WHAT IS POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT?

Positive Youth Development (PYD) is about young people—with the support and guidance from adults—being in the “driver's seat” of their learning and their life. Positive Youth Development is not a youth program; rather it is a philosophy, or mind set, that influences the ways that youth and adults interact with one another. Youth and adults who practice PYD believe that if young people are given the right supports, services, and opportunities, they will have an easier time developing into healthy, caring, and responsible citizens.

We believe that youth development is a natural, on-going process, and ALL young people go through it. We also believe that young people will find ways to meet their basic needs (for shelter, for security, for belonging) whether or not adults support their development, so PYD is a very important strategy for youth success.

Positive Youth Development has several components:

•  First of all, young people need to have their BASIC NEEDS met. This means all young people should have adequate shelter, food, and clothing, and be safe. If you are hungry or don't have a home, it's difficult to grow into a healthy, happy, and caring person.

•  A second key element is SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE FROM ADULTS. This does not mean adults telling young people what to do; it's about adults coaching and mentoring youth to ask questions about life, to try on new hats, and to explore who they are and who they want to be in this world.

•  PYD is also about ACCESS TO REAL OPPORTUNITY for young people. This means access to a good education, employment, and programs that help youth expand their minds and their horizons.

•  Finally, PYD is about YOUTH PARTICIPATION. This means young people—in partnership with adults—making and implementing important decisions at home and school, in youth programs and the community, and sharing responsibility for the outcomes.

Positive Youth Development is about youth and adults working together to make sure that young people develop to their fullest potential!

How do you support young people? Take a few minutes to answer the following reflection questions:

• What was I like when I was a youth? How did I want adults to treat me and support me when I was 13...or 15...or 20?
  
• What other supports and opportunities would have made life better for me when I was a youth?
  
• What do I think about youth today?How do I view the role of youth in our society?
  
• Do I have high expectations for all the youth in my life?

• What gifts do I have to offer young people? How can I share my gifts and talents with the young people in my family, my community, or my life?

• What young person can I mentor, either formally or informally?