Resources for: Positive Youth Development
Youth Topics
Mentoring creates caring, empathetic, consistent, and long-lasting relationships, often with some combination of role modeling, teaching, and advising that benefits both the youth and mentor by helping youth to succeed in life and meet their goals.
Civic engagement includes both paid and unpaid forms of political activism, environmentalism, volunteering, and community and national service. Civic engagement and volunteering can be beneficial for both youth and communities.
Positive youth development is an intentional, strength-based, pro-social approach that engages youth within communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in productive and constructive manner that promotes positive outcomes.
Service-learning is a strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and self-reflection to support academic learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
Collaboration Profiles
The Department of the Interior (DOI) supports and promotes youth involvement in the environment by working across bureaus within DOI to develop policies and programs that support youth engagement, collaborating with other federal departments and initiatives that support youth involvement in the great outdoors, and sharing information and resources through a youth-targeted website, YouthGo.gov.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) partners with the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) and the Army, Navy and Air Force to support military-connected children and youth and ensure that service members are able to focus on readiness and the mission.
Navicate helps to supports a collaboration of schools, businesses, colleges, and other organizations to foster opportunities for community service, leadership development, career and college exploration, internships, and employment for youth in Vermont as they transition from school to careers and postsecondary education.
The Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development (ICYD) Council is an interagency effort involving multiple state-level departments. Since 1999 the council has worked to coordinate its efforts and support positive youth development throughout Iowa.
Learn how Cayuga County in Central New York developed a collaborative model of local governance to implement a broad spectrum of evidence-based programs.
The National Organizations for Youth Safety is a coalition of national organizations, business leaders, and federal agencies focused on youth engagement and the promotion of youth health and safety.
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program have partnered to create a pipeline for disadvantaged youth by providing transitional structures, supports, and experiences to develop skills and provide leadership opportunities.
Briefs
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
Youth Voices
"I was inspired to create MY LIFE...because there was really a lack of places that youth could share their voice, and make a positive difference in their lives and in the community."
"Being part of this youth board turned my anger for the foster care system into passion. I had a story but my peers did, too. It became less about me and more about a group of youth who many people forget about."
“A lot of people might think that you may not have good ideas because you're a teenager, but working hard makes a big difference as it shows [others] you have a voice and you are capable…”
Agencies
Departments
Feature Articles
- Adventure Central
- AmeriCorps NCCC: Strengthening Communities and Developing Leaders
- Engineering students mentor at middle school with STARBASE
- How much do you know about…4-H and Positive Youth Development?
- Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs Develops Common Language on Positive Youth Development
- Minnesota's Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth Program
- National Youth Listening Tour
- Portland Kids Learn about Life and Basketball at the Hoopin' It Up Camp
- Secretary Duncan Hosts First Meeting with National Council of Young Leaders
- The CITY Project
- Washington State Youth Take Civic Activism To New Level
- Youth Speakers Share Their Hopes for the Future
Programs
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- 4-H Afterschool
- 4-H Youth Development Program
- Administration for Native Americans
- AmeriCorps
- Archive: 18th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Conference
- Children, Youth, and Families at Risk
- Family and Youth Services Bureau
- Federal Youth Court Program
- Learn and Serve America
- National 4-H Headquarters
- National Guard Youth Challenge Program
- Neighborhood Networks
- Passport in Time
- Preserve America Stewards
- Promise Neighborhoods
- YouthBuild
- Youthgo.gov
Publications
- Learn More About Positive Youth Development
- Make a Friend-Be a Peer Mentor
- PEPNet: Connecting Juvenile Offenders to Education and Employment
- Public/Private Ventures' Evaluation of Faith-Based Programs
- The Effective Management of Juvenile Sex Offenders in the Community
- The Guide to Community Preventive Services
- Trauma-focused Treatment for Teens and Young Adults
Technical Assistance
- Cooperative Extension System
- National Resource Center for Youth Development
- National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health
- Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers
- Solutions Desk
- Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health
- Underage Drinking Training Center
- You For Youth
Tools & Guides
- 10 Things Americans Can Do to Combat Summer Reading Loss and Childhood Obesity
- 3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
- Children, Youth, and Families Education and Research Network
- Corporation for National & Community Service: National Mentoring Month
- National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
- Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice: A Resource Guide
- Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers - Community of Practice
- Youth Leadership Toolkit: Branding and Logos
- Youth Leadership Toolkit: Focus Groups
- Youth Leadership Toolkit: Member Outreach
- Youth Leadership Toolkit: Public Speaking
- Youth Leadership Toolkit: Strategic Sharing
- Youth Leadership Toolkit: Travel Guide
- Youth Leadership Toolkit: Youth Engagement
Videos & Podcasts
- Keep in Touch
- Video: Chardae Anderson
- Video: Marlon Norman
- Video: Tricia Gurley
- Youth Workers: When Did You Make the Biggest Difference in a Youth’s Life?
Websites
Map My Community is a tool designed specifically to assist you in locating resources in your community to help you build and strengthen your youth program. Get ideas for new partnerships, identify gaps in your community, and learn about resources to avoid duplication of effort.
