The manual emphasizes the youth whose family backgrounds, inadequate education, lack of workplace experience, and other barriers significantly lower the chance to succeed in jobs and careers and limit growth into productive citizens. An overview defines at-risk youth as those having any combination of the following characteristics: members of low-income or welfare families, high school dropouts, lacking basic academic skills, teenage parents, and those with criminal records or histories of drug and alcohol abuse. The program guidelines rest on the view that a comprehensive system of program initiatives offers the best way to serve this group of youth. The text discusses eight program strategies: 1) basic skills enhancement, 2) alternative schooling, 3) work/study, 4) job-readiness training, 5) on-the-job training, 6) occupational training, 7) residential training, and 8) the youth service corps. Each strategy is described in terms of its rational, elements, programming options, cost, and current examples. Each example is further described in terms of its target group, numbers served, costs, components, administration, funding, and contact person. Figures, notes, and appended background information and summaries of legislation.