BETWEEN SCHOOL AND WORK - THE LITERACIES OF URBAN ADOLESCENT FEMALES

This article argues for a broader conception of both school and work l iteracies. I present the writing and narratives of adolescent females in their senior year of an urban high school to begin a dialogue about the ways schools and communities can support youth to both imagine an d plan for their futures. Ethnographic research methods were used to c ollect narratives and construct case studies of four young women. In t heir nuanced pictures of youth, these narratives will inform educators , policy makers, and researchers as they write about and make decision s concerning the futures of these young people.