Youth Development Guide
Knew
I did not have very much prior knowledge of this information before this chapter. I find the information useful and sorta eye opening. I knew the concept of resiliency but did not know the term for it. The items that help young people succeed are caring relationships, high, clear and fair expectations, and opportunities for participation and contribution. Positive supports are an important focus.
Learned
The Deficit Approach: Intervening when young people exhibited problems, or for identifying those young people "at risk" for problem behaviors and trying to prevent them from engaging in specific problem behaviors. This approach failed because it did not consider the basic developmental needs that young people had. I find the youth services chart very interesting, there are many "resources" available to the youth but for your "higher risk" communities the programs many not be very effective. The shift in policy section is very helpful in comparing deficit to youth development processes. "young people's healthy development and learning depends on what they experience in all the settings in their lives: home, school, and larger community." Family, School, Community based programs.
More
Would more funding make a difference in after school programming? I don't think the difference happens with materials fully but actually the staff, maybe better funding would lead to better trained staff? I went to an after school program for a long time and it was not the best time for me, i think training probably would have helped.
Thanks for your post Edwin. I wonder what you (and we!) can learn about YDEV practice from the ways that your after school program wasn't such a great experience. What didn't work? What would have made it better? What kind of training would you implement if you were running this program now?
ReplyDeleteI also agree that more funding for adequate staff training and hiring the right people for specific roles in organizations can significantly improve the work being done.
ReplyDeleteThis past session at the job I worked at we created a training specifically on LQBTQIA Etiquette and Racial Awareness, I wish all work places were required to do trainings like these. Especially if they are youth centered jobs. - Both comments were made by Dana :)
ReplyDeleteFor one, the people who ran the program i was in were very authoritative, they came off mean, some workers were great but when the director is the direct source of anxiety and authority they kinda trump the good things. My biggest thing was the lack of compassion. I had this experience stored in the archives of my mind, as far back as possible i think for a long time... When I was 11 my brother passed away and eventually when we returned to school we would return to the after school program. That evening we wold have to do a semi circle activity and share things with eachother via cold calls. I shared the news about my brother and the director of this program said, "I dont like that, share something else." I ended up sharing about visiting my aunts house instead. Afterwards not one worker offered any sort of comfort or awknowledgement. Honestly this would be the first and the last time that i would speak of my brothers passing for a long time. In youth spaces I believe we need compassion and understanding. Adequate training on how to work with kids who have experienced loss or different traumas in general is so important. I dont think it was possible for the workers in that program to care for all of us and every kid should be cared for and heard.
ReplyDeleteOh and Dana I love that your place did a LGBTQIA session, that allows you to work more closely and more understandingly with youth who identify within this group.