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Practical
Steps
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What
Does a Youth Development Program Look Like?
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In addition
to focusing on young people’s potential (instead of their problems),
several other features of youth development approaches distinguish them
from more traditional problem-focused programs:
- Youth development approaches emphasize substantive
youth involvement – not just "input" or feedback from youth,
but actual decision-making power that shapes the content and scope of
programs and activities.
- Youth development approaches recognize that they are
intervening in a long, tumultuous process of adolescence, and that it
is important to be there for the long haul – to be committed
not just at times of crisis, but constantly. After all, the goal is
to make the long developmental process of adolescence a safe passage
rather than an obstacle course.
- Youth development approaches try to build connections
and a sense of belonging for young people by connecting them to
other adults and to the community. Some researchers and practitioners
believe that this feature of youth development (or any other type of
program) is in fact the most critical:
"If
school and family systems can learn how to help all kids feel included
and of value to significant others in their lives, one of this country’s
main concerns, anti-social youth behavior, will be turned around."10
Similarly,
a 1995 study of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program found that regular
and intensive adult mentoring, friendship, and guidance had a more significant
effect on first-time drug use, school absenteeism, and fighting than
tutoring, anti-drug counseling, or other "problem-focused" services.11
- Youth development programs articulate and pursue
desirable outcomes for youth. As Karen Pittman of the International
Youth Foundation has observed, these outcomes can include attributes
such as confidence, character, connection, and competence in a number
of areas: civic and social, cultural, physical and emotional health,
intellectual curiosity and learning, and employability.12
| Specific
features of youth development programs |
Karen Pittman
has suggested that youth development programs can put in place seven key
inputs or ingredients that yield positive outcomes for young people.13
These inputs are consistent with research from the resiliency field as
well as more recent efforts to define developmental assets. They are:
- A safe, stable place where young people feel
comfortable and unconditionally supported. Ideally, this place is their
home, but it can also be another physical location – a school,
church, or community center – that offers nurturing and stability.
- Access to basic care and services. These should
be developmentally appropriate, affordable, and, in some cases, confidential.
- Healthy relationships with peers and with the
adults around young people.
- High expectations and standards. In order to
be meaningful and lasting, self-esteem must be earned and based on real
achievement.
- Role models, resources, and social networks. Like
adults, young people respond to the richness of the examples and supports
around them.
- Challenging experiences and opportunities to participate
and contribute. Being engaged in one’s surroundings and community
can be a lifetime source of satisfaction. However, these experiences
should be meaningful – such as service learning opportunities –
rather than "make work" (picking up trash). (For more on service learning,
see the Resources section.)
- High quality instruction and training. In order
for young people to develop the competencies they need to mature and
thrive, we must put in place high caliber opportunities for them to
build their skills (including the option of a safe place to make mistakes
along the way).
| How
to Incorporate Youth Development into Your Setting |
As the examples
above illustrate, youth development approaches are really a philosophy
rather than a specific set of activities or programs. This means they
can, and should, take different forms, adapting to the needs of youth
(indeed, with their active involvement) and to the different contours
of each community.
Incorporating
youth development approaches into your particular setting may require
some adjustments. Even though many service providers moan and groan about
the drawbacks of a "fix-the-problem" approach, the truth is that careers,
funding streams, and indeed entire organizations are often quite invested
in this approach.
The Administration
on Children, Youth, and Families suggests that shifting to a youth development
approach will require the following types of changes:
- Becoming knowledgeable about the challenges and benefits
of moving toward a youth development approach. (See Challenges
and Benefits section.)
- Helping policymakers, practitioners, and community
members value youth as cultural and economic resources. (See the Organizational
Assessment Questionnaire for some suggestions.)
- Accepting that youth input is not youth involvement
or empowerment.
- Focusing on systemic changes in youth policy.
- Becoming flexible in thinking about new strategies
and applying existing resources in new ways.
- Partnering with other youth agencies to design new
ways to solicit funding, provide services, and develop and promote improved
policies for young people.
- Viewing youth, families, and communities as partners
in change, working toward common goals.
- Re-engineering or reinventing (rather than simply
reorganizing) the business of youth work.14
If you and
your colleagues are interested in creating or enhancing a youth development
approach that you have already launched, consider the following questions
together:
- How do
we define youth development, both generically and in this community?
- What are
our objectives in implementing a youth development approach?
- What are
the benefits of implementing a youth development approach?
- What are
the possible negative consequences of implementing a youth development
approach?
- Is there
support for the approach within the community? If so, how can we effectively
leverage existing support? If not, how can we begin to build that support?
- What systems
already exist that operate on a youth development model, and how can
we access the resulting expertise and experience or build on those efforts?
- Within
the organization, should we implement the youth development approach
through existing programs and services or consider a new structure?
- What will
we need to do to move the organization from its current focus to a youth
development approach without losing the successful elements of the current
structure or operation?
- How will
we involve youth and the community in moving to a youth development
approach?
- How will
we assess whether the new approach truly benefits young people and the
community?15
See the Organizational
Assessment Questionnaire for a more detailed set of questions.
Next: Program
Examples >>
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