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Youth Development


Joyce A. Walker

Professor and youth development educator

Current work, research and interests

Joyce Walker PhotoJoyce's work at the University of Minnesota has always been divided between educational outreach to community-based youth development programs and campus-based teaching in youth work, nonformal education, and adult education. Working at this nexus of community practice and scholarly investigation is what she enjoys and where she believes she can contribute best to the developmental supports and opportunities for young people.

These interests have exciting local, national and international dimensions. She has been able to do things like study adolescent depression and suicide in Minnesota during times of farm crisis; train LABO youth program adult leaders in Japan; introduce youth development training to youth workers worldwide on U.S. Army installations; and, prepare youth workers educationally through the master’s program in youth development leadership in the College of Education and Human Development. Joyce helped to create the Minnesota Youth Work Institute; to strengthen the Twin Cities Youth Work Coalition; to foster understanding of out-of-school time policy and programs; and, to contribute to the growing youth development field.

In previous years, Joyce taught high school English for 4 years, managed Montessori schools, directed-state level employment, training and education program initiatives, and developed research-based experiential curriculum for use in community youth programs. Today her community work and teaching focuses on helping youth workers and youth development organizations to be more intentional and innovative in meeting the developmental needs of young people. Her teaching and advising in the family, youth, and community program area and leadership role at the Extension Center for Youth Development reinforce the important role that bridging research and practice plays in youth development work today.

 

Courses taught

  • Youth development organizations as contexts for learning
  • Education and training for community-based youth workers
  • Youth policy related to out-of-school time learning and nonformal education
  • History of youth and community work
  • Nonformal education in international contexts

 

Academic degrees and experience

 

Selected publications

Walker, J.A. & Walker, K.C. (in press). Establishing expertise in an emerging field. In Fusco, D. (Ed.). Advancing youth work: Current trends, critical questions. New York: Routledge.

Walker, J.A. & Blyth, DlA. (2010). The search for a comprehensive U.S. youth policy. 100th Anniversary Edition, Youth & Policy. Leichester, UK: National Youth Agency Press.

Walker, J. (2006). Beetroots not Greek roots: A history of the 4-H movement. In Gilchrist, R., Jeffs, T., & Spence, J. Essays in the History of Community & Youth Work. Leicester, U.K.: Youth Work Press.

Walker, J.A. Intentional youth programs: Taking theory to practice. In Blyth, D.A. & Walker, J.A. (Winter, 2006) (Eds.). Rethinking programs for youth in the middle years. New Directions for Youth Development. No. 112. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Walker, J.A., Gran, C.F. & Curiel, A. Shaping ethics: Youth workers matter. In Fink, D.B. (2005). (Ed.). Doing the right thing: Ethical development across diverse environments. New Directions for Youth Development, No. 108. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Walker, J., Blyth, D., Marczak, M. & Borden, L. (2005). Designing youth development programs: Toward a theory of developmental intentionality. In Mahoney, J.L., Larson, R.W., & Eccles, J.S. (Eds.). Organized Activities as Contexts of Development: Extracurricular Activities, After-School and Community Programs. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Stein, J., Wood, E., Walker, J., Kimball, L., Outley, C., & Baizerman, M. (2005). The youth development leadership experience: Transformative, reflective education for youthwork practitioners. In Magnuson, D. (Ed.). (Accepted for publication). Child & Youth Care Forum. New York: Haworth.

 

Contact

walke007@umn.edu
1-612-624-8449
University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus

 


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