How Do I Know If
Activities Are
Positive For Youth?
The Four Essential
Elements of
Positive Youth
Development
Deb Ivey
Iowa County
4-H Youth Development Agent
Audience:
 Stakeholders
 User Groups
 Community Group Members
Purpose:
 Clarifies the differences between youth activities, youth
development activities and positive youth development
activities.
 Provides a brief rationale for using positive youth
development practices.
 Introduces the Four Essential Elements of Positive Youth
Development with words and activities.
 Provides a simple assessment for groups to use to identify
strengths and weaknesses in youth development activities.
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
SLIDE
What Do We Know About
These Events?
• A school dance
• A 4-H project
meeting
• A church youth
mission trip
• A high school
sports event
• An AAU
sponsored
basketball team
• A student council
activity
• A boy scout camp
• A community
recreation softball
game
What is the Difference?
• They are all youth events
and activities.
• Are they all youth
development events and
activities?
• Are they all positive youth
development events and
activities?
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
PRESENTER SAYS
NOTES
How many of your groups conduct youth activities and
events?
The presenter might have small
groups discuss these questions or
respond in a large group or on
paper.
How many of your groups conduct youth development
activities and events?
How many of your groups conduct positive youth
development activities and events?
How many wonder what is the difference?
How many wonder if it really matters as long as we are
providing things for youth to do?
How we answer these questions is important for the
outcome of these youth development activities and for
youth organizations. We know from research, information
and knowledge in the field of youth development that not
all youth events, activities, and organizations are based
on the principles of positive youth development.
Participants can share answers, but
the presenter should emphasize the
notes to the left.
How are They Different?
• Youth are learning and
growing every day.
• Youth development.
• All activities lead to youth
development.
• But not all are positive youth
development.
Does It Really Matter?
 RESEARCH
↓
 BEST PRACTICES
↓
 POSITIVE YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT
Youth development literature indicates that young people
are learning and growing every waking minute of their
day. This is true for infants and for teens. Every single
action and activity that a young person gets involved in
results in some learning and, therefore, development.
Youth development doesn’t only come from structured
activity. It doesn’t happen only in school, 4-H, church, or
a community group. It happens all the time. So the
answer to the question, “Are all youth events and
activities youth development events and activities?” is
yes. Are they all positive youth development events and
activities? The answer to this question is no. How do we
know? Research!
There has been much research in recent years on youth
development and what young people need in their lives
to become successful adults. A result of that research is
the creation of a set of principles that, if implemented
properly, leads to stronger possibilities of young people
developing the healthy and positive skills and attitudes
they will need to live productive and effective lives. These
actions are “best practices.” When youth events and
activities are planned using these best practices, these
events and activities are more likely to promote positive
youth development. These events and activities, based
on best practices, have a higher probability of achieving
positive outcomes for youth.
Therefore, not all youth development activities and
events are created equal. The events and activities
based on best practices have a higher probability of
resulting in positive youth development and are “more
equal.”
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
Positive Youth Development (PYD)
Positive youth development occurs
from an intentional process that
promotes positive outcomes for
young people by providing
opportunities, choices, relationships,
and the support necessary for youth
to fully participate. Youth
development takes place in families,
schools, peer groups,
neighborhoods and communities.
What Do Youth Need?
• Access to safe places
• Challenging experiences
• Caring people on a daily basis
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
Positive youth development occurs from an intentional
process that promotes positive outcomes for young
people by providing opportunities, choices, relationships,
and the support necessary for youth to fully participate.
Youth development occurs in families, peer groups,
schools, neighborhoods and communities.
Why should we care if activities are going to promote
positive youth development? We often say that young
people are the nation’s most valuable resource. We also
know that youth have talents and needs that communities
cannot afford to ignore. If we fail to provide young people
with the things they need, they are more likely to
experience unemployment, have drug or alcohol
problems, commit crimes and become a drain on
community resources. When young people are given
access to safe places, challenging experiences, and
caring people on a daily basis, they are more likely to
develop into successful adolescents on their way to
successful adulthoods. These youth are likely to become
valuable contributors to the quality of the community life.
Providing opportunities for positive youth development
makes sense for the youth, for families and for
communities.
Definition of Positive Youth
Development taken from Allan T.
Smith, 4-H Youth Development
Facts in Brief, 2002.
What Should Local
Programs Include?
• A variety of opportunities to
participate in meaningful
activities
• To feel valued by their
communities
• To make informed and
healthy choices
What do we look for in local programs? Programs that
provide young people with opportunities to participate in
meaningful activities, to feel valued by their communities
and to make informed and healthy choices are essential
criteria of positive youth development programs.
A diversity of program opportunities in a community is
more likely to support broad adolescent development and
attract the interest of and meet the needs of a greater
number of youth.
These four elements help meet basic needs.
Four Essential Elements of
Positive Youth Development
•
•
•
•
Belonging
Mastery
Independence
Generosity
Belonging: need a caring,
supportive relationship to a group.
Mastery: opportunity to take on new
challenges and learn new skills.
Independence: opportunity to make
connection with responsibility.
Generosity: Youth giving service
and making bonds with others and
the community.
See The 4-H Youth Development
Environment or the “Essential
Elements of 4-H Youth
Development” Powerpoint
presentation for more information.
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
8 Elements of Positive Youth
Development
• Positive Relationship with a Caring
Adult
• An Inclusive Environment
• A Safe Environment
• Opportunity for Mastery
• Engagement in Learning
• Opportunity to Value and Practice
Service to Others
• Opportunity for Self-determination
• Opportunity to See Oneself as an
Active Participant in the Future
Assessment
• How do we know if what we
do is positive youth
development?
• Here is a simple checklist
that will help you identify
elements that are strong in
your programs and elements
that need improvement.
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
In 1999, a group of evaluators from the National 4-H
Impact Design Implementation Team identified 8
elements that are critical to positive youth development.
Programs for youth should include these elements of
positive youth development. These 8 elements are
grouped into four for ease of communication:
Belonging
 Positive Relationship with a Caring Adult
 An Inclusive Environment
 A Safe Environment
Mastery
 Opportunity for Mastery
 Engagement in Learning
Independence
 Opportunity for Self-Determination
 Opportunity to See Oneself as an Active Participant
in the Future
Generosity
 Opportunity to Value and Practice Service to Others
How do we know if what we do is positive youth
development? A tool is an assessment based on the 8
critical elements of positive youth development.
Assessment options:
1) Complete assessment as a
group. Tabulate, review, next steps.
Option 1: “8 Critical Elements……”
Option 2: “Youth Program Self-Assessment”
2) Divide into small groups and
each group complete a part of the
assessment. Gather as a large
group to share results, review and
decide next steps.
Here is a simple checklist that will help you identify
elements that are strong in your programs and elements
that are areas for improvement.
The results of this assessment might be used to set
program priorities, identify areas to focus on, foster
discussion, or to celebrate accomplishments.
What does this mean for your
organization?
What does this mean for your group? What activities
might your group offer to provide opportunities for youth
to experience this element? Use the results and your
ideas to develop a plan of action to address the areas of
need identified in the assessment.
Provide a simple planning form for
groups to use. Have them
brainstorm and share ideas with the
large group.
Where do you go from here?
The last slide includes the following references.
References:
Administration for Children and Families. 2004. Positive Youth Development. www.ncfy.com/ydfactsh.htm.
Broshar, D. (2002) Iowa 4-H Youth Development. Retrieved from www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/YDYouthActivities.htm.
Broshar, D. (2002) Iowa 4-H Youth Development. Retrieved from www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/YDTraining AdultVolunteers.htm.
Day, T., Matysik, G., and Zeldin, S., 2000. Program and Activity Assessment Tool. University of Wisconsin Extension.
Eccles, J. and Gootman, J., eds, (2002) Community Programs to Promote Positive Youth Development, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Helping Leaders Be 4-H Savvy. 2004. University of Illinois Extension. www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/4hfacts/pyd00.html.
The Prevention Researcher, Volume 11, Issue 2, April 2004. www.TPRonline.org.
Wagoner, S., McClaughin, P. (2004) Staking a Positive Youth Development Claim. One State’s Approach. Presentation at NAE4-HA, Oklahoma City, OK.
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005