Faith-Based TAG Resources

Connect Adolescents to Adults

• Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™ 
  This publication presents research-informed and practitioner-approved standards for creating and sustaining quality youth mentoring programs and, consequently, effective mentoring relationships. (MENTOR/The National Mentoring Partnership)
• Mentoring Resources
  Online tools, research and information, featured articles, podcasts, and other resources that help support mentorship activities.  (youth.gov) 

Provide Opportunities for Adolescents to Connect with Peers in a Safe Environment

• Safe and Supportive Environments
  Research-based information for youth-serving organizations and professionals on creating safe and supportive spaces for adolescents. (HHS, Office of Adolescent Health) 
• Healthy Relationships in Adolescents
  A series of research-based information on healthy relationship topics, including friendships, dating, parent-child relationships, bullying, and more.  (HHS, Office of Adolescent Health) 
• Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action - PDF
  Information and action steps to help prevent youth violence. (HHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention Training
  This online module is a free, online course available to youth organizations, educators, youth mentors, and others dedicated to improving teen health. It provides scenarios, interactive exercises, and information from leading experts. (HHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Provide Service Opportunities

• Civic Engagement
  A wide range of information on civic engagement opportunities for youth, including volunteerism, national service, and service learning. Information includes tools, guides, research, and links to relevant agencies. (Youth.gov) 
• Youth Changing the World: Service Project Toolkit 
  Online toolkits to help young people develop their own service or service-learning projects from creation to completion. (Youth Serve America)
• ENERGY STAR Action Workbook for Congregations
  Youth can take a leadership role in their congregation by promoting energy-efficient practices. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Support the Role of Families in Healthy Adolescent Development

• Building Strong Family Relationships 
  Practical tips for fostering strong family connections. (University of Delaware Cooperative Extension) 
• Youth Topics
  A resource library on a wide range of topics pertinent to the adolescent years. (Youth.gov)

Connect Young People to Health Information and Resources

• Healthy Students, Promising Futures: State and Local Action Steps and Practices to Improve School-Based Health - PDF
  This toolkit features examples of high impact ways for schools to promote student health. (U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education) 
• WE CAN! Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition
  Tools and resources to support healthy eating and activity for children ages 8 to 13. (HHS, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute)
• Health Websites for Kids and Teens
  Lists and links to websites and apps on a wide range of health topics. (HHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 

Encourage Healthy Habits

• Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshops
  These six one-hour workshops are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Each workshop includes a lesson plan, learning objectives, talking points, hands-on activities, videos, and handouts. The workshops are designed for community educators, health promoters, dietitians/nutritionists, cooperative extension agents, and others to teach to adults in a wide variety of community settings. (HHS, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
• Adolescent and School Health 
  Extensive adolescent health information, including fact sheets, program tools, data and statistics, and health services information.  (HHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Support Adolescents’ Spiritual Growth

• Community Resources
  Toolkits, fact sheets, and other resources covering a variety of health-related topics to enhance the work of faith-based and community organizations. (HHS, Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership Center) 
• Faith-based Programs for Youth 
  Examples of faith-based organizations providing health information to youth. (YouthPower, a project of the U.S. Agency for International Development) 
• Faith Communities’ Role in Promoting Adolescent Well-Being 
  Examples of churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other spiritual communities serving as resources for spiritual development among young people and their families. (The Search Institute)
• When Schools and Nonprofits Collaborate with Faith-Based Organizations 
  A news article that focuses on examples of faith-based programs that collaborate with out-of-school time programs in a community.  (Youth Today) 

Offer Youth Services or Refer Youth and Their Families to Services 

• Local Health Service Locators
  A list of local health service locator websites on topics including health insurance, healthcare, mental health, substance use, youth services, health information, and related assistance programs. (HHS, Office of Adolescent Health)
• Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
  Locate self-help, peer support, and consumer groups for mental health disorders. (HHS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

Facilitate Opportunities for Training and Employment

• Job Corps for Students
  Information from Job Corps geared for students. Job Corp is a voluntary training program that helps young people learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED, and find and keep a good job. (U.S. Department of Labor)
• Resources for Young Workers
  Information on topics ranging from student volunteerism to job safety. (U.S. Department of Labor) 
• AmeriCorps
  AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. (AmeriCorps)

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