Increasing the Capacity of Youth-Serving Professionals: Evaluation of the Online Social Justice Approach to Youth Engagement Course

2021 ◽  
pp. 237337992110538
Author(s):  
Heather Kennedy ◽  
Jill Elnicki ◽  
Dayna Torrieri ◽  
Elaine Scallan Walter
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Organizational Setting ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Qualitative Responses

There has been increased commitment to youth engagement in public health. However, those seeking to engage youth often lack the knowledge and skills to sustain meaningful youth engagement, constraining the potential positive impacts. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of training programs for practitioners who seek to increase their capacity to engage youth authentically. Given the need to train adults who work with youth, we developed and evaluated an online course to support public health and social service professionals in a social justice approach to youth engagement. During this 7-week course, grounded in social justice youth development theory, participants analyzed how power, privilege, and oppression operated in their own lives and engaged in conversations about disrupting systems of power that oppress young people. Fifty-eight participants completed the course as part of four cohorts, and 41 participants completed a survey (71% response rate) at all four time points (pre, post, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up). Paired t tests showed that participants experienced significant changes ( p < .0001) in their confidence to implement practices and curricula associated with social justice youth development, critique and provide evidence-informed recommendations to their organizational setting, and describe and disrupt adultism—the systematic subordination of youth by adults. Effects were sustained 6 months post course. Qualitative responses to survey items further supported the positive benefit of the course on their professional youth work. This course provides a promising model for training public health and social service professionals on how to authentically work with youth through a social justice lens.

The Kids are Alright

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-110
Author(s):  
Almeda M. Wright
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Spiritual Maturity ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Contemporary Research ◽  
Religious Lives

Discussions of adolescence and youth spirituality often focus primarily on the problems that need to be fixed in youth or their context. This essay draws upon positive youth development theory, which asserts that youth are much more than problems or at-risk. It affirms that all youth have resources that can be developed and contributions to make to their communities. This essay reviews the pervasiveness of problem-based approaches in the larger society and contemporary research on the religious lives of youth. It also calls theologians and youth workers to contribute to the shifting perspective of youth by re-imaging youth spiritual maturity as more than “adult like” and to offer a theology of adolescence which explicitly affirms youth engagement as partners with God, right now.

Turning the Corner

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Douglas Evans ◽  
E. Andrade ◽  
R. Villalba ◽  
I. Cubilla ◽  
I. Rivera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Latino Youth ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Immigrant Community ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Latino Immigrant ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Adolescent Engagement

This article reports on formative research to develop the Adelante brand, an innovative program for Latino immigrant adolescents and their families. The brand applies social marketing principles used in previous health brands in areas such as tobacco control, substance use, and HIV prevention. Specific objectives were to apply branding principles as an approach to increasing adolescent engagement with, and participation in, a community-based youth development program called Adelante, which is based on positive youth development theory. We collected data in a primarily low-income Latino immigrant community, Langley Park, MD, located near Washington, DC. A total of 39 adolescents, ages 13–19, participated in six focus groups. We designed and tested a brand positioning statement, associations, a logo and graphics, and youth archetypes. We used thematic content analysis to code focus group data into broad topic areas and then analyzed the data using substantive coding to identify themes. The concepts of strength, resilience, and “turning the corner” by overcoming life obstacles and succeeding were the main themes. Latino youth face a challenging environment in which they grow up, finish school, and succeed. Adelante represents a source of support and help to turn the corner. A graphic depicting a city street corner with a darker side (past) and a brighter side (future) was identified as the Adelante logo. Youth characters named Victor and Erika, and an educational entertainment strategy, were conceived as a way to create a brand persona. Adelante is now actively building its brand to increase youth engagement in the program.

Meaningful Youth Engagement Through Media Usage

2019 ◽  
pp. 729-747
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka Iwasaki
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Social And Cultural Capital ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Central Argument

Guided by the literature on youth engagement and media studies globally, this conceptual article examines the key engagement-related notions involving youth and media usage. A central argument of the article is that meaningful youth engagement can be considered a key concept in describing youth's use of hybrid media that reflects the diversity of youth populations and their media usage. Specifically, such media-involved youth engagement can be seen as an important meaning-making activity within youth's lives that can potentially build social and cultural capital, including through social relationships and youth-led political activism. Aligned theoretically with positive youth development (PYD) and social justice youth development (SJYD) frameworks, this article suggests that youth's hybrid media usage can be seen as a meaningful youth-engagement activity that can provide opportunities to promote skills/competences leading to positive development, and to address human rights and other social justice issues in an empowered, meaningful way.

Meaningful Youth Engagement Through Media Usage

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 31-47
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka Iwasaki
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Media Studies ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Social And Cultural Capital ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Central Argument

Guided by the literature on youth engagement and media studies globally, this conceptual article examines the key engagement-related notions involving youth and media usage. A central argument of the article is that meaningful youth engagement can be considered a key concept in describing youth's use of hybrid media that reflects the diversity of youth populations and their media usage. Specifically, such media-involved youth engagement can be seen as an important meaning-making activity within youth's lives that can potentially build social and cultural capital, including through social relationships and youth-led political activism. Aligned theoretically with positive youth development (PYD) and social justice youth development (SJYD) frameworks, this article suggests that youth's hybrid media usage can be seen as a meaningful youth-engagement activity that can provide opportunities to promote skills/competences leading to positive development, and to address human rights and other social justice issues in an empowered, meaningful way.

scholarly journals Insights on Inspirational Education for “High-Risk” Youth Informed by Participatory Action Research (PAR) on Youth Engagement: Short Communication

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka Iwasaki ◽  
Tristan Hopper ◽  
Patricia Whelan
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Youth Leaders ◽  
Educational Pathways ◽  
Collaborative Engagement ◽  
High Risk Youth

This short communication provides our insights into how or in what ways educators can more effectively support aspiration of at-risk/high-risk youth toward meaningful education. These are informed by the key learnings from our ongoing youth engagement research. Those insights emphasize the importance of meaningful engagement of youth through building a positive relationship with youth from a strengths-based perspective to mobilize youth’s talents into our collaborative engagement efforts in order to effectively support “high-risk” youth and aspire their educational pathways. Conceptually, our work aligns with the paradigms of positive youth development (PYD) and social justice youth development (SJYD). Practically, our research project represents an “anti-oppressive practice” in itself because the project engages youth as important contributors to a social/system change, especially, the role of our youth leaders in our team as a conduit for mobilizing youth views and actions on social justice issues (e.g., oppression, marginalization, social exclusion/inclusion, human rights, empowerment).

scholarly journals Without Television

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-112
Author(s):  
Keri A. Schwab ◽  
Barbara Brock
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Personal Agency ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Qualitative Responses ◽  
Television Study

The purpose of this follow-up study was to learn more about the leisure choices, hobbies, and lifestyles of young adults who had grown up without a television. Study participants responded to an online questionnaire that asked about their health, physical activity habits, hobbies, and level of current television viewing. A mixed methods approach to gathering and analyzing data revealed a picture of young adults who live active lives, watch little television, and appear to have a strong sense of personal agency to direct their lives. Themes of agency, including forethought and intentionality, and self-regulation were evident in the qualitative responses, as well as creation and choosing challenging hobbies or activities. This study provided much information for future research to examine the influence of television on youth development, specifically agency, challenge and life-long habits.

PUBLIC HEALTH, NURSING AND MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1953 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-208
Author(s):  
HELEN M. WALLACE ◽  
MARGARET A. LOSTY ◽  
MILDRED E. HEARSEY
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Premature Infants ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Newborn Infants ◽  
Special Program ◽  
Medical Social Work ◽  
After Care ◽  
Community Effort ◽  
Health Nursing

Long standing problems of over-hospitalization and inappropriate hospital discharge of newborn infants have been brought to attention by the concentration of premature infants in centers, through the interest of pediatricians, nurses and social service staffs at these centers. A plan for improved after-care was made and put into effect through joint community effort of health, welfare, and social agencies concerned. This plan consisted of: (1) strengthening of the existing home follow-up program; (2) promoting fuller use of other services available from the Health and Welfare Departments; (3) developing a special program for placement in foster homes.

RAISE IT UP!! Youth Arts and Awareness

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Thomas-Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Literary Arts ◽  
Systemic Oppression ◽  
Creative Self

RAISE IT UP! Youth Arts and Awareness (RIU) is an organization that promotes youth engagement, expression, and empowerment through the use of performance and literary arts and social justice activism. We envision a world where youth are fully recognized, valued, and supported as artist-activists and emerging thought leaders, working to create a world that is just, intersectional, and inclusive. Two fundamental tenets shape RIU’s policies, practices, and pedagogy. The first is that creative self-expression and culture making are powerful tools for personal and social transformation. The second is that social justice is truly possible only if and when we are willing to have transparent and authentic conversations about the oppression children experience at the hands of the adults in their lives. We are committed to amplifying youth voices and leadership and building cross-generational solidarity among people of all ages, particularly those impacted by marginalization. Though RIU is focused on and driven by the youth, a large part of our work includes helping adult family members, educators, and community leaders understand the ways in which systemic oppression shapes our perceptions of and interactions with the young people in our homes, neighborhoods, institutions, and decision-making bodies.

Screening at ports of entry for Ebola Virus Disease in England—a descriptive analysis of screening assessment data, 2014–2015

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicki L Boddington ◽  
Sophia Steinberger ◽  
Richard G Pebody
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Secondary Care ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Screening Assessment

Abstract Background In response to the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa in 2014 and evidence of spread to other countries, pre-entry screening was introduced by PHE at five major ports of entry in the England. Methods All passengers that entered the England via the five ports returning from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leonne were required to complete a Health Assessment Form and have their temperature taken. The numbers, characteristics and outcomes of these passengers were analysed. Results Between 14 October 2014 and 13 October 2015, a total of 12 648 passengers from affected countries had been screened. The majority of passengers were assessed as having no direct contact with EVD cases or high-risk events (12 069, 95.4%), although 535 (4.2%) passengers were assessed as requiring public health follow-up. In total, 39 passengers were referred directly to secondary care, although none were diagnosed with EVD. One high-risk passenger was later referred to secondary care and diagnosed with EVD. Conclusions Collection of these screening data enabled timely monitoring of the numbers and characteristics of passengers screened for EVD, facilitated resourcing decisions and acted as a mechanism to inform passengers of the necessary public health actions.

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