Promising Practices Launched on NCWD/Youth website

NCWD/Youth announces Pro-Bank, an online database of promising programs and practices in the workforce development system that effectively addresses the needs of youth with disabilities. Pro-Bank was established to:

• Provide you with easily accessible information about promising practices through a trusted resource;
• Supply you with information that can be used to improve products and services within your own programs; and
• Promote quality program services to youth with disabilities throughout the workforce development system.

Programs featured on this site fall into two categories. The first category highlights effective and promising practices derived from youth-focused pilot demonstration projects funded by the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). The second category showcases programs not funded by ODEP which are inclusive of youth with disabilities or which specifically serve youth with disabilities and which have a proven record of success. In this second category, the program’s success was validated by one of the following outside sources:

• Recognized national or state award winner from Baldrige/Education, PEPNet, or similar recognition process;
• Screened by a federally-supported peer review panel (e.g. career-technical education, National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform);
• Results of a formal third party evaluation; or
• Published in a peer-reviewed journal

Pro-Bank currently has 19 profiles, six of which come from ODEP grantees. Pro-Bank is available at www.pro-bank.org.

What Each Entry Includes

The profiles of ODEP grantees describe the organization and its project, the services provided, guideposts, data collection and use, and the plans and reported outcomes for these projects. Contact information is included. In addition, selected materials that were developed by these grantees are available in our Pro-Bank Resources section.

For each non-ODEP funded program profiled on this site, there is contact information, a participant overview, a program description, information about the program structure, evidence of effectiveness and the source of the outside validation of the program’s effectiveness.

Programs and Practices

All of the practices highlighted on the site are organized around one or more of the following categories:

• Program Structure & Design
• School-Based Preparatory Experiences;
• Career Preparation & Work-Based Learning Experiences;
• Youth Development & Leadership;
• Individual & Support Services (Connecting Activities);
• Family Involvement & Supports

All of these categories, with the exception of program structure and design, were derived from the Guideposts for Success (http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/guideposts/), which is based on what research says all youth need to transition to adulthood successfully. The particular categories featured for each program are based on whether the practice shows particular innovativeness, uniqueness or strength of the program.

Pro-Bank is available at www.pro-bank.org.

Adding to Pro-Bank

Pro-Bank features workforce development programs that demonstrate effectiveness in serving youth, including those with disabilities. NCWD/Youth is continuously adding new programs to the site. If you are interested in having your program showcased, review the Pro-Bank criteria found at http://www.pro-bank.org/nominate.html. If you think your program meets the listed criteria and would like it to be featured in Pro-Bank, please contact us at pro-bank@ncwd-youth.info. Please include the program name, address and contact person, including an email address and phone number. We will then contact you to get more information