Young people are our most valuable resource. They hold the key to the future of our communities, our nation and our world. While the field of youth services has undergone many changes in the past few decades, many of the needs facing the nation's young people are more urgent than ever. Many programs still fail to have a positive impact in reducing the occurrence of pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, school drop out and failure or delinquent behavior. To promote positive youth outcomes, you are invited to the 2008 Youth Services Summit, in Arlington, VA, July 21-23, 2008.

Measure Performance of Your Programs and Achieve Positive Outcomes
As the requirements for program evaluation evolve and the standards become increasingly stringent, it is essential to identify and implement steps for improvement. Discover the importance of data collection and evaluation in your youth services organization by using effective measurement tools. Also hear about how the Workforce Investment Act provisions can increase your program improvement.

Target At-Risk and Hard-To-Reach Youth
Segments of the youth population are often overlooked or missed. These could be youth who struggle with disabilities, mastering the English language, juvenile offenders, or out of school youth. Learn to plan effective strategies for engaging and encouraging these youth and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed.

Advance Youth Leadership
Learn to expand programs and boost the participation of the youth in your programs, schools and the community. Discover strategies for building lasting partnerships and promoting youth leadership. Implement programs that will improve youth leadership and participation, while increasing labor outcomes in the workforce.

When young people are given opportunities to become involved in education or work and are actively engaged in community activities they become valuable contributors of the community. Learn about leading strategies, case studies and lessons learned in youth development program performance, outcome measurement and improved service delivery. I hope that you will join us for the 2008 Youth Services Summit, and I look forward to seeing you in July!

Sincerely,
Colleen E. O'Rourke
Director
Center for Social Policy