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Much qualitative and quantitative research has examined the individual and contextual risk factors of youth who have left high school without graduating. However, few studies have examined their strengths and, to the authors' knowledge, no studies have used a positive youth development (PYD) perspective. To begin to fill this gap, we explored a component of the PYD process, an individual's social and emotional competencies, among 27 youth (57.64% male; 45% African American and 24% Hispanic) who had previously left school without graduating. We used an interpretive phenomenological approach in combination with the competency framework proposed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning to examine whether (and, if so, how) these youth expressed these social and emotional competencies. Contextualized within their lived experiences, we found that youth exhibited multiple competencies, including making responsible decisions, creating and implementing strategies for goal pursuit, and understanding how their thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to their development. Implications for policies and programs that support youth at risk for leaving school without graduating and for reengaging these youth are discussed.

BACKGROUND:The benefits of youth engagement are well documented. In this paper, we examine youth engagement in America's Promise Alliance's Every School Healthy initiative, a part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Together for Healthy and Successful Schools Initiative (THSS).METHODS: Six community acceleration sites were selected through a competitive grant-making process. Sites were required to describe youth engagement strategies. A case study design was employed to examine how sites conceptualize youth engagement as well as youth engagement strategies employed across 6 sites. Data sources included observations, team member debriefs, and document review. RESULTS:There was variation in how youth engagement and youth voice are conceptualized in educational settings, and readiness for youth engagement. Sites actively solicited and implemented youth engagement resources and strategies. CONCLUSIONS:By failing to engage young people, well-intentioned adults miss important opportunities. Youth engagement presents an exciting opportunity for school leaders, policymakers, and program planners to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that influence individual and community health and wellbeing and, in turn, helps them to develop responsive policies and programs.

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BACKGROUND: Whole school, whole community, whole child (WSCC) approaches to education address contexts beyond school that influence young people's academic and life outcomes. These recommended approaches demand mobilization of an array of actors, but such mobilization is challenging. Little research has explored strategies for convening national experts to support local communities. METHODS:This paper presents a case narrative of Every School Healthy (ESH), a grant-funded effort to support organizations/school districts in 6 communities building WSCC initiatives by engaging national youth development organizations as expert advisors to ESH and communities. A thematic analysis of the narrative yielded 3 key learnings.RESULTS: Three themes emerged as key learnings regarding implementation of national-local initiatives: (1) baseline assessment of local communities should be conducted to identify opportunities for maximizing strengths; (2) national organizations must be flexible with the expertise they bring to the initiative; (3) national organizations should prioritize community-cultivated solutions and meet communities where they are. CONCLUSIONS:The 3 themes presented in this case narrative offer insights for effectively mobilizing national organizations to support healthy, equitable school environments at the local level.