Youth Development Insight Center for Youth Development faculty & educators blog on issues in our field
Is youth work a career?
Monday, February 13, 2012
Is youth work something you do while you figure out what you really want to do, or is it a career? Most definitions of career include three elements: a defined occupation that is taken on over time with progressive achievement. While many other things may also make up a career, the issues of time and progress are most distinct. In other fields, there is no push to leave direct work to join administration without a path of promotion, clear expectations of and preparation for management. Further, there is credibility in remaining in your chosen position. Is youth work somehow different...
Where do culture and research meet?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
I'm part of a large research team working with Latino youth who participate in community-based after-school programs. Among other things we want to understand how culture might impact the experiences of young people in youth programs, especially Latino youth. I find myself reflecting on two things. First, what is the impact or relationship between culture and the program experience of the participants? And second, where do culture and research meet? In other words, how does culture influence not only the experience of the youth but also how does it affect our research process? How is culture part of our work?...
Featured research, publications & events
Nichole Pinkard, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University
October 28, 2011
Beyond Academic Measures: The value of measuring other aspects of thriving
Chris Smith and Elizabeth Devaney
October 7, 2011
See recordings of all of our presentations
The Positive Development of Youth(2.6 MB PDF)
National 4-H Council
A report from the first six years of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, sometimes referred to as "The Tufts Study." 2009
Exploring the Supply and Demand for Community Learning Opportunities in Minnesota
Ann Lochner, Gina Allen, Dale Blyth
Also known as the "Gap Study," this report documents the gap between supply and demand for youth development programs in the state. 2009
