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Dr. Lawrence R. AllenDean
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT –Why All the Fuss?
HEHD 800 Presentation
Leave you with some ideas for a
collaborative system to foster positive youth development!!!
My Goal Today!
Let’s Start the Discussion!
What are the five greatest factors contributing to a youth’s success?
Let’s Start the Discussion!
What are the five greatest factors contributing to a youth’s failure?
“All adolescents, in all economic and social circumstances, need generous amounts of help, instruction, discipline, support, and caring as they make their way from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood”
National Research Council, 2003, p. 19
Let’s Set The Stage!
The World is Different
Now! Informal community support system is gone High rates of family mobility Greater anonymity in neighborhoods More parents working outside home Schools are larger & more heterogeneous Extensive media exposure to violence,
drugs, sexual innuendo, etc. Pathways to adulthood have become less
clear
The social forces and pressures today are
unbelievable!!!!
The World is Different Now!
The Good…
The Bad…
The
Ugly
The Good
Most youth ages 0-17 are doing fine
More youth than ever graduated from high school
Sexual activity is down
Use of illicit drugs is down
The Bad
Too many children still live below the poverty level
Too many are abused or neglected
15% of school age children are overweight
Too many teens commit violent crimes annually
Sexual activity is still very high Still a high level of elementary
students cannot read at a basic level
Still a very high High School dropout rate-25-35%
The Bad
The Ugly
Too many disjointed and disconnected Federal programs addressing youth
Local numbers are no better Most agencies don’t know why they
do what they do! No conceptual framework.
The Ugly
No idea how to implement what works!
1 in 28 youth-serving programs rated effective by the Federal government.
Turfism overshadows effectiveness
The Way We Were!
20th Century, professionals believed that:
“youth were problems to be managed.”
They have a problem, lets eradicate it! Problems of youth were atypical at best! Since it only involved the misfits, why put
so much energy into them! Youth could be segmented-no coordination
The Deficit Model
The Way We Were!
CONSEQUENCES of THE DEFICIT MODEL
Being problem free did not make them productive adults
Many youth who needed the most help were pushed aside
Programs had limited success because of no systemic effort
Where We Are
Today!
All youth need support, opportunities and encouragement
All youth have assets and skills that can and need to be developed
Focus is on strengths rather than deficits
Youth Development Model
Youth Development
Model Every young person has the
potential for successful, healthy development
Youth development is more than academic achievement
It is:“a process which prepares young people to meet the challenges of
adolescence and adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of
activities and experiences which help them to become socially, morally,
emotionally, physically, and cognitively competent ”
National Collaboration for Youth, 1998
Youth Development Model
This definition means a youth is
“problem free, fully prepared, and fully
engaged”
Youth Development Model
Youth Development Model:
Ultimate Goals Self-sufficiency Positive and responsible family
and social relationships Good citizenship
So, who is responsible for
youth development?
The entire community with all of its resources and services.– Schools– Other human service agencies– Faith based organizations– Businesses and corporations– The citizenry
It Takes a Community to Raise a Child!
Thus, collaboration is essential.
Keys to Collaboration
• Buy in by all Partners• Mutual Benefits• Ownership by All• Recognition of Each
Contributor• TRUST!!!!!
Youth development is most effective where there is a
coordinated effort that directly ties community capacity building
with youth programs.
Youth Development
Youth Building
External Assets (Community
Focus)
Supports and opportunities
Internal Assets (Individual Focus)
Strengths and assets
Youth Development
What Is
Community Capacity Building?
It recognizes that the community must change possibly more than the youth.
It recognizes the need for a collaborative effort among all the stakeholders-families, schools, agencies, businesses, etc.
It links assets and conditions of a community to lead and direct the process of change
What is Community Capacity Building?
Building community assets (external assets)– Support systems & opportunities– Empowerment– Boundaries and expectations– Constructive use of time
Building Youth Programs:
the other half of the equation
Building youth assets (internal assets)-involves building competencies, skills and self-perceptions– Commitment to learning– Positive values– Social competencies– Positive identity
Characteristics of Positive
Youth Programs Meaningful and supportive relationships
with peers and adults -mentoring is a key Opportunities to develop hard skills
(academic, task-specific) Opportunities to develop soft skills
(relationship building, social skills) Must address development from the self,
family, school and community context
Characteristics of
PositiveYouth Programs
A physically and psychologically safe setting
Clear rules and expectations Opportunities to belong Opportunities that matter Adults, Adults, Adults
After-school/ Out of School Programs
Excellent example of collaboration for youth
developmentPotential to bring schools,
universities, several human services agencies, parents and other groups together in a positive non-threatening environment
“ Research suggests that students are most likely to be engaged cognitively and emotionally in learning environments outside the school”
Irby, Pittman, Tolman, 2003, p. 18
These non-school opportunities are referred to as “free-choice learning” opportunities.
After-school/ Out of
School Programs(One element of Full –service Community Schools)
Primary focus: Extended Learning-complement formal
education Enriched Learning-building supportive
skills & attitudes (problem-solving, self efficacy, etc)
Social Enrichment-building relationships, expanding understanding of world, etc.
Community based organizations are powerful settings for teaching skills and knowledge that complement academic
competence and directly affect the goals of youth development.
Youth are there because they want to be there. They are intrinsically
motivated to learn and participate. That is the POWER of these groups
and organizations.
Final Points
Establish a conceptual framework Build collaborative systems Build communities with programs Focus on outcomes Use what we know works Document our effectiveness
There you have it!
Can we do this?
Absolutely!
Questions or Comments!
Thank You!