Child Welfare
Survivors of the System
www.sos-fosternet.org
offers a mishmash of all things foster care-relevant, operated by a social worker who is a former foster child. The usual connections to policy information and resources are available, but what sets the site apart are the personal touches: visitors’ comments about their experiences, postings of artwork and prose, and recommendations for movies and songs that visitors relate to as current or former foster youth. A simple and anonymous way for both groups to interact and learn.
Civic Engagement
Congress for Kids
www.congressforkids.net
is a fun but poorly named site for youth to learn about the history and role of the federal government. After getting a tour from a virtual Uncle Sam about the development of democracy, visitors can read short, informative narratives and test their new knowledge in the site’s many game sections – which are actually challenging and educational, a rarity among the often-corny youth history sites. Sponsored by the Dirksen Congressional Center in Washington.
Funding
Grants Alert
www.grantsalert.com
is an excellent source for those monitoring national and local funding opportunities. Available grants are searchable by scope (i.e., federal or state) and/or grant categories (safe schools, for example). Coming soon: a directory of grant writers for hire.
Catalogue for Philanthropy
www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org
is a small but expanding effort to link donors with charities. The catalogue seeks to link affluent givers with detailed financial and program information about selected charitable organizations in Washington, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C, including many youth-serving groups. The service is expanding to St. Louis. The site provides instructions for nonprofits that want to be featured.
Sexual Behavior
Putting What Works to Work
www.teenpregnancy.org/works
serves as the online portion of a research partnership between the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This no-frills site brings together research on six aspects of teen sexual health, in PDF format: the characteristics of teens’ first sexual partners; the sexual behavior of young adolescents; characteristics of effective curriculum-based programs; the case for a cautious generation; where and when teens first have sex; and the sexual attitudes and behavior of male teens.
Youth Workers
National Assembly
www.nassembly.org
is the revised website of the National Assembly of Health and Human Service Organizations, the national network of nonprofit health and human services leaders. This is an essential bookmark for staff in the youth field. It regularly posts recent news and research summaries, job listings and a calendar of events.
