Youth Development and Leadership
All effective youth programs have youth development at their
core. Effective youth leadership programs build on solid youth development
principles, with an emphasis on those areas of development and program
components that support youth leadership.
The Value
Youth Development and Leadership are important components
of workforce development programs — in public schools (including
the career-technical and special education programs), One-Stops, community-based
organizations, Vocational Rehabilitation, Developmental Disabilities,
centers for independent living, or other youth-serving entities. They
provide opportunities for young people to develop the attributes they
need to be successful in the workplace such as responsibility, integrity,
critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. Occupational preparation
and work readiness skills are important, but personal qualities such
as interpersonal relations, planning, and problem solving are also
part of being an effective worker. Youth Development and Leadership
programs provide many of the personal and social development pieces
needed for youth to succeed in becoming the employees that employers
want.
What is Youth Development and Leadership?
Research shows that youth development and leadership are important
components of effective youth programming. These findings are reflected
in the Workforce Investment Act’s emphasis on effective youth
practices such as adult mentoring and activities related to leadership,
development, decision-making, citizenship, and community service.
Adult mentoring and leadership development opportunities such as community
service and peer-centered activities during non-school hours are,
in fact, two of the ten WIA-required program elements.
Youth development is a process that prepares young people to meet
the challenges of adolescence and adulthood through a coordinated,
progressive series of activities and experiences which help them to
become socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and cognitively
competent. Youth leadership can be defined as both an internal and
external process leading to (1) “the ability to guide or direct
others on a course of action, influence the opinion and behavior of
other people, and show the way by going in advance (Wehmeyer, Agran
& Hughes, 1998); and (2) "the ability to analyze one's own
strengths and weaknesses, set personal and vocational goals, and have
the self-esteem to carry them out. It includes the ability to identify
community resources and use them, not only to live independently,
but also to establish support networks to participate in community
life and to effect positive social change." (Adolescent Employment
Readiness Center, Children’s Hospital, n.d.).
Ferber, Pittman and Marshall (2002) have identified five basic developmental
areas in which all young people need to learn and grow. They are:
Thriving, Leading, Connecting, Learning, and Working. Youth leadership
programs emphasize the areas of Leading and Connecting, which research
shows are especially important for youth with disabilities. A
table is provided that outlines the five areas of development
and specific intended outcomes and suggested program activities identified
by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
through its extensive review of the literature and existing practices.
Effective workforce preparation programs should reflect the philosophy
of youth development and include youth development and leadership
activities. Effective youth development and leadership programs have
certain organizational and programmatic characteristics in common.
A
table is available that summarizes the organizational and programmatic
components of effective youth programs. Since research shows
that these youth are too often overlooked in youth development and
leadership programs and opportunities, this table includes components
that are recommended for programs that include youth with disabilities,
.
These findings are reflected in the Guideposts
for Success that anchor the youth initiatives sponsored by the
U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy
(ODEP). Youth Leadership and Development, one of the five Guideposts,
is strongly emphasized in four youth programs that were originally
funded by the Department of Labor: High
School/High Tech (HS/HT), the Youth
Leadership Forum (YLF), Disability
Mentoring Day (DMD), and the National
Youth Leadership Network (NYLN).
High School/High Tech identifies several components of youth leadership
development as being particularly important to youth with disabilities
including providing supportive adults (role models and mentors), personal
leadership (goal setting, self-advocacy, and conflict resolution),
and leadership opportunities (service learning, peer mentoring, leadership
training, and organizational leadership). The Youth Leadership Forum
for Students with Disabilities is a unique career leadership training
program for high school juniors and seniors with disabilities. YLF
delegates attend a four-day event in their state capital to cultivate
leadership, citizenship, and social skills. Disability Mentoring Day
is an opportunity for youth with disabilities to visit worksites and
develop relationships with volunteer mentors. Participating youth
make connections between school and work, develop or refine personal
goals, identify career skills, and explore possible career paths.
The National Youth Leadership Network is dedicated to advancing the
next generation of disability leaders by promoting leadership development,
education, employment, independent living, and health and wellness
among diverse young leaders in the United States. NYLN hosts a national
conference, provides mentoring and support to local participants,
conducts research, and provides youth consultants to policy boards
and other organizations.
The principles and resources provided in
this overview of youth development and leadership provide a solid foundation for
youth programming in schools, community-based
organizations, workforce development programs,
and other youth-serving institutions. Additional
information can be found in the Research
Base and audience sections.
Resources
Disability Mentoring Day
http://www.dmd-aapd.org/
DMD is a community-based program designed to bring students and job
seekers with disabilities into the workplace where they can learn
first hand about career opportunities. This site contains a fact sheet,
promotional materials, a list of local coordinators, a toolkit, and
more.
Employment and Training Youth Office, U.S. Department of
Labor
http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services
This website has resources, program profiles, reports and publications,
and a link to the Youth Rules! Web site.
High
School/High Tech Program Manual
This manual provides a foundation for developing programs designed
to increase the pipeline of young people preparing for jobs in technology-related
occupations. Chapter 9 specifically addresses youth development and
leadership.
National 4-H Headquarters
http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/library/4h_curric.htm
This website provides links to a variety of resources including curricula
with juried reviews in the categories of citizenship and civic education,
communications and expressive arts, healthy lifestyle education, and
personal development and leadership.
National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN)
http://www.nyln.org
NYLN provides a national voice for young leaders with disabilities
and a variety of resources for everyone else, including a resource
list of young leaders who can speak on a variety of topics.
PEPNet Promising and Effective Practices Network
http://www.nyec.org/pepnet/
The website includes an online index to effective practices in youth
employment and development, profiles of award-winning youth programs,
and links to other effective practices Web sites.
Search Institute
http://www.search-institute.org
The Search Institute website includes research, resources, training
and support on youth development issues for educators and community
members including a framework of 40 developmental assets.
Youth Leadership Forum (YLF)
http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/ylf.htm
YLF is a career leadership training program for high school juniors
and seniors with disabilities available in several states.
Core Publications
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. (2002). Youth
development and leadership. Retrieved January 13, 2004, from
http://www.ncset.org/topics/leadership/default.asp?topic=31
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. (2003).
Chapter 9: Design feature IV: Youth development and leadership.
High School-High Tech Program Manual. Washington,
DC: Institute for Educational Leadership. Retrieved January 13, 2004,
from http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/hsht/hsht_manual_ch10-12.pdf
or from http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/hsht/hsht_manual_ch10-12.pdf
Public/Private Ventures. (2002) Youth Development: Issues,
Challenges and Directions. Philadelphia: Author. Excerpts
retrieved January 13, 2004, from http://www.ppv.org/ppv/youth/youth_publications.asp?section_id=9
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