Transcript Is There Common Ground?-An Exploratory Study of the

Is There Common Ground?
An Exploratory Study of the Interests and Needs
of Community-Based and Faith-Based Youth Workers
Pam Garza and Stephanie Artman (National Collaboration for Youth)
Eugene C. Roehlkepartain (Search Institute)
Barry A. Garst and M. Deborah Bialeschki (American Camp Association)
With Support from The Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Guiding Questions

How do community- and faith-based youth workers
understand their priorities and core competencies?
How are these perspectives similar and distinct?

Are they interested in learning together?

What would be the benefits and challenges of crosssector professional development opportunities?
Scope of the Study

Online Survey
◦ 1,322 participants
•Six Focus Groups
•Four cities
569 community-based
Indianapolis
404 faith-based
New Orleans
333 other
Minneapolis
◦ Convenience sample; not
representative
72% female
81% white
76% Christian
Tucson
•Mix of community- and
faith-based youth workers
Scope of Camp Study
Online Survey
(modified from the
original)
 303 camps
completed

◦ 29% RAC
◦ 71% Secular

Type of camps
◦ 64% resident
◦ 16% day
◦ 19% both

Sponsorship
◦ 39% Indep non-profit
◦ 33% agency
◦ 22% indep for profit

Religious commitment
(secular%/RAC%)
◦ Not very= 24/1
◦ Somewhat= 30/9
◦ Very= 46/90
Level of Religious Commitment of
Sample
Program Emphasis
Social
Emotional
Cognitive
Physical
Spiritual
4
3
2
1
0
All
Community-Based
Faith-Based
Program Emphasis-Camps
“Essential” Competencies by Sector
86%
87%
Positive relationships/communication
79%
81%
Role model
72%
Involving and empowering youth
80%
57%
Asset-building focus
72%
57%
Team/professionalism
68%
47%
Cultural and human diversity
66%
54%
Using age-appropriate activities
62%
47%
Program risk factors
56%
40%
Principles of development
59%
43%
Family and community
48%
38%
39%
Religious diversity
Spiritual development
0.0%
77%
14%
22.5%
45.0%
67.5%
Community-Based
Faith-Based
90.0%
Essential Competencies-Camps
Readiness for Learning Opportunities
Essential to
Work
Already
Prepared
Very
Interested
Readiness
(calculated)
Involving and empowering youth
73
23
65
58
Positive relationships, communication
85
28
56
57
Asset-building focus
65
21
60
52
Using age-appropriate activities
58
20
54
46
Cultural and human diversity
60
22
49
44
Program risk factors
52
20
52
42
Families and community
46
18
56
42
Positive role model
79
40
39
39
Principles of development
52
25
46
37
Team/professionalism
65
36
39
34
Spiritual development
33
14
37
28
Religious diversity
38
21
35
26
Areas of Greatest “Readiness” for
Learning
Community-Based Youth Workers
Faith-Based Youth Workers
Developing positive relationships and
communicating with youth.
Involving and empowering youth.
Involving and empowering youth.
Helping young people develop spiritually.
Interacting with and relating to youth in
ways that support asset building.
Developing positive relationships and
communicating with youth.
Adapting, facilitating, and evaluating age
appropriate activities with and for the group.
Interacting with and relating to youth
in ways that support asset building.
Respecting and honoring cultural and
human diversity.
Caring for, involving and working with
families and community.
Camps “Readiness” for Learning

Developing positive relationships and
communicating with youth (70%)

Demonstrating the attributes and qualities of a
positive role model (58%)

Enhancing youth’s moral and character
development* (51%)

Involving and empowering youth (51%)

Identifying risk factors in the program
environment and reducing those risks (43%)
Perceived Benefits of Cross-Sector
Learning

Shared learning and
resources
“There is a desperate
need to collaborate in the
urban setting. We are
missing significant

Improved youth work
segments of youths’ lives
due to our ‘silo’ mentality
and unwillingness to
network with each other.

Community-wide
approach to youth
There would be the
opportunity to share
resources and eliminate
doubling in some areas.”
— Faith-Based Youth Worker
Perceived Obstacles to Cross-Sector
Learning

Fear of exclusiveness
and proselytizing

Perceived differing goals
and training

Fear of judgementalism

Discomfort with
religious
spiritual issues


Legal issues
Lack of mutual respect
“People on both sides
can be very closed
minded and/or afraid.”
— Community-Based
“Different opinions,
practices, and attitudes
will always bring about
conflict, but we should all
be willing to keep our
minds open to other
perspectives.”
— Faith-Based
Youth Workers’ Wishes

Build relationships

Communicate openly

Work for shared understanding

“Set aside personal agendas and focus on youth.”

Share knowledge and opportunities
Recommendations

Build relationships, share knowledge, and communicate
openly about needs

Create a shared framework for moral and spiritual
development with trained staff prepared to facilitate this
type of growth in youth

Develop practical tools to support training across religious
and secular organizations/camps

Clearly define successful work with youth and strengthen
understanding of staff core competencies and professional
development

Conduct additional research to explore the relevance of
contexts for professional development needs