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!