Transcript No Slide Title

National Leadership Summit on
Improving Results
Building a Youth
Development
Infrastructure
Bonnie Politz
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September 18, 2003
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
Four Realities
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•Fixing Youth
•Global Economy
•Television and Computers
•Time
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
How Do Youth Spend Their Time?
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?-21%
Asleep-38%
1 3,285 Hours
2 1,200 Hours
3 2,355 Hours
4 1,920 Hours
Ideally with Family27%
In School14%
Source: A Matter of Time: Risk and Opportunity in the Non School Hours, Carnegie Council 1992
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
Addressing Youth
Problems is Critical...
"The Medical Model"
Primary Prevention
High Risk
Treatment
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But, Problem Free is Not
Fully Prepared
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Positive
Development
Primary Prevention
High Risk
Treatment
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Common Core of
Prevention Strategies
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Pregnancy
Delinquency
Violence
Core Supports &
Opportunities
Dropouts
Substance Abuse
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Common Themes in
Prevention Programs
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•SKILL BUILDING- building social skills, problem-solving skills and
communication skills
•PARTICIPATION- engaging youth through offering real opportunities for
participation (e.g. youth led discussion, real choices), leadership (e.g.
youth as peer counselors, tutors, contributors)
•MEMBERSHIP- creating a sense of membership within the group and/or
a sense of commitment to school, culture, community
•NORMS AND EXPECTATIONS - establishing new norms and
expectations for behavior that are sanctioned by the group
•ADULT-YOUTH RELATIONSHIPS- establishing deeper and different
ways for youth and adults to relate through the creation of different
structures for interaction and specific training for adult leaders
•INFORMATION AND SERVICES- providing problem-specific information
and services or access to services
Source: Adolescents at Risk, Dryfoos 1990
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
Traditional Views of Youth
Services
Low Risk
Services
Low Risk
Youth/
Communities
Medium
High Risk
Youth/
Communities
Medium
Risk
High
Risk Services
Music/Art
Creative Writing
Community Service
Leadership Training
Outdoor Education
Career Guidance
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Prevention
Prevention
Tutoring
Tutoring
Counseling
Counseling
Drug Prevention
Drug
Prevention
Mentors
Mentors
Vocational Education
Violence Prevention
Remedial Education
Crisis Intervention
Gang Prevention
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Youth Development is …
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the ongoing process in which all
youth are engaged in attempting to:
•meet their basic personal and social needs to
be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful and
be spiritually grounded; and
•build skills and competencies that allow them to
function and contribute in their daily lives.
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
What Opportunities Do
Young People Need?
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•To learn and build skills, test and explore
ideas
•To express themselves and be creative
•To experience a sense of group membership
•To contribute and be of service to their
communities
•When appropriate, to learn about working
and to be employed
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
Seven Elements of a Youth
Development Infrastructure
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Identifying,
Redirecting and
increasing Financial
Commitment to Youth
Development
Supporting and
Increasing the
Number of Direct
Service and Capacity
Building
Organizations at the
Local Level
Participatory Strategic
Planning for
Public/Private/Nonprof
it Sectors
What it
Takes
Increasing the Amount of
and Access to
Public/Private Space for
Youth
Information Development
and Dissemination of
Baseline Youth
Development Data
Building an Informed
Constituency Through
Civic Participation
and Advocacy
Research, Documentation
and Evaluation of Best
Practices and Lessons
Learned
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Developmental Outcomes for Youth
Mastery &
Future
Responsibility
& Autonomy
Self-Worth
Belonging &
Membership
Aspects
of
Identity
Safety &
Security
Self-Awareness
& Spirituality
Civic &
Social
Intellectual
Physical
Health
Employable
Areas
of
Ability
Cultural
Mental
Health
© 2002
Lack of Easily Accessible
Information
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“On any given Saturday night in a major city, we can
generally find out in a matter of moments how many
young people were arrested, their age, their gender, their
ethnicity, where they live, etc. However it would take
weeks, if not longer, to know this kind of information
about young people who attend a youth organization on
any given Saturday night.”
(Source: A Matter of Money: The Cost and Financing of Youth Development,
2001)
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
“Dangerous Information”
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•It is dangerous to not have enough information.
•It is dangerous to have wrong information.
•It is dangerous to have irrelevant or out of date
information.
•It is dangerous to have too much information.
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
COMMUNITY YOUTHMAPPING (CYM)
www.communityyouthmapping.org
Center for
Youth
Development
and Policy
Research
Database
Driven
W
E
B
S
I
T
E
S
The CYM strategy involves young people gathering
information by locating and documenting in a given
locality, "places to go and things to do.” This Website
allows communities to easily map, sustain and manage
data as well as make data accessible to the entire
community.
PROMISING PRACTICES IN AFTERSCHOOL (PPAS)
www.afterschool.org
The PPAS System is a process to identify and
disseminate promising practices that underlie quality
afterschool programs. This Website provides a
searchable database of practices, links to resources
and discussion forums for program directors and other
key stakeholders in afterschool.
TRANSFORMATIONAL EDUCATION (TED)
www.TEDWeb.org
The TED initiative is designed to document and foster
discussion on educational practices with significant
implications for the education, positive development
and successful outcomes of young people. This
Website is designed to share the knowledge and
expertise of practitioners and advocates that work
directly with youth.
New Youth Development
Community Indicators
DRAFT
1. Do our young people have the spaces and people they need to learn the basics?
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Classroom Size (by School)
Student:Teacher Ratio (by School)
Teacher Qualifications (by School)
Density of school space reported together with youth population (by School)
2. Do our young people have opportunities to learn art, music and physical
education in school?
Hours of these courses (by School)
3. Do our young people have the opportunities to prepare for the world of work?
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Number of school-to-career programs in middle and high school (by School)
Number of school-linked job programs (by School)
School-based volunteer opportunities (by School)
Draft
Draft
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4. Do our young people have the spaces and people needed for safe and
developmentally appropriate recreation?
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Square footage of public recreation space (by Neighborhood)
Programs in public recreation (by Neighborhood)
Staffing and available hours in public recreation (by Neighborhood)
5. Are adults active/involved in our community to ensure young people get the
experiences they need to mature into healthy adults?
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Local and National Voting Statistics (by Neighborhood or Local Political Voting
District)
PTA/O membership (by School)
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
Youth Development
“Bumper Stickers”
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•Problem free is not fully prepared. Preventing high risk behaviors, even if achieved, is not the
same as helping young people prepare for the future. Preparation requires an equal commitment to
helping youth understand life’s challenges and responsibilities and to teach the necessary skills for
success.
•Preventing problems does not necessarily promote development and is usually not enough to
fully prepare youth for adulthood. A young person’s not getting pregnant, using drugs, or joining a
gang does not mean that person has the skills, knowledge, or attitudes to “make it.”
•Youth development (such as working towards developmental outcomes) is the best strategy
for problem prevention. Striving for more positive goals that promote development often gives
youth the skills and motivation they need to adopt healthy life styles.
•Youth development is the best strategy for achievement. Striving for more positive goals that
promote development often gives youth the skills and motivation they need to achieve milestones,
such as high school graduation and employment.
•The goal is not to fix youth but to develop them. Adults often work from a deficit or problem
prevention mode. The result is that young people get clearer messages about what they should not
do, think, or become than what they should do.
Center for Youth Development and Policy Research