Positive Youth Development

This brief from Child Trends discusses how to integrate the positive youth development (PYD) approach into workforce training programs. Child Trends has developed an assessment instrument that helps facilitate the application of PYD in youth and young adult training, education, and employment programs called the PILOT tool. PILOT stands for positive relationships; improved skills; linkages across schools, work, families, and communities; opportunities to contribute and belong; and trustworthy and safe settings. Child Trends developed the tool with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s the Generation Work initiative. This initiative has partners in five cities: Cleveland, OH; Hartford, CT; Indianapolis, IN; Philadelphia, PA; and Seattle, WA. (author abstract modified)

This toolkit is designed to accompany the Promoting the Positive Pathways to Adulthood (PPPA) online training modules. The PPPA training develops the capabilities of direct service providers who work with youth and young adults ages 14 to 29 who have serious mental health needs. The training is also intended for use by peer support and family service providers. To assist with implementation, the toolkit includes practice scenarios, video segments with discussion questions, and role plays based on real-life situations.

This white paper is a collaboration of the Claremont Evaluation Center, Child Trends, and L.A.’s Best (a large afterschool program in Los Angeles) that sought to address the knowledge gap related to how afterschool practices can support positive youth development (PYD). The authors conducted a research review to show how afterschool programs can build protective and promotive factors associated with supporting PYD. The paper examines which outcomes are important to develop during childhood and adolescence, which protective and promotive factors support positive youth outcomes, and which evidence-informed practices show promise for afterschool programs. (author abstract modified)

This journal article describes a study that used Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methods coupled with Social Justice Youth Development with six youth experiencing housing instability who were accessing educational, life skill, and developmental services from a drop-in center in Chicago. The participants were active members of youth-centered research workshops. The study aimed to address three questions: 1) In what ways do current youth programs and policies support and/or limit positive youth development (PYD) among unaccompanied youth experiencing housing instability? 2) How might a YPAR approach support PYD of youth experiencing housing instability? 3) How do factors of housing instability, trauma, and race shape the developmental trajectories of unaccompanied youth aged 18-24? Findings from this study reveal the need for increased funding for community-based, PYD services; consistent, yet flexible workshops for highly mobile youth; and safe spaces in which youth can explore and analyze the sociopolitical contexts shaping their experiences to inform their approaches in navigating various social systems and structures. (author abstract modified)

This report examines the quality of jobs held by a sample of 29-year-olds who experienced disadvantage in adolescence and whether employment, education, or training experiences predict better jobs among this population. Using longitudinal data, the researchers identified factors that contribute to job quality: work-based learning incorporating positive relationships with adults, early experiences in the labor market, and educational credentials and training. Based on their findings, the researchers provide recommendations to improve the employment prospects of young people growing up in disadvantaged households. This study is a collaboration between Child Trends and the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. (author abstract modified)

This journal article presents findings from a national study of 215 youth, ages 13 to 25, experiencing housing instability in five US counties. The researchers used life-course interviews, a housing timeline tool, and background survey data to explore the participants use and rejection of both formal and informal resources. From their analysis, the researchers created a model of “youth logics of engagement” that shaped how youth interpreted the costs versus benefits of using available resources. The model includes the interrelated factors of identity protection, accumulated experience, and personal agency. The researchers contend youth may unintentionally expose themselves to physical risks by avoiding resources they believe might comprise their emotional, psychological, or relational well-being.

This journal article describes a study that used an inductive approach to examine adolescents’ views on positive development and their personal strengths and well-being. The study investigated the qualitative differences in perspective from two youth samples: youth who were homeless and youth participating in a residential 4-H program. The study recruited 38 young people from homeless shelters and a 4-H program to participate in focus groups. After conducting a content analysis of the narrative responses, the researchers found differences between these two groups in the areas of happiness, family support, identity, personal strengths, and risk avoidance. The findings indicate that homeless youth adapt to limiting ecologies, such as non-supportive parents, by seeking supportive relationships elsewhere as well as adjusting their views of happiness. The homeless youth also demonstrated more internal self-awareness compared with the 4-H adolescents. The authors conclude that by recognizing and capitalizing on the unique perspectives and strengths of adolescents from divergent environments, positive youth development and strengths-based programs and theory can more effectively benefit youth from diverse backgrounds. (author abstract modified)

This report outlines a public-private partnership between the Casey Family Programs, New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), the City University of New York (CUNY), and Goldman Sachs to develop and implement the Fostering College Success Initiative (FCSI) mentoring program. This program is available to CUNY students who are also in the ACS foster care system. The report summarizes the FCSI program’s core elements and discusses sustainability and replicability to other jurisdictions. It also offers lessons learned about the public-private partnership model and the next steps for the program.

This journal article presents findings from a meta-analysis on the relationship between natural mentoring and youth outcomes. The researchers contend that natural mentoring relationships foster positive youth development and buffer against negative outcomes. They conducted separate analyses on the presence of natural mentoring and the quality of the natural mentoring relationship. They found that social-emotional and academic-vocational functioning of a youth benefitted the most from a natural mentor. The researchers conclude that the presence of a natural mentor is related to positive youth outcomes and the quality of the natural mentoring relationship can increase those positive outcomes.

This article presents findings from a cross-sectional, qualitative, descriptive study, grounded in the positive youth development approach and the Youth Program Quality Assessment model, to examine the effectiveness of specialized settings designed to serve runaway and homeless youth (RHY). From a larger sample of 29 RHY-specific settings across New York State, youth ages 16 to 21 (n=37) from 11 settings were purposively sampled for semi-structured in-depth interviews on their transitions into homelessness, experiences in RHY-settings, and unmet needs. The findings show the population-tailored approaches of RHY-specific settings are vital to engaging and serving RHY due to this uniquely challenged population that is often distrustful of service settings and professional adults and skilled at surviving independently. Four major themes regarding the positive effects of RHY settings emerged: 1) engaging with an RHY setting was emotionally challenging and frightening for youth, and thus the experiences of safety and services tailored to RHY needs were critical; 2) instrumental support from staff was vital and most effective when received in a context of emotional support; 3) RHY were skilled at survival on the streets, but benefited from socialization into more traditional systems to foster future independent living; and 4) follow-through and aftercare were needed as youth transitioned out of services. With respect to gaps in settings, the RHY participants discussed their desire for more balance between needing structure and wanting autonomy and the lack of RHY input into program governance. This study advances the understanding of RHY, their service needs, and the ways settings meet these needs.