Youth Development

The more you learn about "Youth Development," the better you will understand what it takes to begin building youth and adult partnerships in your community or organizations.

"We'll continue volunteering as long as they need us, so come join & share with us the joy we have in helping others!"
 -- Youth Participant

Youth Development: What’s It All About?

Media reports of youth violence, soaring teen pregnancy rates, drug and alcohol abuse, and juvenile delinquency contribute to many Americans thinking of youth as “problems” which must be “fixed.” Thus, when adolescent development is discussed, the focus is often negative. The emphasis is on what we should prevent; what young people should “not” do in order to avoid the many dangers that lurk around them. “Do not drink, do not smoke, do not engage in risky sexual behavior, do not drop out of school,” etc.

 

A growing trend is to view “youth development,” with an emphasis on assets rather than problems, as a preferable approach to helping young people navigate their adolescent years. Research on resilience has shown that the key to success for young people are the following personal and community factors.

 

Personal Traits: Relationship skills Problem-solving skills Sense of autonomy and identity Sense of purpose and belief in the future

Community Factors: Caring relationships High expectations Opportunities for participation in meaningful ways

To really help young people grow up successfully, youth, parents, schools, community agencies, churches, all need to be working together to build these protective factors. And, we must remember that often the most important ingredient is the energy and the resources that youth themselves bring to the task at hand, whatever that might be.

Community Youth Development: It’s A Movement

There are signs all around, from funding sources, policy leaders and public agency planners, to local community groups and youth organizations, that this country is ready for a CHANGE IN ATTITUDE regarding young people! The National Network for Youth, which developed an initiative called “Community Youth Development” in the mid-90’s, asserted at that time that the beginnings of a movement were in evidence.  

For its part in the movement, the National Network’s CYD Project sought to strengthen staff in agencies working with youth who are in high risk situations. Building on the African proverb, ‘It takes an entire village to raise a child’, it recognized that youth serving agencies need to join with the entire community if they want to really make a difference for youth. CYD promotes mutual responsibility for and interdependence among communities, youth and families. It seeks to develop every youth’s assets - his/her talents, skills, interests, and family/community supports.

Developing CAPABLE youth, STRONG families, and RESPONSIBLE communities requires involving young people in every possible way in the programs and institutions that impact their lives. They become more invested in what they learn, more committed to attaining goals, and they develop valuable leadership skills and experience in the process. Families, organizations and communities benefit from their creativity, abilities, and energy of young people who are engaged as resources.

Participants in the CYD Project are particularly interested in ensuring that opportunities for growth and development be available to youth who face greater odds because of abuse, neglect, family conflicts, lack of resources and other exceptional life challenges.

For more information on Texas' CYD Program, visit the TNOYS CYD page.

Definitions

Youth Participation? Youth Development? Community Youth Development? We often use different words to talk about the same thing! Here is one attempt to distinguish these concepts.

Youth Development: All young people have developmental tasks needed for passage into adulthood. Youth development is about providing the tools, skills and training for young people to become productive, contributing members of community and society, to master their environments, and to follow their true calling. Youth development helps young people become confident, connected, committed, and competent in a wide range of areas - including school, work, civic, cultural, health, and social. Youth development is the result of a collective effort by the entire community.

Youth Participation: Youth participation is a way to promote youth development. It is about being actively involved in something. Youth participation provides a variety of opportunities for young people and adults to work together. It should involve democratic decision making, experiential learning, challenge, and responsibility. Forms of youth participation include: 1. Active participant - receiving service, participating in activity. 2. Worker - a volunteer or paid employee. 3. An apprentice or intern learning the ropes. 4. An organizational leader - advisor, planner, organizer, decision-maker, fundraiser. 5. Community leader - advocate, educator, public speaker. Adult roles include facilitator, enabler, trainer, and role model.

Community Development: Much more than just creating buildings or “infrastructure,” community development means creating conditions for optimal growth in body, mind, spirit and community. If community development is complete, it also includes youth development. The following are key elements of community development:

1. Infrastructure - businesses, housing, physical improvements to the community. 
2. Services, supports, opportunities - education, family and social services, recreation, health services, etc. 
3. Community capacity building - shared norms, strong families, leadership development, shared responsibility and support.
4. Advocacy - fighting for social justice at local, state and federal levels. Neighborhood development is a subset of community development, working in an area with neighborhood boundaries.  

Why should Youth Development and Community Development be connected?

• Young people grow up in communities, not programs
• Opportunities to participate in community development are key to development.
• Young people benefit from as well as help produce community development.
• The whole community benefits.
• Youth development and community development have common goals and methods.

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