for Youth (LCY) in Your Community  7/15/2011

The NCY and the Forum for Youth Investment recently release a guide to forming and sustaining Local Collaborations for Youth (LCY). An LCY is a means for local child- and youth-serving agencies to pool their collective expertise, resources, and voice in ‘whole-community’ efforts to improve outcomes for children and youth. It’s a chance to lift your eyes from the pressure of your agency’s own measurable outcomes and take a look at the Big Picture of child and youth well-being in your community.

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ACYF Commissioner Challenges NCY to “Rethink Positive Youth Development.”  12/9/2010
Speaking to a packed house of policy representatives of National Collaboration for Youth (NCY) member organizations, Bryan Samuels, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), US Department of Health and Human Services, voiced strong support for positive youth development (PYD) principles but suggested that it is time to rethink PYD as it relates to high-risk youth.  Samuels demonstrated that the incidence of problems affecting youth is clustered in geographic areas, noting that the PYD asset-based approach to all youth is not enough for those at highest risk of negative outcomes.  He challenged the Washington Group of the NCY and NHSA to address the importance of going beyond youths’ own assets to engage families and communities in building resilience and building protective mechanisms for high-risk youth.  To connect with the Washington Group or receive a copy of Commissioner Samuels’s presentation, contact nthompson@nassembly.org.
The Role of Youth Serving Organizations in Education Reform  11/3/2010
NCY CEO Irv Katz has written an editorial which appeared in the November 2nd Youth Today titled Youth Orgs Should Ride "Superman's" Cape on the role of youth serving organizations in education reform. Read the entire article»

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The President’s Budget and Human Needs

Monday, February 13, President Obama released his budget for Fiscal Year 2013. While the document offers $4.3 trillion in long-term deficit reduction, we are pleased to see that the bulk of savings proposed would not come at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens.

Read our full assesment»

Introducing SparkAction

SparkAction.org Launches!

We’re pleased to be among the forces behind SparkAction.org, a new one-stop site with youth-related stories, news, data and high-tech  tools to make your voice heard. Check it out today and see how it can help you make a difference.

Jobs

CareersForGood.org

CareersForGood.org is the place to find jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities at National Assembly's member agencies.

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