New Year, New Look at Positive Youth Development
Steven A. Culbertson, President and CEO, Youth Service America
Call Youth To Serve
Positive Youth Development is increasing in importance among nonprofit education and youth organizations. In particular, we see an increasing number of programs where youth are called upon to serve, instead of the traditional model of them being served. More schools are seeking creative community partnerships, and community organizations are tailoring their programs towards school curricula. We see this integration in a variety of fields such as service and the arts.
This collaboration of community and academia stems from the effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). With additional pressure that educators face to increase test scores, community organizations have stepped up their services by tying programs to State standards, providing teachers the opportunity to incorporate creative community problem-solving into lesson plans. In the service community, the integration of community service and curricula is called "service learning." Youth Service America, along with many other service organizations, promotes this process. Research from the RMC Research Corporation shows that service learning, over the course of a semester, increases educational outcomes, as well as the impact of the service on the community.
This paradigm shift toward increased collaboration among schools and community organizations comes at a time when the education process is changing. Classrooms today look very similar to their counterparts of 150 years ago, but as our 21st century culture moves forward as a result of interactivity, schools are responding both digitally and physically. More schools are hiring community partnership and service-learning coordinators in an effort to connect youth to their communities. This not only benefits the youth by developing a civically engaged generation, but it also benefits the community by showing them the positive accomplishments youth can achieve. NCLB will most likely be adjusted in the new administration; however support to schools is even more pressing than ever as many States continue to cut education budgets. Moving forward, there needs to be open dialogue between education institutions and community organizations. In these tough economic times, service organizations will play a particularly important role as the nation calls upon us to have the infrastructure ready to accommodate the millions of U.S. citizens in need due to lost jobs and increased debt. Additionally, service learning prepares us for a stronger economy in the future as it provides workforce development opportunities for youth by offering authentic learning about careers, community development, and leadership skills.
Wendy Wheeler >> |
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