This report summarizes key implementation lessons from the six-city Community Change for Youth Development (CCYD) initiative, which investigated whether providing neighborhoods a framework of ideas (core concepts) would speed the process and increase the effectiveness of neighborhood-wide, resident-involvement initiatives aimed at assisting all youths residing in those neighborhoods. The core concepts were: adult support and guidance; gap activities; work as a developmental tool (work/learning); youth involvement in decision making; and support through transitions. Data collected from the sites led to the development of 10 lessons, including that it is possible to implement and sustain a neighborhood-wide youth development initiative, based on a common substantive framework, in resource-poor neighborhoods; research-based core concepts are extremely useful; variation and flexibility in the roles residents play, and commitment to clarifying and supporting those roles, are essential to integrating residents into such initiatives; older youth and high-risk youth are more difficult to attract to positive youth development initiatives and require targeted outreach; large-scale initiatives need a structured approach to assessing program quality on an ongoing basis; and place-based initiatives cannot draw a fence around a neighborhood. An appendix presents CCYD lead agency and sits descriptions. (SM)
