Promoting Positive Youth Development: Data-Driven Community Change Strategies

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Ponton
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-154
Author(s):  
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty ◽  
Steven M. Worker ◽  
Martin H. Smith

Educator professional development in the 4-H Youth Development Program needs improvement. Lesson study, an iterative and educator-centered approach to professional development, has proven to be effective in school-based settings; however, research on the model in youth development programs is limited. The present study investigated the use of lesson study with professional Cooperative Extension staff, adult 4-H volunteers, and teenage 4-H volunteers in different 4-H contexts in three state programs. Findings revealed improvements in educators’ data-driven decision-making, content knowledge, lesson planning and implementation, and social connections across all contexts. To work effectively within the 4-H context, however, some adaptations to the model were necessary.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Torres-Harding ◽  
Ashley Baber ◽  
Julie Hilvers ◽  
Nakisha Hobbs ◽  
Michael Maly

School-based social activism projects have much potential to foster civic engagement, self-efficacy, and positive youth development. Social activism projects may also be a means by which children, a group that is disempowered due to their age and dependence on adults, might seek to positively impact social and community problems. The current study evaluated elementary school age children’s (K-7th grade) participation in grassroots campaigns, which are year-long school-based activism projects that are a component of their school’s comprehensive social justice curriculum. Results found that even young children could successfully and meaningfully participate in these school-based activism projects. Additionally, students’ participation in these projects was characterized by a high level of enthusiasm and also facilitated a sense of community and empowerment in these children.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. John Geldhof ◽  
Michelle B. Weiner ◽  
Jennifer P. Agans ◽  
Megan Kiely Mueller ◽  
Richard M. Lerner

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-150
Author(s):  
Andile Mji

This study reports on a programme encapsulating the ideals of positive youth development. Here, a specific narrative of an observed problem, how youths were encouraged to participate in activities and the resultant effect of interactions, is described. Participants were 118 learners, 67 (56.8%) of whom were females. The learners were in Grades 10, 11 and 12 with ages ranging between 16 years and 18 years. The programme learners participated in starting and tending gardens at school. Here, the aim was to determine how exposing learners to an empowering environment resulted in building their competencies. Specifically, this article determined what lessons learners learnt from the development programme and whether attributes of positive youth development could be extracted from learners’ utterances. Qualitative data using open-ended interviews and following a narrative perspective were collected. Findings revealed that learners changed, learned to share and understood what it meant to work with others. Also, their utterings were consistent with competencies illustrating positive youth development. The findings illustrated the importance and value of positive programmes among the youth.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document