If you're looking for ideas on good sites for young children, classroom tips, funding resources or the latest research on using technology to benefit children from birth through age eight—this site is a good first stop.

How do you really help kids stay on track for academic success? Hook them up with a caring adult and engage them in learning-rich activities, says Dr. Reg Clark, author of "Family Life and School Achievement: Why Poor Black Children Succeed or Fail." These are the keynotes of Project LEARN, a model for after-school programs. Read a summary of the American Youth Policy Forum briefing on Project LEARN online.

"The principal's office." In childhood, those three words alone could make your palms sweat and your heart race. But for parents and others concerned with improving schools, principals can be among our best allies. So get over your fears: this weekend, the National Principals' Hotline is giving adults and students a chance to talk with elementary school principals. Connect for Kids can help you get prepared.

Richard Louv explores how faith-based organizations around the country are reaching out to support children and families in new ways. The idea is community: not just within the place of worship, but beyond.

While 92 percent of Americans think youth in their communities need a safe and structured place to go after school, only 30 percent of children in America have access to afterschool programs. Afterschool.gov connects you to federal dollars that support programs for children and youth during after-school hours, including a database of more than 100 grant and loan programs.

Hear the voices of kids and see their art work in
this video on Gallery 37, a program that offers
young people job training in the arts, opportunities for arts-related employment and
mentoring relationships with professional artists.

While the online world offers children education and experience, it also can present unsafe
situations. This 1998 guide offers tips for parents on helping children get the most out of email, the Web, and chat rooms.

Find out what you can do to prepare the children in your community for the future workplace. NetDay works to make schools accessible to the information superhighway.

The hours outside of the school day comprise more than 90 percent of a school-age child's time in a given year. Learn what kids are doing when they're not in school, and how to help give them opportunities to learn social skills, develop new interests and competencies, and form strong bonds with adults in this article from the National Child Care Information Center's Child Care Bulletin.

Experts agree there are both benefits and detriments to participation in youth sports. The Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (YSI) at Michigan State University conducts research and provides educational materials for coaches, officials, administrators, and parents to help kids get the most out of physical activity. Explore past issues of Spotlight on Youth Sports, YSI's newsletter covering issues on the youth sports scene.