AS A RESULT OF MANY EXCELLENT STUDIES, SEVERAL THEORIES OF JUVENILE DEVELOPMENT HAVE BECOME ACCEPTED BY SOCIOLOGISTS AND EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF CHILD AND JUVENILE DEVELOPMENT. MOST OF THESE THEORIES CLUSTER AROUND THE CONCEPTS OF ROLE MODELING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMAGE OF SELF THROUGH NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE LABELING. THE PROBLEM COMES WHEN PROGRAM PLANNERS TRY TO TRANSLATE THESE FINDINGS INTO CONCRETE COURSES OF ACTION. THE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY-PLANNED JUVENILE PREVENTION PROGRAMS IS SEEN AS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THESE THEORIES INTO PRACTICE. A COMMUNITY YOUTH PROGRAM PROJECT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY (AMES). THIS PROJECT, SUPPORTED BY A COMBINATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS, PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITIES FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. IT IS HOPED THAT SUCH CENTRAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WILL PROVIDE SOUND DATA FOR THE STATE'S JUVENILE JUSTICE PLAN, WILL ASSIST THE STATE IN DEVELOPING CRITERIA FOR FUNDING JUVENILE PROGRAMS, AND WILL AID LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN DEVELOPING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS. IN 1978 THE COMMUNITY YOUTH PROGRAM PROJECT BEGAN A STATE-WIDE ASSESSMENT OF YOUTH NEEDS. STEPS BEING FOLLOWED TO DO THIS ARE LISTED. IT IS ALSO HELPING THREE IOWA COMMUNITIES WORK ON YOUTH PROGRAM DESIGNS. STEPS BEING FOLLOWED IN THIS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ARE LISTED. THE COMPREHENSIVE IOWA JUVENILE JUSTICE PLAN WILL GROW OUT OF THE STATE-WIDE ASSESSMENT PLUS THE EXPERIENCES WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES. IN THIS WAY IT IS HOPED TO TRANSLATE THEORY INTO VIABLE COMMUNITY ACTION. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)