The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has discovered that youthful offenders can learn they have skills valued by their communities and come to understand the broad and deep effects crime has on those they care about. The two programs, YAR and TCC, work effectively both in the community and in the juvenile justice system. Young people in a wide variety of neighborhoods and diverse affiliation groups completed projects that met local needs, such as building day care playgrounds, conducting home security surveys for older residents, and designing and creating nature trails for people with disabilities--all through YAR grants. Projects by TCC students have included beautifying schools and neighborhoods, teaching date rape prevention, running conflict-resolution programs, and eliminating graffiti. Since 1987, youths of all kinds have identified a community problem, designed a project to address the issue, and applied the program to a community board for funding. Proposals are assessed in interviews with the young applicants after an initial review for basic compliance with application requirements. YAR has involved 100,000 young people in service to community and helped establish 26 new sites around the country. Created in 1985, TCC reaches students in more than 1,000 schools, community settings, and juvenile justice facilities around the Nation, using both a textbook and a newly developed set of lessons designed for less structured settings, such as youth clubs. Combining education and action, TCC helps young people understand how crime affects the community and how to prevent it. TCC is unusual in its community link, which is a core element of the program. Resource people come into the classroom or clubroom and share their knowledge. Young people who experience TCC repeatedly report that they not only learn, but apply what they have learned and teach others. When brought into correctional settings with properly trained staff, both TCC and YAR have proved effective with young people in correctional care. Research in youth development suggests that youths need such programs even more than their peers “on the outside” if they are to have a chance to grow up as effective, productive adults.