Youth Development Insight

By Sarah Devine What careers do you associate with someone who works with outer space topics? Astronaut, scientist, NASA? But what does a career connected to space really mean? As  Rebecca Meyers pointed out , career pathways can be opaque for young people, and careers linked to space endeavors are no different.  Sure, there are astronomers studying objects and processes in outer space, engineers who build the spacecraft to take astronauts to space, and the astronauts themselves. However, did you know that  58.8% of astronauts  have had a previous career in a military branch before becoming an astronaut or that 53% have experience being a pilot? So even being an astronaut is often a second career.  The skills and careers linked to astronomy don’t stop with astronauts either, but hit almost every  career sector  of the US. More countries around the globe are growing their spacefaring capabilities, as are private companies. With more activity in space, how do these nations and organizati

By  Katie Ecklund Designed by Freepik When we see frustration emerging in youth programs, our instinct may be to rush over and problem solve or try to fix it. If a solution appears simple, solving it is even more tempting. But what if frustration was not a problem to be solved? What if instead, it was an opportunity? Learning how to feel frustration and following it through to futility is the essence of adaptive learning . Yet more and more, the conveniences of modern life and our own discomfort with difficult emotions are robbing young people of this valuable learning opportunity.  Frustration is not comfortable. It sometimes overlaps with anger, and can feel like a loss of control . But feeling frustration is important. It teaches us to notice what’s working and what isn’t, where we might need to let go, and where we might try looking in a new direction. Supporting youth as they feel frustration prepares them for a world where immediate solutions aren’t always provided for them.   Yo