Experts' Favorite PYD Resources
NCFY asked the experts, "What are some of your favorite PYD resources?" Here's what they told us:
Marguerite W. Kondracke, President and CEO, America's Promise Alliance
My all-time favorite is Dr. Seuss's "Oh the Places You'll Go." But to be serious, there are several websites and research organizations that we've worked with at America's Promise Alliance that I find to be particularly strong.
Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University
The Forum for Youth Investment
Alliance for Excellent Education
Editorial Projects in Education Research Center
Child Trends and the Child Trends Databank
On our own website, we have a resources area that lists reports and toolkits from many of our partners that can be helpful to anyone working in the Positive Youth Development space.
I also like Peter Benson's new book, "Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers," and also from the Search Institute I like "What Do Children Need to Flourish?" (edited by Kristin A. Moore and Laura Lippman). And there's always the classic, "From Neurons to Neighborhoods" (edited by Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah A. Phillips).
Steven A. Culbertson, President and CEO, Youth Service America
I would be remiss if I did not suggest the newly released "Semester of Service Strategy Guide" (PDF) by Youth Service America. Based upon research that demonstrates that semester-long service-learning projects have the greatest educational impact, YSA will launch Semester of Service in January 2009. The strategy guide provides instructions on how to plan and implement service-learning projects that last the duration of a semester. It is a great program that connects key service dates: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January and Global Youth Service Day, YSA's own flagship program, in April. The strategy guide is available for free on YSA's website.
Joyce A. Walker, Professor and Assistant Center Director, Youth Work Institute, University of Minnesota
While I have had many roles in youth work, as an educator the resources I prefer now tend to emphasize education policy and research.
One of my favorites is www.infed.org, a Web site started by Mark Smith, a British educator at George Williams College in the United Kingdom. What I call nonformal education or youth development education, Mark refers to as informal education, hence the "infed" in the URL. Here you can find histories of youth organizations, learn about the lives and work of influential people in the field, and explore ideas like praxis, community building, and associational life. I refer all my students to this site.
In daily work, I use the Forum for Youth Investment website to keep up with State and national youth development practice, research, and policy. It's a great one-stop site for practitioners.
The Youth Work Institute, the professional development unit at the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, where I work, supports the education, training, and professional development of adults who work with and on behalf of young people.
Wendy Wheeler, President and CEO, Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development
Books & Articles
"Community Programs to Promote Youth Development" by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2002. National Academy Press, www.nap.edu.
"Finding Out What Matters For Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development" by M.A. Gambone, A.M. Klem, & J.P. Connell. 2002. Youth Development Strategies, Inc. and Institute for Research and Reform in Education, www.ydsi.org/ydsi/index.html
Websites
Building Partnerships for Youth is a partnership between National 4-H Council and the University of Arizona designed to build the capacity of youth serving organizations in the fields of education, health, faith, and youth development to facilitate the intentional integration of youth development concepts and approaches into policies and programs.
Innovation Center for Community & Youth Development has launched a new, user-friendly website that offers readily available resources and interactive features to help foundations, youth organizations, and community groups create and run social justice-oriented youth programs.
Training & Facilitation Tools
This fabric is a convenient way to display and organize feedback from workshop or training participants. It allows youth and adult participants to “see” their ideas side-by-side.
Richard Lerner, Director, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University
"The Path to Purpose" by William Damon. 2008. New York: The Free Press.
"Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers" by Peter Benson. 2008. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
