This book contains papers from a conference on at-risk youth that focused on building strengths and empowering youth by giving them skills for school and life. Following an introduction titled "Motivational Strategies for Empowering Youth-At-Risk" by Dan Rea and Robert Warkentin, the papers are: (1) "The Role of Learning Environments: Social Engagement and Graduation Rates" (Sandra Bowman Damico and Jeffrey Roth); (2) "Putting It All Together: Creating Quality Learning Environments" (Cheryl Bishop); (3) "Developing a Community-Based Program To Empower Youth-At-Risk: An Evaluator's Perspective" (Julie W. Chambliss); (4) "Empowering Teachers Preparing To Work with Youth-At-Risk" (Sheila B. Marino and Rosemary Miller); (5) "Successful Strategies for Working with Discipline-Resistant Kids" (Joyce E. Divinyi); (6) "Project SAVE: Standing against Violence in Education" (Elsie P. Daniels); (7) "The Rise of Gangs in America" (Carl Spiva); (8) "Reality Check: How To Talk to Your Kids about Marijuana" (Ron Alt); (9) "The Need To Empower Youth with Critical Social, Emotional, and Cognitive Skills" (Rosemary Thompson); (10) "Transforming the Leadership Potential of Resilient Youth" (Mariam MacGregor); (11) "Breaking Down the Walls of Silence: An Expressive Arts Approach to Youth Empowerment" (Lois Leibowitz-Saperstein); (12) "Kids Law: A Practical Approach to Juvenile Justice" (John W. Biggers); (13) "The Accelerated Reader Program: A Contextualized Evaluation" (Martha Webb McGovern, Barbara Romine, Brenda Brinson, and Lyn R. Rushing); (14) "Helping At-Risk Parents and Children: The Potential of Family Literacy Projects" (Catherine A. Hansman and Johnnie Edge); (15) "A Pocket Full of Poetry: An Unlikely Approach with Middle Schoolers at Risk" (Beverly A. McKenna and Valerie A. Cole); (16) "'Dear Mr. Henshaw': A Perspective upon Writing and Risk" (Dale Purvis); (17) "PREP-IT-UP! Post-Secondary Readiness Enrichment Program" (Era B. Hall, B. E. Powell, Marsha Anderson, Mary Jo Fayoyin, Carolyn Williams); (18) "2001 and Beyond: A Mentoring Program To Improve Access to Post-secondary Education" (Carol A. Hoffman and Daniel B. Ross); (19) "Partnerships for Success: Building on Youths' Strengths" (Paul R. Olson and Jeff Shubert); (20) "Juvenile Reparations Program" (Talandra F. Schrock); (21) "Learning from an Alternative School with Diverse Demographics" (Marilyn Salafsky); (22) "Journey toward Wholeness: Moving from Racial and Cultural Diversity to Anti-Racist Multiculturalism" (Leon Spencer, Melvin Hoover, and Terry Oatts); and (23) "No Safe Places: Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents at Risk" (Lyn Carroll and Thomas S. Serwatka). Each paper contains references. (SLD)