America Has a Youth Engagement Problem

By Edward Dejesus

The cry for more youth program opportunities can be heard clear across America. Each year, advocates point out the growing needs of youth and young adults and the lack of programs and services to meet those needs. I, too, am guilty. My call of foul at the 250,000 federally funded program slots for the 5.4 million out-of-school youth is a staple of my presentations to policymakers across the U.S.

“How can we expect any progress in reducing gang violence and youth unemployment, or expect to quell the dropout rate if we only have enough program slots to serve 3% of the 14-21 year old eligible population!” Many echo my outcry, and I usually continue by addressing the real crux of the problem. “We don’t have a gang problem in the United States; we have a youth opportunity problem!” I have touted this cry from boardrooms in Seattle to the hoods in South Florida, always receiving a response of thunderous applause.

Despite the strong audience affirmation, I still find myself walking away and feeling as though something is missing. Why? Many of us were part of the movement to bring positive youth development to youth workforce programs across the U.S., making sure we serve youth differently than adults, and taking into account their developmental needs, assets, and the different stages of their development. Surely there is no disputing the fact that there is a need for more programs and opportunities for young people to grow into healthy, positive adults. So, what is lacking? Where is the breakdown?

Despite our best efforts at incorporating positive youth development we forgot one thing:
incorporating youth. The sad reality is that many of our youth development and youth workforce programs struggle to get youth in the doors. Yes, I know this is a subject that we do not like to discuss. However, it is a subject that must be raised in the research and policy agenda in order to reach a viable solution. Of the millions of youth who desperately need education and workforce development in their lives, few are turning to the programs and services that can lead to better lives and opportunities. Those that do come often don’t stay.

Now I know a few of you are crying foul. However, it is my experience that those of you who cry foul are able to offer youth $300 or more every two weeks for attending. In fact, engagement has translated to money, at least for some. In this fact lies our advocacy dilemma. Advocating for more money and resources in a system that cannot engage the youth it is intended to serve is a lesson in futility.

School Accountability: What about us?
If the educational system is forced to be more accountable, so should youth development and workforce programs. Let me break it down like a fraction - No Child Left Behind is exposing the incredible achievement gap that currently exists within the United States. The National Governors Association recommendation for states to recalculate dropout rates has exposed a national travesty: 50% of African-American and Latino youth drop out of high school.

The exposure doesn’t stop there however. The Beginning Post-secondary Students Longitudinal Study reported that only 31% of students who entered community college in 1995-1996 with the intention of earning a degree or certificate had met their goal six years later. For African-American and Latino students the rate is much lower.

As if that weren’t enough of a factor, Congress is trying to rescind 65 million of WIA funds partly because of unspent funds. While there are many excuses for why funds are unspent, the reality is that many programs have no youth to spend them on. It seems that despite the weeding out of those who are not serious, along with those who constantly whine or refuse to work with adjudicated youth, or youth in the foster care system, programs still can’t get it right. Once again, the question hangs out there—why?

Why?
Perhaps the most important program element is engagement. Without effective and consistent engagement efforts, programs can never meet expected outcomes. The primary challenge youth service providers face in implementing effective engagement strategies is to stop blaming engagement difficulties on young people’s deficiencies, but instead recognize that it is the deficiencies of the programs themselves. Building a youth engagement system in much different from incorporating positive youth development principles into program design.

A youth engagement system is a commitment to a set of principles and practices sustained by policy and sufficient resources, dedicated to creating an authentic and culturally competent service delivery system where young people feel valued as stakeholders and are compelled to invest in active and meaningful participation towards mutual goals. In short, we need a youth driven workforce preparation system, not an employer driven one– time and statistics have proven that’s not working!

In order to do this, organizations need to build and strengthen the routes (and in some cases open them) for young people to be fully engaged in the decisions, opportunities and challenges affecting their communities. One of the largest miscalculations that youth employment programs make is to attempt to provide services to the at-risk populations without first developing an intimate understanding of what truly motivates and interests this special group.

In The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives on High School Dropouts, Bill Gates tells us the most reported reason why youth are dropping out of school. They are bored with education! Sounds like something we could have figured out on our own, right? Probably, however that is only part of the story. What Mr. Microsoft failed to tell us is that they are not bored with education; they are just bored with the education and job training we subject them to. Youth are literally handing us the manual to how to help them become successful, but is anyone reading the pages?
Not only is it time to realize that up until this point, the method used to increase youth engagement is not just flawed, it’s broken. If we want to make a change, it is we that must make changes, using their lead as a path to getting it right.

Edward DeJesus is one of the most sought after speakers on the issue of youth engagement and development. For the past 15 years, he has been helping organizations improve student recruitment, retention and engagement. To learn more about Ed, visit http://www.ydrf.com

Jessica Simpson's Engagement Ring

By Julie Shields

Jessica Simpsons Engagement Ring : Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey began dating when Simpson toured with his band, 98 degrees. She played Nick’s love interest in the music video for the band’s hit song, “My Everything.” The couple began dating although took a break after two years. They reconnected after 9/11, when Jessica called Nick to make sure he was safe…….he was supposed to be flying out of NYC with the band, on that fateful day.

Jessica reportedly dreamed of her wedding day ever since she was a little girl. Nick Lachey proposed with a four carat pear shaped diamond highlighted by two side stones, set in platinum. The picture-perfect proposal took place on a yacht off the coast of Hawai. He sealed the deal on their wedding day, presenting her with an eternity band encrusted with large diamonds.

Jessica’s wedding dreams came to light on her 22nd birthday. In October of 2002, Jessica and Nick walked down the aisle and said “I Do” at the Smith Chapel as part of the Riverbend Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. Jessica’s friend presided over the ceremony where 350 guests were in attendance. Jessica wore a strapless, beaded Vera Wang dress with a sweeping train while Nick wore a Hugo Boss tux. Her blond locks were styled by celebrity hair stylist, Ken Paves. The reception was held at Austin's Barton Creek Resort, a popular golf and tennis retreat. At the reception, the couples also exchanged songs: Nick sang "My Everything," a song specially written for Jessica. Jessica had a friend sing a song she'd written for Nick titled "My Love."
Sparks must have been flying between the pair later that evening as Jessica was very vocal about remaining a virgin up until their wedding night.

Jessica was so in love with her wedding and the wedding planning process that she released a book, “I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding.” Soon thereafter, the MTV show “Newlyweds” highlighted the couple’s first few years together as a married couple and made the couple a household name.

Four years into their marriage, in December of 2005, the couple called it quits. Both released albums alluding to the difficulties of the breakup of their marriage. Jessica’s album, “A Public Affair,” had a pop flair to it versus Nick’s more melancholy album, “What’s Left of Me.” Both Jessica and Nick managed to find love in the aftermath of their divorce. Jessica was romantically linked to John Mayer for awhile and Nick is still going strong with Vanessa Minnillo.

The author just celebrated her one year anniversary and sports a beautiful ascher cut ring. She and her husband put together the website: http://www.ultimate-engagement-ring-guide.com to help you find the perfect ring.

Choosing the Perfect Engagement Ring

By Anita Marks

Guys, this guide’s for you! So you’ve finally decided to take the plunge and propose to your sweetheart. Now comes the hard part: choosing her engagement ring.

An engagement ring is probably the second-most important purchase you’ll ever make (your house being the most important), so you need to choose wisely. This guide will help you make that choice and will hopefully result in you wooing her with the perfect engagement ring.

One word of caution before we begin: The perfect ring is probably the one she chooses herself. Who has a better idea of what she’s looking for, than her? I know what you’re thinking, it’s not very romantic to give her an “IOU for 1 engagement ring” when you propose, but buying a ring together can be just as romantic as surprising her with one. It’s all in the delivery.

One way to get around this problem is to present her with a stone when you propose. Then once she accepts she can choose the engagement ring setting herself. For more information on choosing the right stone, see our handy guide.

For those of you who’ve decided to do it the old-fashioned way, with a ring on bended knee, the following tips will put you on the right track.

Determine Your Budget: Before you go shopping, figure out how much you can afford to spend. The standard used in the diamond industry is two months salary. Depending on your situation, this may be a reasonable place to start.

Do Some Reconnaissance: Like all good soldiers you’ll need to do some reconnaissance before you go into battle. What color metal does she like? Yellow (gold) or white (silver)? What’s her style of jewelry? Is it modern or classic, flashy or understated? If you’re uncertain, note down the designs of her rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. You’ll be able to use these designs to determine her favorite style later.

A creative way to find out what she likes is to go window shopping together. Tell her you’re looking for some earrings for your mom or a new watch and steer her through the engagement ring aisle. But be discreet! You don’t want her to steal your thunder.

Choose the Metal: If she prefers yellow metals, yellow gold is the ideal choice for her. If she prefers silver metals, you have a choice between white gold, platinum or titanium.

If you’ve chosen gold, you’ll need to choose the purity or karat (kt). Gold comes in three purities: 10kt, 14kt and 18kt. 10kt gold contains 41.67% pure gold, 14kt gold contains 58.33% pure gold and 18kt gold contains 75% pure gold. The higher the purity, the more expensive the ring, so you need to factor this into your budget.

Platinum and titanium are 95% pure, so you don’t need to make any choices about the purity of these metals. For more information on the different metals, check out our Guide to Choosing a Metal.

Choose the Stone: A diamond seems to be a no-brainer, but some women these days prefer other gemstones in their engagement rings. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, tanzanite, tourmaline, and aquamarines can be just as stunning as diamonds and they have the added benefit of costing less. If you're set on diamonds, make sure you check out our Guide on Choosing a Diamond.

Once you’ve decided on the type of gem, you need to select the size, shape and cut. Gems come in all kinds of shapes, including round, oval, square, rectangle, pear, heart, the list goes on.
What’s important here is to choose a size and shape that fits with your sweetheart’s hand.

Longer gem shapes work better on longer, slimmer fingers, but a setting that's very delicate will get lost on larger hands, making the ring look smaller. Round and square shapes work better on shorter fingers. An elongated shape such as an oval or marquise make shorter fingers look sleeker but be careful not to overdo the look.

The kinds of gems your significant other wears now will give you an indication of what looks good on her fingers.

Choose the Setting: After you've chosen your stone, next comes the setting. Since you’ve already decided on the type of metal, you’re almost done! Those notes that you took about her favorite jewelry style will come in handy now. If she likes a “busier” look, you might want to go with an engraved band. If she likes a simpler look, go with a simple band. The length of her fingers will give you an idea of how thick the band should be, the longer the finger the thicker the band, usually.

The setting of the gem is the final choice. There are three main settings: the solitaire, which features the single gem set on the band with a number of prongs (the less prongs, the less cluttered the look); a solitaire with sidestones built into the band; or the three-stone setting, which features the main gem surrounded by another gem on either side. The choice of setting is down to the type of style you think she's going to like and how much you're willing to pay.

Determine her Ring Size: There are a few ways to find out her ring size. Does she ever wear a ring on that finger? While she’s not wearing it you could take it to a jeweler to size it, or if you don’t have much time you can trace the inside of it on paper and take that to a jeweler for sizing.
Is she a heavy sleeper? Wrap a piece of paper or string around her finger and measure that.
Once you've got the length you can check out our sizing chart to determine the ring size.

Get a Second Opinion: Once you’ve decided on the perfect ring, seek a second opinion from a trusted source. It could be your sweetheart’s mom, sister or friend - just make sure they can be trusted with your big secret. Getting advice from your future mom-in-law is a great way to bond and you’ll be getting premium insider information too!

Buy from a Quality Jeweler: Make sure you purchase from a reputable jeweler who offers a solid return policy. Make some calls, read their customer feedback, ask them a lot of questions. By going with "mom and pop" jewelers and avoiding the big chains you’ll get better service and quality, since many of the big retailers sacrifice quality for quantity.

Plan Ahead: Selecting the ring, ordering it and having it delivered will take time. Saving up to pay for it will take time too. And if you want to have it engraved, you’ll also need to factor that in. Get started early so that you’ll have plenty of time to do it right.

About The Author: Anita Marks from is a writer based in Washington state. She has written numerous articles about topics like online shopping, platinum wedding rings and platinum jewelry.