Positive Youth Development in Practice

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 presents findings from a mixed-methods case study that sought to identify how a runaway and homeless youth (RHY) organization engages in positive youth development. The researchers found consistent responses from the qualitative and quantitative data that reflect the organization’s youth-centered approach. The key policies and practices that the organization emphasizes are building and maintaining empathetic relationships with youth, promoting youths’ autonomy, and regularly evaluating whether the organization is meeting its mission to provide services that demonstrate best practices. (author abstract modified)