PYD+Settings+&+Contexts

**HEHD 800: Foundations of Youth Development**

 * Wiki Group 6: PYD Settings and Contexts**


 * Directions: ** In the space below, your team should provide a summary of information related to the course topic by synthesizing the key points in the readings this week, providing real-world examples and applications of the content, and identifying and linking to new resources that cover the course material. In addition, your team should b will provide at least one interesting and engaging discussion question that captures some key point/s of interest related to your team's topic. Your team will then lead this discussion for approximately 10 or 15 minutes during our synchronous class meeting on Tuesday night.

=**Bradshaw & Gabarino: Using and building family strengths to promote positive youth development**=


 * Major Point**

Bradshaw & Gabarino brought up several key points about parenting styles, delinquency and several attributes to lead to positive youth development. Of course children tend to lead towards peers that share same attitudes, preferences and behaviors hence the term “birds of a feather, flock together,” but what happens when you as the parent disagree with the current group of friends. What does this say about your child and what does this say about your parenting style?

I. Some things that attribute to social toxicity: Adult authority is weaker, young people are spending more time with peers, mass media and teenagers have more freedom currently. Having said, several parenting styles proved to be affective for the most positive youth development: Authoritative Parenting and open families.


 * Authoritative parenting- parents create structure, shows appreciation and spends time together vs. the Helicopter parent (parental monitoring). Research also showed that those particular children were more apt to disclose risky behaviors because of the nature of the relationship.
 * Open families or families where multiple activities are done together and children are exposed to more outside forces appeared to be proactive vs. the closed families. The closed families with limited resources due to funds or “family secrets,” seemed to have high delinquency and social issues.
 * Divorced and single parenting were different culturally in how each culture perceived families and the toxicity of parents and children. According to Bradshaw and Gabarino, children of divorcees performed lower academically across the board, while with single parenting; because of the more authoritative role of one parent and extended families in African American communities, the resiliency is greater and the ability to perform well is higher.


 * II. Six attributes of strong families were presented by Stinnet, Clesser and Defrain were presented:**


 * Appreciation
 * Spending Time Together
 * Good Communication patterns
 * Commitment
 * Ability to Deal with Crisis in a Positive Manner
 * Religious Orientation

I**II. Also there were some key things that were factors in helping parents accomplish these attributes:**

 * Parenting Education
 * Age-Appropriate Ways for Involvement
 * Parental Support
 * Networking
 * Volunteering

In researching some sites that were instilling family traditions and values, [|www.casafamilyday.org] are very good at promoting dinner with family. In this techno-savvy age, a dinner to discuss the day is essential. Also [|www.actforyouth.net] took a holistic approach to youth development and tips to assist parents in engaging in meaningful conversations with their children.

= //**Discussion Question**// = = //**How can YD provide important and necessary parental education classes for communities?**// = = //**How can parents model positive behavior while living in an age of negative behavior consistantly being displayed on television, movies, music, by peers etc?**// =

=Swisher, R., & & Whitlock, J. (2004). How neighborhoods matter for youth development (pp. 216-238).= =In S. Hamilton & M. Hamilton (Eds.). //The Youth Development Handbook.// Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.= From intelligence to positive engagement, the quality of a neighborhood a youth develops in makes a difference. I. Defining Neighborhoods A. Geographic Location B. Social and Psychological connections 1. They are the physical infrastructures that house all the different environments youths develop in. 2.Youth either gain positive or negative social capital in these neighborhood II.New Urban Poverty A. Experiences in poverty today, are more detrimental than past experiences. 1. Because of social, political, economic systems a. Poverty concentration leads to social isolation in youth from positive aspects of development b. Neighborhood Demographics
 * Key Point-**

III. Collective Efficacy A. The belief that social environments will be responsive to and reward efforts to establish and accomplish community/individual goals 1.Interactions Between Neighborhood and Family Resources

IV. Conclusion A. Importance of synergy of youth environments in promoting similar goals B. Link Economic and Social Capital Development i. Networking and Mentorships C. Build Varieties of Neighborhood Social Capital D. Promote Human Capital and Collective Efficacy

Discussion Questions =How is youth leadership threatened in low income neighborhoods? = =How do taxes effect the youth leadership opportunities in neighborhoods of less income =

= = =Child Care in Practice Vol. 14, No. 1, January 2008, pp. 55 􏰁 64= =Conceptualizing Resiliency: An Interactional Perspective for Community and Youth Development Mark A. Brennan= = =

Major Point of Emphasis
Working definition of resiliency: Youth and communities as a part of the same cohesive whole that reflects local well-being and adaptive capacities


 * I. Community resiliency**

a. Has long been considered a field independent of youth resiliency.

b. However, the cliché "the children of today are tomorrow's future" is abundantly common and is something that is referenced not only in youth development arenas, but in homes, churches, and throughout entire communities.

c. Essentially, American and Western European societies have finally begun to notice that youth development and youth resiliency are a vital component of community resiliency.

i. There has been a realization that if youth are not able to be resilient and learn to become successful, contributing members of society, then the community itself will be unable to be resilient to change, years, and progress.

I**I. Youth Development Resiliency**

a. Considered to be promoted in schools, neighborhoods, the community as a whole, and a variety of smaller settings (homes, extended families, churches, community centers)

b. Youth need social support, which in turn will result in social competence.

c. Civic engagement (volunteering and unique involvement and ownership in the community) promotes self-actualization in adolescents


 * III. Community Development and Resiliency**

a. “Community Field”- connects all the individual aspects of the community into a comprehensive area

b. Youth are becoming an ever-larger percentage of the community building and resiliency efforts, which were primarily marketed only to adults.

== // “The key component to this process is found in the creation and maintenance of channels of interaction and communication among the diverse local groups that would otherwise be directed toward their more individual interests.” // ==

== // “The definition of community views locality as a place where people live and meet their common daily needs together (Theodori, 2005; Wilkinson, 1991). It can therefore be seen as a comprehensive network of individual relationships that express common interests and act to meet the general needs of the locality.” // ==



=**// Discussion Questions //**= =**// What makes a community resilient? //**= =**// What makes youth resilent? //**=

=Blyth, D. (2011). The future of youth development: Multiple wisdoms, alternate pathways, and aligned accountability. //Journal of Youth Development, 6//(3), 167-182.=

Over the last thirty years, the field of Youth Development has undergone a process resulting in the growing professionalization of the field. With professionalization and public recognition, there are evitable challenges that will arise that will need to be addressed by the leaders of this field. In an article combining her own life expereince as well as the results of thirty years of academic studies, Blyth lists out three major challenges
 * Major Theme**

1. How the the field of YDL comes to understand value and integrate different forms of knowing -- particularly quantitative data. 2. How the field shifts from proving YD makes a difference to improving the ways it makes a difference by expanding the pathways to impact. 3. How the field responds to and shapes accountability pressures in ways that better align accountability rather than succumb to it.

1. Use of empirical evaluation of youth programs 2. Society for Research of Adolescence and the growing legitimacy of this interdisciplinary field- undergrad and graduate curriculums 3. Public awareness of societal barriers to youth development- ie systemic racism, poverty, school failures, familal issues, etc 4. Rise of strength based philosphies and programs 5. Growing professional field of study 6. The coinage of problem free is not fully prepared. 7. Mentorship and service learning 8. Journals and Richard Learner 9. Greater voice in policy decisions in communities
 * I. Major Changes in YDL Over the Past Thirty Years **

Blyth also highlights how the the YD field is learning how to employ: ==" deliberate focus on the role of non-formal community learning opportunities that are intentional contexts of development and on system approaches in communities that support them—as the best way to shape an applied field that can make a difference in the lives of youth." ==

1. Value and integrate cultural wisdom about various contexts along with empriacal research. i. The usage of quantitative data to monitor and record progess. 2. Creative integration of frameworks to adequate serve communities i. The combination of traditional practical wisdom with empiracal methods and practices ii. Understanding our local communities before application of practical wisdom and evidence based methods and practices.
 * II. First Challenge **

1. Exploration of Alternative Pathways to Impact i. Transfer from additive based programming (mentorship+academic assistance= higher grades) to a muliplicative model, such as the pathway equation. 2. S hift from proving impact to improving impact. i. The Pathway Equation: __//**RI=PD*A*QP*YE**//__ a. **RI**= Real Impact b. **PD**=Program Design-Improving YD programs to become more universal, multi-tiered, and incorporate empircally proven methods and programs that research and conventional wisdom suggest is successful. c. **A**= Access- changing accessibility of YD programs to be more inclusive, universal, and wide ranging for youth. d. **QP**= Quality of Practice- Improving the quality of practice amongst YDL and Youth Progams at the point of serivice or as actually implemented. e. **YE**= Youth Engagement- Better understanding and promoting Youth Engagement in programs 3. Upgrading the capabilities and expertise of YDLs.
 * III. Second Challenge**

=// "programs that produce good outcomes and the extent to which various professional development efforts or systems support real changes in practice will prove very valuable to the field. In a sense, this approach moves our field from being stuck in a defensive posture of trying to prove that what we do can make a difference to improving the way we do it and increasing the probability of positive outcomes." //=

1. Alligning Different Forms of Accountability i. Understanding that evidence based outcomes does not always paint a full picture of programs and methods ii. Working with funders to increase the understanding of the volitility of YD and the many different variables at work in the lives of youth in YD programs. 2. Creating the accountability of the YD field i. See Table 1 below = = =// "Currently we have an interesting opportunity for youth development to build a field where the alignment of accountabilities and the main pathways for improving impact work together in imaginative and effective ways. Such an effort will require the application of a rich array of empirical research and evaluation. Assuring that such research and evaluation is done, done well, and integrates and respects other forms of knowing may be the ultimate challenges for our field moving forward." //= = =
 * IV- Third Challenge **

__**Aligning Accountability Table**__

 * __**Accountability for …**__ || __**Level Responsible**__ ||
 * Selecting Outcomes || Policy Level ||
 * Monitoring Outcomes || Geographic Levels ||
 * Effective Strategies || System Level ||
 * Improving Access || System Level ||
 * Quality of Program || Organization Level ||
 * Quality of Professional || Association Level ||

Discussion Questions
== 1. When thinking about our programs, how can we utilize the Pathway Equation to better professionalize our field, pursue funding, structure programs, and improve youth developmental success? How can we measure and evaulate the various factors in this equation? ==

=Outley, C., Bocarro, J., & Boleman, C. (2011). //Recreation as a component of the community youth development system//. New Directions for Youth Development, 130, 59-72.=


 * __ Major Themes __**


 * 1) Community youth development is a transformative approach that can assist in a more equitable allocation of resources in programs that fail to engage low-income and minority urban youth.
 * 2) Youth today develop within nested systems that either positively or negatively influence their development, thus the use of recreation can help influence working together, respect for others and adults, and responsibility.
 * 3) Recreational services have a vital role in connecting youth to their communities as well as enabling youth and adult allies to improve challenging societal conditions.
 * I. How Youth Learn and Develop**
 * 1) Youth operate in numerous and diverse contexts--at school, in the family, with peers, in their neighborhoods, as participants in youth programs, at faith-based institutions, in recreation, and even in judicial system.
 * 2) Recreation centers and park areas, where many gangs and deviant youth congregate, are widely distributed across communities and can be used to deal with youth-related problems.
 * 3) Youth leaders are experienced in establishing supportive and caring relationships with their youth..
 * 4) Recreations activities are intrinsically appealing to large segments of youth and thus can attract diverse young people and have a positive influence on encouraging prosocial behavior.
 * II.Historical Foundations of Community Recreation**
 * 1) The late 1970s and early 1980s saw trends that had particular impact on youth development programs and how park and recreation department have served youth.

i. There was a sharp increase in the divorce rate in American families, which created more single parents families and subsequent increase in unsupervised and unstructured time for youth, particularly in communities where few free programs were offered.

ii. Budget cuts and constraints led to deterioration of many recreation services.


 * 1) From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, events and conditions forced youth issues to forefront of the political agenda: drive-by and school shootings, substantial increases in gang membership, increased teenage pregnancy rates, higher school dropout rates, growth in the number of low-income, single-parent households, and increased drug use.
 * 2) The recreation field has become more intentional about positioning itself in the youth development movement and positive out of school debate.
 * III. Community Based Youth Development**
 * 1) CYD has been defined as purposefully creating environments that provide constructive, affirmative, and encouraging relationships that are sustained over time with adults and peers, while concurrently providing an array of opportunities that enable youth to build their own development as well as the development of communities.
 * 2) CYD requires a holistic, strength-based approach that capitalizes on the potential contributions of youth-based programs to create and carry out an overall agenda for change in the community.
 * 3) Community recreation-based programs can counter these negative neighborhood environmental conditions by contributing to the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of youth providing a holistic strength-based approach that capitalizes on the potential assets that exist in each community.
 * IV. Developing Community Behavior**
 * 1) Youth serving organizations, regardless of type, must begin to work together to create the conditions necessary to provide supports and opportunities for youth and their families.
 * 2) Camino and Zeldin set out three major themes that should be included in any youth development program to facilitate the development and growth in any youth.

i. Theme 1: Identify and build on assets as well as needs


 * 1) Identify the issues that affect the community along with the resources and assets the community produces.
 * 2) Primary focus should be to use these assets along with the community organizations and individuals to help to produce productive and active adults out of the youth.
 * 3) The goal of the community is to become active mentors to the youth, to show them how to value and respect cultural differences, and to involve them in nearby activities.

ii. Theme 2: Engage citizens and promote local control


 * 1) Create social capital within the community so the local stakeholders have more control of the community.
 * 2) This helps youth shape and teach youth about the world-views of systemic causes of community problems and encourages youth to work towards equity, fairness, and social justice.

iii. Theme 3: Create partnership for capacity building and systemic change


 * 1) Community building is generated through collaboration among diverse stakeholders across fields and sectors.
 * 2) These partnerships formed within the community help influence the youth’s behavior along with the community
 * 3) The public-private partnership can increase the resource pooling thus increasing the youth servicing programs in a community.
 * V. Where does that Leave Us?**
 * 1) The focus has shifted from a fun and games mentality to a more deliberated strategy that places more value on the development of the community as a whole, in addition to individual well-being.
 * 2) CYD is a fundamental change in how we provide services and opportunities for young people.
 * 3) The three best practices themes are paving the way toward greater acceptance of a community-centered approach to youth development in the area of out-of-school time.

= Discussion Questions =
 * 1. From the project we have done with Granite Station and this section/chapter of learning. What do you feel makes CYD the most efficient and accurate way to develop youth in all aspects of life? You are more likely to agree or disagree. Provide example and text to support your decision. **


 * 2. **** Growing up we all did some sort of recreational activity after school, on the weekends, or during the summer. Do you think you learned anything from your experiences, good or bad? Do you think these experiences (good or bad) have changed over the years, if so how? What makes recreational youth development beneficial for youth? **

= = = = =// Promoting Positive Youth Development in Schools; Brendan J. Gomez //= //“Schools have the ability to provide positive people, positive places, and positive opportunities promote positive development and act as protective factors” (Promoting Positive Youth Development in Schools; Gomez, Ang 2007)// **I. Positive People**  listening support  emotional support  emotional / moral challenge  appreciation  challenging tasks  personal assistance
 * Positive adults recognize and respond to the\ need for ongoing support**

== //“Given that social support contributes both towards PYD and positive school// //development, outcomes are more likely achieved when teacher support is// //present with other sources of support such as from parents, friends, or older// //youth acting as mentors”// ==

 Big Brother, Big Sister


 * II. Positive Places **

//“Schools have the ability to provide positive people, positive places, and positive opportunities promote positive development and act as protective factors”//
 Healthy boundaries (shared beliefs, personal regard for others, social expectations)  Safe and caring climate  Supportive environment for school personnel.
 * __Schools must have:__**

== //“Existence of clear boundaries and perception that these are fair help young// //people internalize school norms and promote increased belief in school rules// //that is associated with decreased school misbehavior”// ==

 Consistent classroom expectations  Explicit instructions for behavior  Recognizing and rewarding good behavior
 * __Teachers must have:__**

 Opportunities to participate in governance of their school  Responsibility for maintaining a conducive learning environment
 * __Students must have:__**

 physical and emotional safety  managing aggression and bullying
 * __Positive places have a safe and caring climate__**

== //“Adolescents who feel unsafe or who are victimized suffer emotionally socially, and academically. Victims of bullying have lower self-esteem and higher// //depression compared to non-victimized peers”// ==

 structural changes  school and classroom size  managing “unsupervised” places within school  positive teacher development and support from leadership  competence, confidence, connections, character, caring, and contribution to society  active participation, collaboration, and commitment from key stakeholders (protective and risk factors: law enforcement, social services, health services)  Financial resources to maintain programs
 * __To accomplish this goal, schools must consider:__**
 * Positive Opportunities **
 * __Activities and programs promote the six Cs__**

== //Schools need to recognize, engage, and sustain existing and potential// //resources in their own school environment and surrounding communities, in// //developing adolescents’ competence, confidence, connections, character,// //caring, and the ability to contribute to society.// ==

__**//Discussion Questions://**__ == 1. The article suggests that "schools guided by a PYD framework create learning environments that support adolescents' academic, social, and personal competence." What are some pros and cons of promoting PYD in schools? ==

== 2. Considering all the federal guidelines and standards placed on schools, could the promotion of PYD be a distraction / more stress for teachers / administrators to perform their core task of academic teaching? ==

//Evidence demonstrates that schools guided by a PYD framework create learning environments that support adolescents’ academic, social, and personal competence//