Teens in America’s inner cities grow up and construct identities amidst a landscape of relationships and violence, support and discrimination, games and gangs. In such contexts, local environments such as after-school programs may help youth to mediate between social stereotypes and daily experience, or provide space for them to consider themselves as contributing members of a community. Based on four years of field work with both the adolescent members and staff of an inner-city youth organization in a large Midwestern city, Pride in the Projects examines the construction of identity as it occurs within this local context, emphasizing the relationships within which identities are formed. Drawing on research in psychology, sociology, education, and race and gender studies, the volume highlights the inadequacies in current identity development theories, expanding our understanding of the lives of urban teens and the ways in which interpersonal connections serve as powerful contexts for self-construction. The adolescents’ stories illuminate how they find ways to discover who they are, and who they would like to be — in positive and healthy ways — in the face of very real obstacles. The book closes with implications for practice, alerting scholars, educators, practitioners, and concerned citizens of the positive developmental possibilities inherent in youth settings when we pay attention to the voices of youth.

Based on four years of field work with both the adolescent members and staff of an inner-city youth organization in a large mid-western city, Pride in the Projects examines the construction of identity as it occurs within teens' local contexts, emphasizing the relationships within which identities are formed. Drawing on research in psychology, sociology, education, and race and gender studies, the volume highlights the inadequacies in current identity development theories, expanding our understanding of the lives of urban teens and the ways in which interpersonal connections serve as powerful contexts for self-construction. The book closes with implications for practice, alerting scholars, educators, practitioners, and concerned citizens of the positive developmental possibilities when we pay attention to the voices of the youth.

This book is about the difficulty of serving in local government. It’s about finding meaning in public service and developing a deep sense of pride in making a difference to the well being of our communities. I wrote this book to provide hope and guidance to my colleagues in administration and their political partners as they work through difficult times and climb over tremendous obstacles. It is a true story that shows what can be achieved when we are prepared to lead, when we instill a sense of urgency in the workplace culture, when we act to become part of the solution and not part of the problem, when we encourage people to have fun in the workplace, when we show people we truly care about them as human beings, when we reach out to solve contentious issues without the traditional adversarial techniques, when we become accessible as managers to clients, staff and City Councillors and when we tirelessly seek to communicate from the top to the bottom and across the silos through to the clients and back again to Council. It provides important insights on how to manage the complex and often strained relationship between administration and elected officials. It shows what can be achieved when we work as a team regardless of our administrative or political roles towards shared goals. It’s about striving for success, not as a goal, but as a journey that never ends.

JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION • Celebrate Pride and it's iconic rainbow flag--a symbol of inclusion and acceptance around the world-- with the very first picture book to tell its remarkable and inspiring history! "Pride is a beacon of (technicolor) light." --Entertainment Weekly In this deeply moving and empowering true story, young readers will trace the life of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today's world. Award-winning author Rob Sanders's stirring text, and acclaimed illustrator Steven Salerno's evocative images, combine to tell this remarkable - and undertold - story. A story of love, hope, equality, and pride.

In Be Amazing, drag kid Desmond is Amazing walks you through the history of the LGBTQ community, all while encouraging you to embrace your own uniqueness and ignore the haters. Desmond is amazing—and you are, too. Throughout history, courageous people like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and RuPaul have paved the way for a safer, more inclusive society for LGBTQ individuals, and it’s thanks to them that people just like Desmond can be free to be who they really are. Featuring illustrations by Dylan Glynn