These agencies rank second only to the public school system in the number of young participants they serve. Collectively such organizations as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and 4-H reach an estimated 25 million young people each year. Most youth organizations consider health education to be an important part of their mission. An increasing number are including sexuality education in their programming and are well-positioned to respond to the AIDS issue. Characteristics that enhance their usefulness in delivering AIDS education are their leaders' skills in working with youth, their credibility with parents and the larger community, and their work with many youth who tend to be underserved by traditional sex education sources. Youth agencies also tend to be good collaborators. Nevertheless, some youth agencies face major barriers to providing AIDS education, including political, financial, and technical obstacles. Agencies nationally have responded in four ways to the need for AIDS education: 1) offering targeted program services to affiliates, 2) implementing special projects, 3) developing resource materials, and 4) developing policies and administrative procedures. Examples of national and local initiatives in each area and 5 references.