How Do I Know If
Activities Are Positive
For Youth?
The Opportunities
and Supports Young
People Need
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 Opportunities and Supports for Positive
Youth Development.
 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
Opportunities and Supports
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Exploration and Reflection,
Expression and Creativity,
Group Membership,
Service to Others,
Opportunity for Part-time Employment,
Nurturance and Friendship,
Emotional Safety,
High Expectations
Standards and Boundaries,
Strategic Support,
Access to Resources,
and Organizational Support.
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
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.
Programs for youth should provide the opportunities and
supports that youth need. These opportunities and
supports include












Exploration and Reflection
Expression and Creativity
Group Membership
Service to Others
Opportunity for Part-time Employment
Nurturance and Friendship
Emotional Safety
High Expectations
Standards and Boundaries
Strategic Support
Access to Resources
Organizational Support
Refer to Iowa and PAAT websites –
see references for details.
Assessment
• How do we know if what we do is
positive youth development?
• Here is a simple checklist based on
PAAT (Program and Activity
Assessment Tool) from UW Extension
that will help you identify opportunities
and supports that are strong in your
programs or that need improvement.
What does this mean for your
organization?
Where do you go from here?
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Strengthening Positive Youth Development Environments, 2005
How do we know if what we do is positive youth
development?
Here is a simple checklist based on PAAT (Program and
Activity Assessment Tool) from UW-Extension that will
help you identify opportunities and supports that are
strong in your program(s) or that need improvement.
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.
Assessment options:
1. Complete assessment as a
group. Tabulate, review, next
steps.
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.
Provide a simple planning form for
groups to use. Have them
brainstorm and share ideas with the
large group.
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 http://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