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The YouthLearn Guide: A Creative Approach to Working with Youth and Technology

The YouthLearn Guide: A Creative Approach to Working With Youth and Technology

This guide is an easy-to-use, hands-on manual with more than 160 pages of lessons, worksheets, and sample activities on how to set up a new learning program or enhance an existing one. The guide helps practitioners combine new technologies and proven teaching techniques in ways that will make your work even more rewarding for you and the children you serve.

A Fresh Start: A 30-Day Follow-Through on Your Commitment to Christ

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

A Fresh Start: A 30-Day Follow-Through on Your Commitment to Christ

 

by Scott Larson (published by Group Publishing, 2003)

 

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Summary:

 

Told in the voice of brand new Christian youth as they express their own frustrations and questions on living the Christian faith, this devotional hits all of the major themes and issues that a new Christian would need to know--and addresses the issues that would likely derail them.  Each day begins with a question, such as: “What’s the Right Way to Pray?” and “Why Do I Still Struggle and Have Problems?” Then these questions are addressed with a Bible verse and an explanation.  Each devotional ends with a section called “Making it Personal,” which raises reflective questions to help the youth internalize the Bible lesson.  Finally, each day closes with a prayer and a suggestion on how the youth can continue to pray in that particular area.

 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

This devotional uses language and addresses topics of faith that are relevant to today’s teens.  The author, who is part of Straight Ahead Ministries, a juvenile justice ministry, is particularly in tune to at-risk youth.  This devotional does not require a long attention span but still effectively hits key issues. 




Related Books
Dares from Jesus 2: Wild Truth Bible Lessons
Doing Time with God: Daily Readings from Kids in Lockup
Related Links
Straight Ahead Ministries
Zondervan.com

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Family-Based Youth Ministry: Reaching the Been-There, Done-That Generation

  RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Family-Based Youth Ministry: Reaching the Been-There, Done-That Generation

 

by Mark DeVries (published by InterVarsity Press, 1994)

 

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Summary:

 

Writing from his own experiences of tried-and-true youth ministry, as well as from impressive research, the author dramatically claims that the task before youth workers is not to revamp their programs, but fundamentally redesign them. He considers the youth ministry of the past half-century to be outdated for today and tomorrow’s youth.  Rather than isolating youth into age-specific programs, he argues that youth must be incorporated into the whole family of the church and receive group and one-to-one mentoring from adults in the church.  This book is practical in addressing real needs and common concerns that almost every youth director faces.  It also lays the foundation for a clear vision and solid theology of an alternative approach to youth ministry.  

 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

This book is an honest and tough critique of the way most churches today approach youth ministry.  Church leaders and parents who are serious about raising up youth into Christian maturity will find this argument for an alternative paradigm for youth ministry rich fodder for discussion.

 

 

 



Related Books
The Young Man in the Mirror: A Rite of Passage into Manhood
ABC’s of the Birds and Bees for Parents of Toddlers to Teens
Becoming a Mentsh
Youth Ministry From the Inside Out: How Who You are Shapes What You Do
What Stories Does My Son Need?


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Amachi: Mentoring the Children of Prisoners in Philadelphia

 
      RECOMMENDED BOOKS  

Amachi: Mentoring the Children of Prisoners in Philadelphia

(Public/Private Ventures and Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society)

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Summary:

This book focuses on the early years of the Amachi program and its success; how it was set up, and its operation and maintenance.  This information is helpful for practitioners and others interested in starting an Amachi program in your community. 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

This short book offers data regarding the program’s quality and effectiveness and explains the strategies and mechanics of setting up, operating, and maintaining an Amachi program. It provides a concise yet thorough explanation of the Amachi model that includes discussion of the reasoning behind this approach. It answers detailed questions that practitioners are likely to ask—about the types of activities the mentors and children are engaged in; the time they spend in different activities; how often the mentors meet with their assigned children; and how to recruit pastors into the initiative. It also includes a list of churches partnering with Amachi in Philadelphia. The book concludes with a short discussion of the five “critical elements that contributed to the project’s early successes.”


Related Articles
People of Faith Mentoring Children of Promise: A Model Partnership Based on Service and Community
Related Books
Mentor Guide For People Working With Children of Promise
Stories and Activities for Children of Promise

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ABC's of the Birds and Bees for Parents of Toddlers to Teens

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ABC’s of the Birds and Bees for Parents of Toddlers to Teens

 

by Marilyn Morris (published by Charles River Publishing Company, 2000)

 

Summary:

 

ABC’s of the Birds and Bees helps prepare parents to handle tough questions about sex.  It includes information on how to use the book, why parents should talk to their children about sex, 50 common questions, and other issues that parents should be prepared to deal with in talking about sex and promoting abstinence. Topics include STD’s, pregnancy, emotional scars and sexual abuse. Also included is a practical glossary of related terms that will be helpful to parents. This book is a great resource by itself or with the companion teen edition Teens, Sex and Choices.


Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

This book will help parents become informed about the actual risks of sex, prepare parents to communicate the facts, and help parents equip their children to make good decisions about dating, sex and relationships. Youth workers will also find it a valuable resource.


Related Books
Young Lions: Christian Rites of Passage for African American Young Men
The Young Man in the Mirror: A Rite of Passage into Manhood
Xtreme Walk Series Discipleship Booklets
Sisters Helping Sisters
Related Links
Aim for Success

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Working with Children with Parents in Prison/Understanding Parents in Prison

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My Mentor & Me

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

My Mentor & Me

 

(The Governor’s Prevention Partnership, 2003)

 

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Summary:

 

The My Mentor & Me series is published by the Governor’s Prevention Partnership for the Connecticut Mentoring Partnership, a program supporting mentoring as a way of promoting the growth and development of children through mentoring relationships with caring adults.  The series includes:  My Mentor & Me:  The Elementary School Years, My Mentor & Me:  The Middle School Years, and My Mentor & Me:  The High School Years.  Each of these booklets contains 36 weekly age-appropriate activities that will foster the growth of a strong relationship between a mentor and mentee.

 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

A strong mentoring relationship with a caring adult is a terrific way to help steer youth away from violence and substance abuse.  These booklets offer mentoring program coordinators some powerful and practical tools to give to volunteer mentors to help them build relationships with their new “mentees.” The activities and ideas included are specifically designed to help the mentoring relationship grow.  They include age-appropriate topics that may be of interest to mentees. 




 

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Doing Time with God: Daily Readings from Kids in Lockup

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Doing Time with God: Daily Readings from Kids in Lockup

 

edited by Scott Larson and Dan Mercer (published by Straight Ahead Ministries, 2003)

 

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Summary:

 

These 52 daily devotionals are short testimonies written in first-person by kids in jail who have come to a faith and Christ.  They express confusion and sometimes despair but always the hope that is found in a relationship with God.  Because they are real-life accounts, the testimonies address hard issues—like continuing to struggle with sin, insecurity and fear of failure, self-mutilation, attempted suicide, and the frustration that comes from being locked up over and over again.  Each testimony is followed by Scripture and then two questions that help the youth apply what he or she has just learned.

 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

This short book is geared towards high-risk youth.  Because it is written by kids and teenagers, the language and the topics are extremely relevant to today’s youth.  This devotional is perhaps most challenging and effective because of its peer-to-peer teaching style.  Urban youth workers could use the devotional to help them develop biblical responses to common struggles high-risk youth face.



Related Books
Jesus with Dirty Feet
Dares from Jesus 2: Wild Truth Bible Lessons
City Lights: Ministry Essentials for Reaching Urban Youth
Related Links
Straight Ahead Ministries

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City Lights: Ministry Essentials for Reaching Urban Youth

 

      RECOMMENDED BOOKS

City Lights: Ministry Essentials for Reaching Urban Youth

 

Edited by Scott Larson and Karen Free (published by Group Publishing, Inc., 2003)

 

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Summary:

 

This concise and practical book is a compilation of essays on a variety of topics regarding urban youth ministry.  Many of the authors themselves are, or have been, urban youth pastors. Several also have expertise in other areas of social work and sociology.  The chapters range from the foundational (i.e., “The Philosophy of Urban Youth Ministry, “The Code of the Streets”), to the technical (with individual chapters on ministering to African-American, Hispanic-American, Southeast Asian-American, and Native American Youth and Families, respectively), to the practical (i.e., “Developing Urban Student Leadership,” “Nurturing Your Staff and Volunteers”).  Each essay is extremely relevant and up-to-date on the challenges of urban ministry in the 21st century. 

 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

This is a good book for someone just entering the field or wanting a well-rounded understanding of the multi-faceted effort of ministering to urban youth.  For veteran urban youth pastors, this book will help fill in some of the gaps and provide a source of peer-to-peer learning from the 19 contributing writers.
 

Related Books
Dares from Jesus 2: Wild Truth Bible Lessons
Doing Time with God: Daily Readings from Kids in Lockup
The Heroic Revolution: A New Agenda for Youthwork
Related Links
Straight Ahead Ministries

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Leadership 101: Developing Leadership Skills for Resilient Youth

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Leadership 101: Developing Leadership Skills for Resilient Youth

by Mariam MacGregor (published by Youthleadership.com, 2000)

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Summary:

This is the leader's guide for "Youth Leadership 101," a curriculum that introduces students to leadership concepts and offers them various experiences designed to build leadership skills. It is geared towards helping youth explore, practice, and understand their philosophy of leadership in a school or community setting.

The fourteen, 90-minute lessons each contain lesson goals, materials needed, class outline, activities and a guide for reflection/debriefing. Lesson topics range from the qualities of leadership, gender differences in leadership, and decision-making to tolerance and diversity, creative thinking and influence.  The curriculum includes many checklists, quizzes, worksheets, and questions for self-reflection.

Why  does FASTEN recommend this resource?

This curriculum is particularly flexible and adaptable for many different settings. It is intended for high school students, but could be simplified for junior high students or modified for college-age students.  It is practical, easy to use and gets students engaged through hands-on activities. This curriculum is distinct from others FASTEN has found because it covers such issues as gender differences in leadership and how to use power, influence and authority. 

 

Related Articles
10 Steps for Implementing A Youth Leadership Development Program
Youth Leadership Development Toolkit
Related Books
Designing Student Leadership Programs: Transforming the Leadership Potential of Youth
Related Links
Group Publishing, Inc.
The Search Institute
Youthleadership.com

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How to Start & Operate a Small Business

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

How to Start & Operate a Small Business

by Steve Mariotti with Tony Towle (published by The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship [NFTE], 1987 and 2001)

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Summary:

Steve Mariotti's National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship is the leading nonprofit in the arena of youth entrepreneurship. This is his classic, comprehensive how-to book for teenage entrepreneurs seeking to launch a small business venture.

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

Organizations and teachers wanting to start a similar program for at-risk youth will find this resource invaluable.
 

Related Articles
Best Practice for Youth Entrepreneurship: NFTE
Youth Entrepreneurship Toolkit
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The New Youth Entrepreneur: Instructor’s Guide
Related Links
EDTEC, Inc.

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Stories and Activities for Children of Promise

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Stories and Activities for Children of Promise

(National Crime Prevention Council, 2004)

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Summary:

The National Crime Prevention Council's Stories and Activities for Children of Promise is a workbook for children of prisoners that helps them deal positively with daily challenges they face.  Readers discover stories of other children with a parent in prison and see how these characters face teasing and bullying but also find family, friends, and mentors who can help them.  The stories encourage children to keep in touch with their incarcerated parent and to reach out to trusted friends and adults.  Also included are activities for the children to work through with their mentors.  These activities include thinking positively about themselves, identifying friends and family they can trust, planning for the future, and expressing and understanding emotions.

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

The National Crime Prevention Council is a national leader in issues related to crime and criminal justice.  The stories in this book are colorful, easy to read, multi-cultural, and introduce likable characters the kids can relate to.  Children will enjoy the book and learn about how to address the pain and struggles they experience, and mentors of children of prisoners will find this resource invaluable as it opens up discussions and introduces tough topics. 



Related Articles
People of Faith Mentoring Children of Promise: A Model Partnership Based on Service and Community
Related Books
Mentor Guide For People Working With Children of Promise
The Antisocial Behavior of the Adolescent Children of Incarcerated Parents
Related Links
Children of Prisoners Library

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The Antisocial Behavior of the Adolescent Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Developmental Perspective

RECOMMENDED BOOKS  

The Antisocial Behavior of the Adolescent Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Developmental Perspective

 

by J. Mark Eddy and John B. Reid (published by the Urban Institute, 2002) 

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Summary:

This paper was prepared for the “From Prison to Home” Conference held January 30-31, 2002, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  It analyzes the antisocial behavior that children exhibit whose parents are incarcerated.  It offers an overview of the relationship between the parents’ criminality/incarceration(s) and the effect this has on the children’s behavior, and then discusses how these factors might be linked. Possible interventions that might make a difference on improving outcomes for these children are described.

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

Although this paper has an academic feel that may be unfamiliar to some practitioners, it addresses an issue that is not well-documented (i.e., it offers unique research findings). Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this resource is the listing it provides of different intervention models being tried around the country to address the unhealthy behaviors displayed by some adolescent children of prisoners.

 
 

Related Books
Effects of Parental Incarceration on Young Children
Prisoners and Families: Parenting Issues During Incarceration
Mentor Guide For People Working With Children of Promise
Related Links
Federal Resource Center for Children of Prisoners
Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents

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