April 6, 2000 | Read Time: 1 minute
Community Counts: How Youth Organizations Matter for Youth Development, by Milbrey W. McLaughlin, argues that kids who attend clubs and other programs outside of school earn higher grades and demonstrate more self-confidence than kids who do not. From 1987 to 1999, Ms. McLaughlin, a professor of education at Stanford University, studied the imprint of community-based organizations on youths who participated in their programs. She calls for more funds for such organizations, stronger ties between communty groups and schools, and creative programs in places that are established merely to provide a safe haven for youths. Publisher: Public Education Network, 601 13th Street, N.W., Suite 900 North, Washington 20005; (202) 628-7460; 32 pages; available free online at http://www.publiceducation.org.
