Youth Development Insight

By Karen Beranek As we transition from one season to the next, we know taking the time to pause to reflect on our life is essential. Check out my colleague's blog on the power of self-reflection from a staff perspective. This concept of taking time to think back on our experience can be so impactful.  Equally impactful is hearing directly from youth as they reflect on their youth development journey. Live from the Redwood County Fair, the local educator led a youth panel of the graduating senior class to share their insights with their parents, community members, and 4-H youth. One question was: What advice do you have for younger youth? Try something new . 4-H has so many things to learn about - so many project areas, as well as places to lead, to serve your community, and to work with others. The youth in this panel saw this as a true asset of this youth development program. Ask questions . People really are here to help you. So much learning happens when you pause to consider w...

By Karen Beranek "Fully prepared does not mean problem-free - just resilient." Karen Pittman, youth development researcher While researching for my thesis two decades ago, I found myself drawn to the work of Karen Pittman . Her education as a sociologist and lived experiences, combined with her leadership and ability positioned her to create movement in the world of positive youth development. She co-founded the Forum for Youth Investment and KP Catalysts . She coined the phrase "Problem-free is not fully prepared" as she describes how we work with youth.  This fall, I had the privilege of listening to her speak in person! She expanded on the research and the history of positive youth development that she has advanced in her 30+ year career. It was more than a little humbling to pause and contemplate the evolution of youth development. Karen was able to walk us through the journey of youth work. As youth development professionals, we now recognize that youth being...

By Karen Beranek Camp is an amazingly unique and powerful experience - especially residential or overnight camps. For many first-time campers, this is the first time away from family and with so many other youth their age for an extended period of time. This new environment - physical and social - often comes with some big feelings.  A well-designed, high quality youth camp can be a great opportunity for campers to learn about and practice navigating their emotions and reactions. Let’s dig into some tips... Design programs to support campers: Create space in the schedule for smaller groups of campers and counselors to get to know each other. Have the opening session of camp outside! An open space can be easier to hear than a loud room. Share a basic schedule both verbally and posted in writing so campers know what to expect. Staff can model interactions with youth - specifically during transitions and meal time. Think about the location or space for each activity. The size of the ...

By Karen Beranek Youth development professionals want to make a difference in the lives of the youth they serve. With so many youth-serving organizations, working together can make a deeper impact in reaching more youth.  University of Minnesota Extension partners to deliver local programming throughout the state. Our  Minnesota 4-H program  greatly values the many youth organizations we have the opportunity to work with including: PreK-12 schools  Higher educational institutions Government agencies Tribal communities For-profit businesses Nonprofit organizations Community groups  What does a healthy partnership look like? It starts with the idea that we can do more together than separately. My colleagues describe  developing a partnership mindset  as: Persistent effort Effective relationship skills Transparent communication Adaptability Minnesota 4-H supports successful partnership-building by understanding that each partnership will look unique based...

By Karen Beranek As youth development professionals, building relationships with youth, their families and our co-workers is such an obvious part of our work, we may not put much thought into it. We know asking youth about their day or something big happening in their lives is a great conversation starter or check-in question. We have all likely heard the quote, "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care",   most often attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt. As a 4-H Youth Development professional, the 4-H Thriving Model was the focus of my most recent blog post . At the very foundation of this model is research led by the Search Institute , grounded in the concept that relationships matter. The Five Elements of Developmental Relationships show us how we can focus our conversations while building relationships with young people.  Express care -  Show me that I matter to you. Challenge growth -  Push me to keep getting better. Provide supp...

By Karen Beranek For much of the past two years young people, just like us youth development professionals, have focused so much energy on being resilient and building coping and adapting skills in the face of challenges . We’ve all gotten the chance to get pretty good at it. As we plan our fall programming, how can we shift from a reactive to a proactive approach where we move beyond resilience toward thriving?  The 4-H Thriving Model illustrates how participating in high quality youth program settings helps youth thrive, and thriving youth achieve key developmental outcomes. Mary Arnold has led this work, and her blog about putting the 4-H Thriving Model into real world practice highlights the distinction between resilience and thriving: But thriving, ah, thriving is different than resilience. Thriving is more than coping with adversity and overcoming incredible challenges despite how difficult the situation is. Thriving is about optimal development- about being the best we can...

By Karen Beranek Have you ever seen a conflict between youth in your program? Of course you have! You may have said, "You two are old enough, you need to figure it out." You may have avoided the conflict by walking right by and pretending you didn't hear it, thinking "It really isn’t that serious" or "They will work it out, they always do." Conflict between youth is normal. As youth workers we can think of it as negative and avoid it. Or we can use it as a learning opportunity for the young people we work with. Here are some better responses: "Tell me what happened", "How did that make you feel?" "What would you like to see next?" "How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again?" The ability to reframe conflict is a characteristic of a high-quality youth program. Learning to work with those who have different views is an essential life skill. In a youth program, there's a strong connection between p...

By Karen Beranek Picture this: I’m sitting in an airplane with a bright and energetic 16 year-old 4-H member who is excited and nervous about her very first airplane take off. Her adrenaline is high and her senses are on full alert. And I get to be the adult to experience this with her. Now picture another scene: I’m greeting excited campers as they arrive for their very first time at 4-H camp. The combination of hesitancy and curiosity shines on their faces. And I get to be the adult who introduces them to this amazing experience. As a youth worker, one of the most meaningful and energetic parts of my work is giving young people the chance to try new things. They don't LOVE everything they try, and may not excel at everything. But it does give them a chance to build on their willingness and openness to discovery. A young person's desire to try new things and to enjoy challenges is an indicator that they are on a trajectory to thrive. Mary Arnold , a youth developme...

By Karen Beranek In the past year, each and every professional development session I've attended has had one thing in common: the topic of civil discourse! Everyone’s talking about the need for it, the lack of resources around it, and opportunities surrounding it. My colleague Jessica Russo started the conversation on this blog with her recent post, Youth programs can rescue democracy . It has elicited numerous heartfelt comments. I'd like to continue that conversation. Teaching young people how to talk with those who have a different background or view than they have is sometimes as simple as providing a safe place for them to do so. Here are some strategies. Group agreements From the Center for Adolescent Studies, this technique develops expectations for functioning with a set of group norms. Active listening From the U.S. State Department. It's a method in which the listener seeks to understand, suspend judgment and give full attention. Text Talk Revive Ci...

By  Karen Beranek What is the best part of youth work? Seeing the young people grow! When I said that, did a name or face come to mind? Growth in leadership, character, decision-making, maturity, communicating – any and all - are signs that a young person is prepared for their future. Recently, I saw a strong team of dynamic high school students reflect on their own growth during a volunteer leadership experience.

By Karen Beranek Many youth organizations boldly state “We listen to youth.”  But do they really? Roger Hart’s Ladder of Participation work makes us think about the levels of youth voice that youth programs incorporate – from manipulation to tokenism and all the way up to sharing decisions equally. How can we get to the top? Check out this resource . Along with some great activities to empower youth and adults to set the stage for youth voice, they outline some concepts for supporting it.

By Karen Beranek We know that young people take risks. An image of a group of teens drinking, smoking or skipping school may instantly form in your mind when you think about risky behavior. But risk-taking is not necessarily something to avoid. Teen brains are programmed for experimentation . We must build a culture of healthy risk-taking for youth. Research shows us that young people need to reach outside their comfort zones to try new things in order to reach their potential. Taking healthy risks is a normal part of positive youth development .

By Karen Beranek Recently families have been questioning the value of youth activities, as seen on the parent blogs and social media sites starting with "Why I don't pay for" and ending with: gymnastics, volleyball, band, basketball. Blogger Shad Martin has a good example with " Why I Don't Pay for Dance Anymore! " Martin lists many good reasons why parents should involve their children in these learning experiences. But in my opinion, he has missed an important one - program quality.