Youth Development Insight

By Kathryn Sharpe Photo by Yingchou Han on Unsplash.com I recently heard a 4-H alum speak passionately about his current work as an activist and changemaker in his community, and he traced those roots back to his involvement in 4-H. It made me wonder, how can we best equip youth to become social change agents in our youth development programs?    Youth development can learn a great deal about this from community organizing. Community organizing engages people to identify shared issues that impact them, and then work together to build power to effect change, frequently around issues of social justice. Organizers use skills such as deep listening, identifying mutual self-interest, and highlighting the strengths and assets in individuals and a community. Youth organizing programs bring these skills together with high quality youth development practices. Youth organizing programs maximize social-emotional benefits for youth because they embed the following principles: They are fu...

By Joanna Tzenis Marwa’s hopes to see more people with her identity in the future as leaders. “You can’t be what you can’t see” -- Children’s rights activist Marian Wright Edelman These words are a rallying cry for those of us who are fighting to build equitable opportunities for people of all races, genders, abilities, sexual orientation and identities. What does research say about representation and its impact on youths’ aspirations? How can youth programs incorporate what research says to support youth in the pursuit of their aspirations?  Young people's aspirations are influenced by what they see and experience in their world, but this process often happens subconsciously . The main characters of storybooks, movies , and curricula , political leaders , and those in high-powered careers are most frequently white males. So young people subconsciously...