scholarly journals Model Youth Programs: A Key Strategy for Developing Community-University Partnerships Using a Community Youth Development Approach

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-112
Author(s):  
Yolanda Anyon ◽  
María A. Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Youth Programs ◽  
Community Context ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
University Partnerships ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Academic Field ◽  
Transformative Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Universities across the nation face the charge of enhancing their intellectual capital as a learning institution while also contributing to the greater social good. While there is great potential for university-community partnerships to generate lessons for youth workers and policy makers, create powerful new knowledge for the academic field, and provide transformative experiences for community members, partnerships often fail to produce such meaningful results. In the San Francisco Bay Area, community residents who have been involved in such unsuccessful initiatives frequently perceived that university partners spent insufficient time learning about the community context, prioritized research objectives over community needs and did not make long-term commitments. Despite these challenges, community-university partnerships can be useful strategies for advancing the field of youth development by strengthening research and practice in local contexts. This paper presents how the design and implementation of model youth programs served as an effective strategy in developing a partnership between a university-based center and two local communities over a 5-year period. It also describes essential lessons that other communities, research institutions or universities may use to launch, implement, expand and sustain their own successful partnerships to build local capacity to implement youth development practices, promote positive outcomes for young people, and generate knowledge about the impact of youth development approaches.

Youth Experiences in Authoring Action: The Impact of an Arts-Based Youth Program on Youth Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 074355842110067
Author(s):  
Parissa J. Ballard ◽  
Grace Anderson ◽  
Danielle Parker Moore ◽  
Stephanie S. Daniel
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Summer Program ◽  
Youth Of Color ◽  
Media Arts ◽  
Program Leaders ◽  
Transformative Experiences ◽  
Film Making ◽  
The Impact

Authoring Action (A2) is a youth-focused, arts-based, afterschool and summer program. A2’s mission is “to transform the lives of youth and the world through the power of creative writing, spoken word, visual and media arts, film-making and leadership education that promotes positive systemic change.” Using in-depth interviews, this study aimed to understand how this arts-based program affects youth development. Participants in this study (N=36) were alums of Authoring Action (A2), interviewed when they were between the ages of 17-32. Over half identified as female (N=21). Most A2 participants were youth of color and participated in A2 between ages 13-17. Interview data were coded following several steps: generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and generating a report. Four themes describe the impacts of A2 for program participants: communication, cathartic and transformative experiences, connection, and critical consciousness. Programmatic features—getting paid to participate, shared group identity, and open access to program leaders and peers – were meaningful to youth participants. The mission and programmatic features of A2 support youth development; we discuss practices that may benefit other arts-based youth programs and the implications of such practices for youth development.

scholarly journals A Narrative Systematic Review of the Mental Toughness Programme Offered by the National Youth Development Agency

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 280
Author(s):  
Thulani Andrew Chauke ◽  
Khashane Stephen Malatji
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Mental Toughness ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Development Agency ◽  
Youth Service ◽  
Research Division ◽  
The Impact

The rapid increase of poverty, crime, and unemployment in South Africa results in youth vulnerability. Youth not in employment, not in education, and not in training are most vulnerable to life setbacks, find it difficult dealing with criticism, rejection, and failure. Thus, youth workers responsible for the coordination of youth service programme need to design an autonomy-supportive programme that can prepare youth mentally before youth are placed in a youth development programme that seeks to enhance youth employability. The National Youth Development Agency in South Africa under the National Youth Service Programme has developed a mental toughness programme curriculum that NYS volunteers undergo before participating in youth skill development programme or community service programme for a minimum of five days. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of the Mental Toughness Programme on the positive development of youth through youth lived experience in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. This study made use of a qualitative research approach, non-probability sampling to sample eight youth who participated in the Mental Toughness Programme offered by the National Youth Development Agency. In this study, we recommend that the National Youth Development Agency knowledge and research division should conduct a longitudinal study that can evaluate the impact of the Mental Toughness Programme on positive youth development in South Africa. The National Youth Development Agency should revise the mental toughness programme curriculum in a way that the programme goes beyond five days and physical toughness should be cooperated in the curriculum to enhance social cohesion.   Received: 27 July 2021 / Accepted: 6 October 2021 / Published: 3 January 2022

scholarly journals How adult volunteers contribute to positive youth development in the twenty-first century

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
Denis O'Brien
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Adult Volunteers

AbstractThis article reflects on the importance of adult volunteers in Foróige, a leading Irish youth development organisation. Volunteers make up some 97 per cent of all youth workers in Ireland. Outcomes for huge numbers of young people are mediated through and depend upon volunteers’ suitability, availability, knowledge and skills. The article takes as its starting point three pieces of research in Foróige. Using this evidence, I describe what appear to be the key strengths of the cohorts of volunteers we studied and how Foróige builds on these to reach positive youth development outcomes similar to those sought by the Queensland framework. To support this, Foróige has invested heavily on volunteer development to increase volunteer engagement and provide more roles in which volunteers can participate in achieving youth development outcomes. I explore the value of the positive interactions between volunteers and young people, the role of volunteers in increasing young people's connectedness to community, and the impact on volunteers of other life issues that compete for their time. I outline how the outputs and outcomes of youth work in Foróige would be hugely diminished without adult volunteers.

scholarly journals Incorporating Youth-Led Community Participatory Research into School Health Center Programs and Policies

2008 ◽  
Vol 123 (6) ◽  
pp. 709-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samira Soleimanpour ◽  
Claire Brindis ◽  
Sara Geierstanger ◽  
Spenta Kandawalla ◽  
Tamar Kurlaender
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
School Health ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Delivery Of Care ◽  
Alameda County ◽  
School Based Health Centers ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Training adolescents as student researchers is a strategy that can improve the delivery of care at school-based health centers (SBHCs) and significantly shift school health policies impacting students. From 2003 to 2006, the University of California, San Francisco, in partnership with Youth In Focus, implemented a participatory student research project to enhance the existing evaluation of the Alameda County SBHC Coalition and its participating clinic members, and to help develop and implement school health policies. Providing opportunities and training that enabled youth to identify and research the health needs of their peers, as well as advocate for improvements in SBHCs based on their research findings, represents an exciting youth development strategy. This article describes the role the youth played, how their adult partners supported their work, and the impact that their efforts had on the SBHCs and school health programming and policies in the areas of condom accessibility and mental health services.

scholarly journals Developing Youth Competencies: The Impact of Program Quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tegan M. Smischney ◽  
Matthew A. Roberts ◽  
Kate Gliske ◽  
Lynne M. Borden ◽  
Daniel F. Perkins
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Youth Programs ◽  
Program Quality ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
At Risk Youth ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Quality Ratings ◽  
The Impact

As youth programs have continued to evolve over the last 100 years, the field of program evaluation has advanced significantly in an effort to differentiate which youth program components are necessary to promote positive youth development (e.g., Eccles & Gootman, 2002; Lerner et al., 2013). The Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) initiative funds a variety of sustainable community projects (SCPs) that aim to support at-risk youth and families and help them become healthy, positive, and contributing members of society (U.S. Department of Agriculture, n.d.). To ensure these programs are meeting CYFAR’s goals, a required collection of common measures began in 2011 (University of Minnesota, 2017b). This study used CYFAR evaluation data to explore how specific program quality components (e.g. physical and psychological safety and relationship building) influence change in youth competencies. It was hypothesized that higher program quality ratings would be significantly associated with higher pretest to posttest change in youth competencies. Results indicated differential associations between the qualities of youth programs, particularly positive social norms and skill building, and changes in youth competencies. Implications for positive youth development programs are discussed.

scholarly journals STEM Professional Development for Youth Workers: Results of a Triangulated Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 178-196
Author(s):  
Melissa Pearman Fenton ◽  
Leslie Hawley ◽  
Saundra Wever Frerichs ◽  
Kathleen Lodl
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Program Director ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Stem Learning ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Development Professionals ◽  
Youth Development Professionals ◽  
The Impact

To increase the quality of informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities, many youth development professionals working in out-of-school time (OST) programs need professional development focused on facilitating these types of activities. Nebraska Extension developed an open-access repository of resources that support an ongoing, blended approach to STEM professional development for youth workers. The current study evaluated the impact on staff, programs, and youth achieved by implementing Click2Science resources in sites at a large youth serving organization. Data sources included site or program director/coordinator and frontline staff perceptions about their experiences during the professional development events, observations of staff facilitating STEM learning with youth, and youth interest in STEM. Findings demonstrated an increase in STEM program quality, as measured by the Dimensions of Success (DoS) Observational Tool (n.d.). Site or program director/coordinators and frontline staff found the professional development eye-opening and user friendly, and noted increased youth engagement following the intervention. Youth reported positive perceptions of STEM learning experiences. Triangulation of these three sources confirmed the promising utility and effectiveness of this professional development approach. Further research is needed to extend the preliminary findings and support the case for increased investment in STEM professional development for youth development professionals.

scholarly journals The Evolving Role of Youth Workers

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 124-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne M. Borden ◽  
Gabriel L. Schlomer ◽  
Christine Bracamonte Wiggs
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Youth Programs ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
The Past ◽  
Societal Changes ◽  
Risk Taking Behaviors

In reviewing the field of youth development, of which youth workers are a part, it is clear it has had a long and complex history that is intertwined with other disciplines. More recently youth workers have experienced a transformation of sorts, with youth programs in the past being seen exclusively as a place to play and have fun, whereas today’s expectations include a much broader focus on the overall positive development of young people. This evolution has been heavily influenced by a number of societal changes that have placed increasing demands on youth programs. Today’s youth workers are faced with the responsibility to promote a young person’s development which often includes supporting academic success and graduation from high school, reducing risk-taking behaviors, increasing positive health attitudes, and more. Youth workers have seen their role change dramatically over the past 20 years with greater demands and increased accountability.

A PROPOSED EVALUATION PLAN TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF A YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FACILITATED BY THE STATE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGENCY (SITA) IN RURAL SOUTH AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-181
Author(s):  
Maura Mbunyuza-deHeer Menlah
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The State ◽  
State Information ◽  
Evaluation Plan ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Slow Development ◽  
The Impact

This article reports on a proposed evaluation plan that has been developed to assess the work done by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA). The SITA programme was implemented in response to the South African government’s call to improve the lives of the populations in some rural areas through technology. The programme was meant to address slow development in  rural  areas  that  lack  technological  innovations  and  advances.  In  the proposed evaluation plan a review is made of secondary data, deciding how strategic priorities are to be determined, as well as analysis of the rural context environment. The researcher gives an account of how the evaluation strategies are to be piloted and rolled out thereafter. Lessons learnt are recorded and reported upon. A proposed evaluation plan will be developed, based on the lessons learnt in line with the objectives of the project.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document