Preparing Youth for the Crossing From Adolescence to Early Adulthood

This volume examines how developmental issues facing older youth impact their crossover into early adulthood, and investigates innovative strategies being employed to better meet the needs of these youth. Implications for policymakers and funders in taking the support of older youth to scale are also considered in this volume. There is a growing concern that young people are reaching the age of eighteen unprepared for the primary challenge of young adulthood: successfully joining the workforce or continuing on to higher education or vocational training. In order to see outcomes improve for older youth, especially low-income youth of color, we must have a better understanding of their developmental needs in order to create supported pathways for their eventual transition to adulthood. This will require new policies to improve coordination at the systems level and increased attention to expanding their access to supportive institutions and services. This is the 111th volume of New Directions for Youth Development, a quarterly report published by Jossey-Bass. Click here to view an entire listing of issues for New Directions for Youth Development.