A Resource Guide

FEBRUARY 2007

Prepared by the 

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth

for the

Family and Youth Services Bureau

Putting

Positive Youth Development

Into Practice

page iii

About the Family and Youth Services Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Chapter One: What is Positive Youth Development? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter Two: Putting PYD Into Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter Three: Collaborating for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Appendix A: Community Education Fact Sheets: Team Up With Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Appendix B: Leadership: A Self-Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Appendix C: Implementing a Youth Development Approach: 

An Organizational Assessment Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Internet Resources on Positive Youth Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

Table of Contents

page v

The HHS/ACF/Family and Youth Services 

Bureau (FYSB) provides national 

leadership on youth and family issues. 

The Bureau promotes positive outcomes 

for children, youth, and families by supporting a wide range of comprehensive 

services and collaborations at the local, 

Tribal, State, and national levels. FYSB 

endorses the Positive Youth Development 

approach, which recognizes that empowered 

young people need support, guidance, and opportunities during adolescence. Using Positive Youth Development strategies, FYSB programs give young people the 

chance to build skills, choose healthy lifestyles, exercise 

leadership, and participate in their communities. 

FYSB grant programs:

Basic Centers for runaway and homeless youth

Transitional Living Programs for older youth, 

including maternity group homes for pregnant and 

parenting young people 

Street Outreach

Mentoring Children of Prisoners

Family Violence Prevention 

Abstinence Education

z

z

z

z

z

z

The Bureau collaborates with other Federal 

agencies to convene conferences, meetings, 

and forums for youth and youth-serving 

professionals and to coordinate Federal 

policies and programs related to the 

Nation’s young people. The Bureau 

also recruits youth to help review 

grant proposals from community- and 

faith-based organizations, believing that 

young people know best what makes a good 

youth program. With its research and demonstration 

program, FYSB encourages State and local collaboration 

to strengthen the Positive Youth Development approach in 

local communities and neighborhoods.

FYSB also supports:

the National Runaway Switchboard, a confidential, 

24-hour, toll-free hotline (1-800-RUNAWAY)

the National Domestic Violence hotline 

(800-799-SAFE)

the National Clearinghouse on 

Families & Youth (NCFY)

training and technical 

assistance for grantees

z

z

z

z

About the Family and Youth Services Bureau

page 1

The signs of Positive Youth Development 

are everywhere. Across the country, 

more than 7 million youth are learning 

to lead through the 4-H. As many as 

200,000 girls, ages 11 to 17, are 

serving their communities through the 

Girl Scouts. More than 40,000 young 

people have already worked to rehabilitate their own neighborhoods through 

YouthBuild. And that’s just the beginning. 

From organizing fundraisers to cleaning up parks, groups of 

young people in every city and town across the Nation are 

engaged in both organized and grassroots efforts to enrich 

their neighborhoods, their schools, and their futures. In 

many communities, youth have taken activism a step further 

by participating directly in policy decisions that impact 

their lives. 

T In Kentucky, the Lexington mayor’s office has created 

a youth council that meets bimonthly to weigh in on 

issues that affect youth. 

T On the South Side of Chicago, youth are on a planning board that is studying how gentrification will influence the future of Bronzeville, one of the most historic 

African American communities in the country and the 

birthplace of such notables as Louie Armstrong and 

Tommy Dorsey. 

T In Sarasota, Florida, youth involved in the S.T.A.R. 

Leadership Training program are voting members on 

47 boards and commissions in city and county 

governments and in the nonprofit arena.

To help their young people thrive, communities are embracing the coalition-building approaches espoused by Helping 

America’s Youth, a White House initiative, and 

America’s Promise, a national alliance of 

groups and individuals working to improve 

young people’s well-being. 

But much more still needs to be done to 

empower today’s young people to make 

healthy choices and avoid risky behaviors. 

By embracing and implementing Positive Youth Development principles, families, 

schools, communities, youth service organizations, 

policymakers, and the media can help create a solid future 

for America’s youth. 

Positive Youth Development (PYD) is based on the belief 

that, given guidance and support from caring adults, all 

youth can grow up healthy and happy, making positive 

contributions to their families, schools, and communities. 

The approach favors leadership and skill-building opportunities, such as Boys and Girls Clubs and 4-H. Unlike 

“deficit-based” programs that focus narrowly on issues like 

drug abuse and teen pregnancy prevention, PYD does 

not address youth primarily as problems to be solved, but 

rather assets to be developed. 

When community members and policymakers harness the 

positive energy and initiative of youth, rather than focusing 

on their problems, everybody benefits. Why? 

T Youth believe they can be successful instead of

internalizing the negative statistics (regarding alcohol 

and drug abuse, juvenile crime, teen pregnancy, and 

low test scores) about them that often appear in 

the media.

T Youth engage in productive activities that build job 

and life skills and reinforce community-mindedness.

Introduction
page 2

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

T Youth grow comfortable questioning and exploring 

their roles as citizens in a participatory democracy. 

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice was 

conceived to provide those 

interested in youth development with a solid understanding of the theory behind the 

PYD approach, as well as practical advice for launching 

and running programs that support the positive development of young people. Chapter One provides readers with 

the theoretical evolution of Positive Youth Development. 

Chapter Two discusses the characteristics of programs that 

promote PYD and gives examples of promising practices. 

Finally, Chapter Three highlights some ways youth, communities, and State and local governments can collaborate in 

their efforts to promote PYD. 
page 3

Understanding adolescents can seem 

like a full-time job. They talk back. 

Cut school. Break rules. All in an effort 

to find their places in the adult world. 

In response, parents, teachers, and 

communities are learning that they must 

take extra care during this crucial time to 

reinforce positive values in young people. 

But it hasn’t always been that way. The concept of adolescence as a distinct developmental stage is 

relatively recent. In fact, it wasn’t until after the turn of the 

20th century that society began to recognize that youth 

need special support to transition successfully into adulthood. Since then, America’s thinking about youth development has gone through a variety of phases. Positive Youth 

Development, the framework discussed in this chapter, is 

the latest stage in the growing understanding of what youth 

need to succeed. 

Youth development concepts reached the national political 

agenda in the 1950s, when Americans grew concerned 

about increases in juvenile delinquency and other problems 

brought on by changes in the post-war social fabric. Early 

interventions focused on crisis management, targeting the immediate problems of runaways, dropouts, teenage parents, 

and delinquents. As the field evolved, however, youth 

services practitioners turned their attention to prevention in 

an attempt to head off adolescent problems before they 

could surface. Starting in the 1970s, dedicated prevention 

programs proliferated for drug abuse, 

smoking, truancy, and teen pregnancy, 

among others.

Around the same time, youth development concepts began to germinate. Some 

of the earliest work on the subject came 

from the Youth Development and Delinquency Prevention Administration (YDDPA), 

the predecessor to the Family and Youth Services 

Bureau (FYSB). In developing its delinquency prevention 

strategy, the YDDPA sought to identify the characteristics 

that “protected” youth from engaging in risky behaviors. 

What it found was that youth who developed in a positive 

way felt a sense of: 

 competence

 usefulness

 power

 belonging

YDDPA, and later, FYSB, sought to reinforce each of the 

four qualities in the youth they served by building programs 

that focused on the strengths rather than the potential 

weaknesses of young people. 

Youth development gained a much greater following in 

the 1980s, though, when it became clear that prevention programs targeting specific “risky” behaviors were 

“I am deeply grateful to all the young people here who have discovered what a privilege it is 

to make a difference in the life of your communities. By staying committed to your work and 

sharing your experiences with others, you’ll inspire others to dedicate their time and talent 

and energy to helping their communities.” First Lady Laura Bush, speaking at the 2005 National Youth Summit in Washington, DC.

Chapter One: What is Positive Youth Development?
page 4

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

either not achieving significant positive results 

or were not doing enough to help youth 

become healthy, productive members of 

society. As Karen Pittman, a noted youth 

researcher, famously observed: “Problemfree is not fully prepared.” She advocated 

for a massive conceptual shift “from thinking 

that youth problems are merely the principal 

barrier to youth development to thinking that youth 

development serves as the most effective strategy for the 

prevention of youth problems.” 

So what do youth need to be fully prepared 

for life’s challenges? Research in recent years 

has provided a number of valuable findings. 

One of the most comprehensive, and 

frequently cited, works comes from the 

Search Institute, which put forward in 1990 

a list of the 40 developmental “assets” it 

believes are critical to the positive development of 

young people. Twenty assets come from the outside world 

of community and family, and 20 come from inside the 

youth themselves.

The Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets®

EXTERNAL ASSETS 

Support

1. Family support—Family life provides high levels of love and support.

2. Positive family communication—Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is 

willing to seek parent(s) advice and counsel.

3. Other adult relationships—Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults.

4. Caring neighborhood—Young person experiences caring neighbors.

5. Caring school climate—School provides a caring, encouraging environment.

6. Parent involvement in schooling—Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.

Empowerment

7. Community values youth—Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.

8. Youth as resources—Young people are given useful roles in the community.

9. Service to others—Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.

10. Safety—Young person feels safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood. 

Boundaries and Expectations

11. Family boundaries—Family has clear rules and consequences, and monitors the young person’s whereabouts. 

12. School boundaries—School provides clear rules and consequences.

13. Neighborhood boundaries—Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people’s behavior.

14. Adult role models—Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.

15. Positive peer influence—Young person’s best friends model responsible behavior.

16. High expectations—Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well.
page 5

Chapter One: What is Positive Youth Development?

Constructive Use of Time

Creative activities—Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or 

other arts.

Youth programs—Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or 

in community organizations.

Religious community—Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in religious institution.

Time at home—Young person is out with friends “with nothing special to do,” two or fewer nights. 

INTERNAL ASSETS

Commitment to Learning

21. Achievement motivation—Young person is motivated to do well in school.

22. School engagement—Young person is actively engaged in learning.

23. Homework—Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.

24. Bonding to school—Young person cares about his or her school.

25. Reading for pleasure—Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week. 

Positive Values

26. Caring—Young person places high values on helping other people.

27. Equality and social justice—Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.

28. Integrity—Young person acts on convictions and stands up for his or her beliefs.

29. Honesty—Young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy.”

30. Responsibility—Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.

31. Restraint—Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or drugs.

Special Competencies

32. Planning and decision-making—Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.

33. Interpersonal competence—Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills. 

34. Cultural competence—Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/

ethnic backgrounds.

35. Resistance skills—Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.

36. Peaceful conflict resolution—Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.

Positive Identity

37. Personal power—Young person feels he or she has control over “things that happen to me.” 

38. Self-esteem—Young person reports having high self-esteem.

39. Sense of purpose—Young person reports that “my life has a purpose.”

40. Positive view of personal future—Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future. 

The 40 Developmental Assets may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only. Copyright© 1997, 2006 Search Institute, 615 First 

Avenue NE, Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 55413; (800) 888-7828; www.search-institute.org. All Rights Reserved. The following are registered 

trademarks of Search Institute: Search Institute® and Developmental Assets®. 

17.

18.

19.

20.
page 6

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Research by the Search Institute has shown 

that having a greater number of these 

developmental assets reduces a young 

person’s tendency toward alcohol use, 

tobacco use, illicit drug use, antisocial behavior, violence, school failure, 

sexual activity, attempted suicide, and 

gambling. Beyond simple prevention, 

developmental assets have also been shown 

to help youth “thrive”– to overcome adversity, 

delay gratification, succeed in school, value diversity, 

help others, demonstrate leadership, and be 

physically healthy. 

To many researchers, “thriving” is a 

critical measure of Positive Youth Development. In his book, Liberty, youth 

development expert Richard Lerner 

theorizes that young people will thrive 

if they develop certain behaviors, dubbed 

the “five Cs,” over the course of childhood and 

early adolescence: competence, connection, character, 

confidence, and caring/compassion. 

COMPETENCE: intellectual ability and social and behavioral skills

CONNECTION: positive bonds with people and institutions

CHARACTER: integrity and moral centeredness

CONFIDENCE: positive self-regard, a sense of self-efficacy, and courage

CARING/COMPASSION: humane values, empathy, and a sense of social justice

O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O

According to Lerner, a youth with the five thriving 

behaviors is on the path to attaining a sixth C: contribution 

– to self, family, community, and civil society. It is the 

sixth C that leads to positive adulthood. “Committed—

behaviorally, morally, and spiritually—to a better world 

beyond themselves,” he writes, “they will act to sustain for 

future generations a society marked by social justice, equity, 

and democracy and a world wherein all young people 

may thrive.”

It’s the focus on community that informs the Positive 

Youth Development framework for the America’s Promise 

alliance. According to the alliance, young people need 

five elements, or Promises, in their lives to thrive: Caring 

Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start and Future, Effective 

Education, and Opportunities to Help Others. Youth with 

the Promises do better in school, are more likely to pursue 

higher education, and enjoy better relationships with their 

peers and families. They are less likely 

to engage in risky behaviors, and 

are 5 to 10 times more likely to 

become productive citizens in 

their communities.

SOME ATTRIBUTES OF THE FIVE Cs
page 7

Chapter One: What is Positive Youth Development?

1. CARING ADULTS: Ongoing relationships with caring adults—parents, mentors, tutors or coaches—

offer youth support, care and guidance.

2. SAFE PLACES: Safe places with structured activities provide a space for youth to learn and grow. 

3. A HEALTHY START AND FUTURE: Adequate nutrition, exercise, and health care pave the way for healthy 

bodies, healthy minds, and smart habits for adulthood.

4. EFFECTIVE EDUCATION: Marketable skills through effective education help youth navigate the transition 

from school to work successfully.

5. OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS: Opportunities to give back to the community through service 

enhance self-esteem, boost confidence and heighten a sense of responsibility to the community.

O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y

THE FIVE PROMISES

Developing theories that guide and measure 

Positive Youth Development is only the 

first step in creating an environment in 

which young people thrive, however. 

In a recent Search Institute survey of 

more than a million students in grades 

6 through 12, American 6th graders 

reported having an average of only 21.5 

of the 40 Developmental Assets. What’s 

more, the number of assets declined steadily 

over the school years: High school seniors reported 

having an average of only 17.2. 

Though young Americans have serious concerns about their 

ability to achieve their goals in life, they have a high degree 

of optimism about their futures, according to an America’s 

Promise poll of about 1,200 young people ages 10 to 

17. In order to provide them with the best possible chance 

of success, adults throughout each community need to 

think purposefully about how to create environments that 

build on the strengths of all young people. Chapter two 

provides some guidance on putting PYD into practice. 

Youth Development Resources

Community Programs to Promote Youth 

Development. Author: National Research 

Council, Institute of Medicine. 2002. 

Available from National Academy Press, 

2001 Constitution Ave. NW, Box 

285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 

624-6242; www.nap.edu.

Developmental Assets: A Synthesis of the 

Scientific Research on Adolescent Development. Authors: 

P. Scales, N. Leffert, and R. Lerner. 1999. Available 

from Search Institute, Banks Building, 615 First Avenue, 

N.E., Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 55413; (800) 888-

7828; si@search-institute.org; www.search-institute.org.

Developmental Assets and Asset-Building Communities: 

Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice. Authors: 

R. Lerner and P. Benson. 2002. Available from Search 

Institute, Banks Building, 615 First Avenue, N.E., Suite 

125, Minneapolis, MN 55413; (800) 888-7828; si@

search-institute.org; www.search-institute.org.
page 8

Liberty: Thriving and Civic Engagement 

Among America’s Youth. Author: 

R. Lerner. 2004. Available from 

Sage Publications, 2455 Teller Road, 

Thousand Oaks, CA 91320; 

(800) 818-7243; fax: (800) 

583-2665; www.sagepub.com.

Trends in Youth Development: Visions, 

Realities, and Challenges. Editors: P. Benson 

and K. Pittman. 2001. Available from Springer, 

233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013; 

(800) SPRINGER; fax: (212) 460-1575; service@

springer-ny.com; www.springeronline.com. 

The Youth Development Handbook: 

Coming of Age in American Communities. 

Editors: M. Hamilton and S. Hamilton. 

2004. Available from Sage Publications, 

2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 

91320; (800) 818-7243; fax: (800) 

583-2665; www.sagepub.com.

Youth Development: Issues, Challenges and 

Directions. Author: Public/Private Ventures. 

2000. Available from Public/Private Ventures, 

2000 Market Street, Suite 600, Philadelphia, PA 

19103; (215) 557-4411; fax: (215) 557 4469; 

publications@ppv.org; www.ppv.org.

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

For additional resources on Positive Youth Development, please visit www.ncfy.com.
page 9

Chapter Two: Putting PYD Into Practice

Four senses. Forty assets. Five Promises. The theories 

may be hard to keep straight, but the underlying principle is the same: youth need positive, nurturing environments in which to learn and grow into healthy adults. So, 

what does a positive environment look like? What are the 

characteristics of an effective program? 

In an attempt to answer those very questions, a committee 

of youth policy experts at the National Research Council 

of the Institute of Medicine undertook a 2-year review of 

theoretical research and promising programs to determine 

which features of positive developmental settings could be 

proven effective. They released their results in 2002. What 

they found was that programs were more successful if they 

provided youth with: 

 Physical and psychological safety and security

 Structure that is developmentally appropriate, with 

clear expectations for behavior as well as increasing 

opportunities to make decisions, to participate in 

governance and rule-making, and to take on leadership 

roles as one matures and gains more expertise

 Emotional and moral support

 Opportunities to experience supportive adult 

relationships

 Opportunities to learn how to form close, durable 

human relationships with peers that support and 

reinforce healthy behaviors

 Opportunities to feel a sense of belonging and 

being valued

 Opportunities to develop positive social values 

and norms

 Opportunities for skill building and mastery

 Opportunities to develop confidence in their abilities 

to master their environment

 Opportunities to make a contribution to their 

community and to develop a sense of mattering

 Strong links between families, schools, and broader 

community resources

Some of the most often-cited examples of successful 

Positive Youth Development programs are the well-known 

Boys and Girls Clubs, scouts, and 4-H, nationwide 

organizations with healthy budgets and extensive support 

structures. Not all Positive Youth Development programs 

need to be large, expensive, or elaborate, however. PYD 

concepts can be implemented in big and small ways by 

businesses, parents, State and local governments, teachers 

and schools, community members, religious organizations, 

existing youth programs, and youth themselves. They can 

aim to support hundreds, dozens, or simply a handful of 

young people. 

Consider the seamstress in Iowa City, Iowa, who was 

approached by young people in her community as they 

were mapping youth-friendly services. Until then, she 

never thought her small shop had anything to offer youth 

in the community. Then again, she’d 

never been asked. But come 

springtime, a group of young 

women were wearing 

prom dresses that she had 

painstakingly taught them 

how to make.
page 10

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Positive Youth Development 

can come in a virtually limitless number of guises. 

Keeping the National 

Research Council’s 

recommendations in 

mind, try to identify the 

positive attributes in the 

following examples:

T Elders in the S’Klallam tribe in Washington state 

recruited youth to paddle in the annual Tribal Journeys 

canoe trip that unites 40 Pacific Northwest tribes for 

several days of cultural festivities. In a time when many 

Native American youth are moving away from tribal 

traditions, theirs continues to be the only canoe filled 

largely with young people. 

T In Washington, DC, the Latin American Youth Center 

invited young people in their transitional living program 

to help design and build a recreation space in the rundown vacant lot next door. Staff and youth worked 

side by side to select an architectural plan, clear debris, 

and eventually till the soil for a new vegetable garden.

T In Fremont County, Colorado, a group of six youth 

who call themselves the Better Tomorrow Team, Inc., 

worked together through months of paperwork to 

create their own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to 

more effectively spread their message about the needs 

of youth in the foster care system. They give presentations and write skits about their experiences in order 

to educate foster parents, community members, and 

policy makers about their lives in “the system.” 

T In more than 900 locations around the country, youth 

serve as judge, jury, prosecutor, and defense in Youth 

Court. First time youth offenders, who have committed 

minor crimes and agree to plead guilty, go before their 

peers to be sentenced to community service hours for 

their offenses. For the last 2 hours of their sentences, 

rehabilitated youth are required to sit on a jury 

themselves.

T Among the Chippewa Indians in Sault Ste. Marie, 

Michigan, the Waaniniigaanzijig Tribal Youth Council saw an urgent need to promote active living and 

healthy lifestyles in the community. The youth conduct 

media campaigns, needs assessments, and presentations to young people and adults alike. One campaign 

asked tribe members to relinquish their television 

remote controls. 

T The Dream Tree transitional living program in Taos, 

New Mexico, asks youth to work together to draw 

up their own menus, plan budgets, and shop for 

groceries. Their new-found culinary skills will soon 

go into a cookbook that they plan to sell to benefit 

Dream Tree. 

T At St. John Baptist Church in Columbia, Maryland, 

young African American males are mentored by men 

in the congregation for at least an hour every week. To 

kick off each year, participants are invited to an Opening Ceremony. A similar event at the end of the year 

recognizes the Mentee, Mentor, and Parent/Guardian 

of the Year. 

Now that you know what some programs have done to 

a create nurturing environment for youth, what would you 

do? Fill in the chart below with the strategies you would 

use to bring PYD practices into 

your program or another 

program you are familiar 

with. (For some hints, 

turn to the sample 

grid at the end of this 

chapter.) 
page 11

Chapter Two: Putting P Y D Into Practice

FEATURES OF POSITIVE SETTINGS WAYS TO IMPLEMENT THEM

Physical and psychological safety and security

Example: To avoid unsafe commutes, put a program in a school

1.

2.

3.

Structure that is developmentally appropriate, with 

clear expectations, increasing opportunities to make 

decisions and to take on leadership roles

Example: Create a rule book, allow youth to vote on changes

1.

2.

3.

Emotional and moral support

1.

2.

3.

Opportunities to experience supportive adult 

relationships

1.

2.

3.

Opportunities to learn how to form close, durable 

human relationships with peers that support and 

reinforce healthy behaviors

1.

2.

3.

Opportunities to feel a sense of belonging and 

being valued

1.

2.

3.

Opportunities to develop positive social values 

and norms

1.

2.

3.

Opportunities for skill building and mastery

1.

2.

3.

Opportunities to develop confidence in their abilities 

to master their environment

1.

2.

3.

Opportunities to make a contribution to their 

community and to develop a sense of mattering

1.

2.

3.

Strong links between families, schools, and broader 

community resources 

1.

2.

3.
page 12

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

SO, YOU HAVE 

AN IDEA?

Not all programs 

can be all things to 

all young people. 

Indeed, the most successful programs have 

one thing in common: the 

ability to think systematically 

about what they do well, and focus resources on those 

strengths. The seamstress from Iowa is an obvious example. 

But sometimes, an initial desire to get involved with youth 

in the community requires a bit more consideration and 

planning. This chapter will focus on developing, funding, 

evaluating, and publicizing your program.

Developing It

Taking the pulse of the community is one of the most 

important first steps in planning a youth-oriented program. 

Since the most effective programs are supported broadly 

by parents and guardians, schools, and other community 

members, it is a good idea to talk to representatives from 

as many of those groups as possible in the planning stages. 

Youth themselves should also play a vital role in the brainstorming and initial decisionmaking. The more outreach and 

planning you do before the program is launched, the more 

equipped you’ll be to confront the challenges that will 

inevitably arise during implementation.

As you develop a plan of action, ask yourself:

T How will you involve youth in conceptualizing, 

planning, and implementing your project?

T Which assets do youth in your community need 

reinforced? 

T What activities and resources have youth, parents, 

schools, and other community members said are 

needed? 

T What skills do you and your team have to offer young 

people? 

T Which specific group of young people do you 

want to work with (keeping in mind that a narrow 

population is easier to manage, at least at first)?

T What, specifically, do you hope to accomplish in the 

short and long term (your goals)?

T What steps (your objectives) will you take to achieve 

your goals?

T What resources will you need to achieve your 

objectives (people, materials, funding)?

T How will youth leadership be utilized to help the 

project achieve its goals and objectives?

T How much time will you allow yourself to complete 

each objective?

T Who will be responsible for making sure that each 

objective gets done?

T How often will you review your progress and make 

necessary adjustments? 

T How will youth be involved in the review and 

adjustment process? 

There are a growing number of publications and Web sites 

that can serve as resources for programs or organizations 

interested in embracing the tenets of PYD. Some are listed 

at the end of this section. 

Federal training and technical assistance events 

and resources for 

community- and faithbased organizations 

are listed at www.

whitehouse.gov/

government/fbci/

technical-assistance.html.
page 13

Chapter Two: Putting P Y D Into Practice

In the end, though, some of the best advice about starting 

an effective youth program comes from others who have 

done it. Try visiting other programs for youth in your community or in nearby towns. Ask the staff members how 

their programs got off the ground. Quiz them on what 

worked for them and what they would have done differently. Talk to the youth participants about what they like 

about the program and how they are involved in decisionmaking. Get them to share their ideas about how things 

could be improved or how youth could become more 

meaningfully involved. You could make alliances that will 

continue to bear fruit for the life of your program.

Planning and Implementation Resources

Assets into Action: A Handbook for Making Communities Better Places to Grow Up. Author: Deborah Fisher. 

2003. Available from the Search Institute, 615 First Ave. 

NE, Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 55413; (800) 888-

7828; www.search-institute.org.

Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth. Author: 

Helping America’s Youth. 2005. Available at www.

helpingamericasyouth.gov.

Community Programs to Promote Youth Development. 

Author: National Research Council, Institute of Medicine. 

2002. Available from National Academy Press, 2001 

Constitution Ave. NW, Box 285, Washington, DC 

20055; (800) 624-6242; www.nap.edu.

The Five Promises Checklist. Author: America’s Promise. 

Ongoing checklist of activities to promote PYD outcomes. 

Available at americaspromise.org/howhelp/checklist/checkout.cfm.

Guide to Action. Author: TakingITGlobal. Available from 

www.takingitglobal.org/guidetoaction/

Inside out: Tools to help faith-based organizations measure, 

learn and grow. Author: United Way of Massachusetts 

Bay. 2003. Available from www.aecf.org/publications/

data/8 _ uwmb _ insdout.pdf.

Strategy Series. Author: America’s Promise. Ongoing 

series of technical papers. Available at americaspromise.

org/products/stratserieslib.cfm.

Funding It

Finding the resources to 

start a PYD program or 

keep one going takes 

persistence and ingenuity. 

Faced with increasing 

competition, individuals 

and organizations have 

to think creatively about 

where to go for financial 

support, while marketing their 

programs skillfully. Keep in mind that energized youth can 

play an instrumental role in “selling” your PYD program to 

the potential funders or donors you identify. 

Any funding search should include a call to the National 

Clearinghouse on Families & Youth at (301) 608-8098. 

The Clearinghouse can do a targeted search of funding 

opportunities for youth and family programs. 

Funding Sources

There is increasing demand for Federal government grants. 

Search for government grants at the new Federal grants Web 

site: www.grants.gov. Other resources to check include 

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb, www.afterschool.gov, and 

www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci.

State and local government grants are often targeted to 

challenges found in the jurisdictions they serve. Visit your 

State or local government Web site for grant information, 

or go to www.statelocalgov.net for a comprehensive list of 

all State and local government links. 
page 14

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Private foundation grants can be offered 

to youth organizations by a variety of 

philanthropic institutions, including the 

Annie E. Casey Foundation, W.F. 

Kauffman Foundation, and Bill and 

Melinda Gates Foundation, among 

others. Grants tend to be highly 

competitive, and can involve strict 

evaluation guidelines. For a list of national foundations that offer grants for youth 

programs, call the National Clearinghouse on Families & 

Youth at (301) 608-8098 or visit the Foundation Center 

Web site at www.foundationcenter.org/funders/grantmaker/

gws _ priv/priv1.html.

Many national and international corporations, such as The 

Gap, Prudential Insurance Company, and the FleetBoston 

Financial Group, have charitable foundations that award 

grants specifically to youth development organizations. The 

Foundation Center has a list of corporate grantmakers at 

fdncenter.org/funders/grantmaker/gws _ corp/corp1.html. 

Many localities have community foundations that aggregate donations from area businesses and award grants to a 

variety of local programs. Visit www.communityfoundationlocator.org for listings in each community. 

The Internet has become an increasingly viable means of 

fundraising. Visit the ePhilanthropy Foundation at www.

ephilanthropy.org/site/PageServer to begin your research. 

Some organizations choose to hold special fundraising 

events to raise funds locally. A well-executed event can 

raise money, create awareness in the community, and garner 

media attention. Start researching how to host your own 

fundraiser at fdncenter.org/learn/useraids/events.html. 

More and more frequently, organizations are requiring 

board members to solicit donations as condition of membership. One resource on the subject is Boards That Love 

Fundraising: A How-To Guide For Your 

Board by Robert Zimmerman and Ann 

Lehman, (available from Jossey-Bass at 

www.josseybass.com). Other advice 

can be found on the Web site www.

boardsource.org. 

Local Chambers of Commerce have an 

interest in making sure a community and its 

young people thrive, and are often willing to 

contribute to effective programs. To locate the Chamber 

of Commerce nearest you, visit www.uschamber.com/

chambers/chamber _ directory.asp.

If they are not able to contribute monetarily, neighborhood 

businesses are often willing to provide in-kind donations, 

such as copying services, advertising, computer equipment, 

and groceries. 

Many individual community members say that they 

haven’t donated to local organizations because they were 

simply never asked. Yet, the majority of gifts are made 

by individuals. 

Local faith organizations often have funds or other 

resources to allocate to community service projects.

More and more funding these days is contingent on 

forming collaborations with other organizations or government entities. See Chapter Three for more information on 

forming collaborations. 

Letting Others Know About You

Whether looking for funding from a local source in your 

community or a Federal grant program, your ability to 

market your idea or program is crucial to its success. 

Donors want to feel that their contributions will be utilized 

competently and effectively, so pitches, whether in person 

or on paper, need to be thoroughly researched and highly 

professional. Having youth provide first-hand accounts 
page 15

of your PYD program’s effectiveness to donors can be a 

great confidence-building exercise as well as a powerful 

fundraising tool. 

There are thousands of publications, Web sites, and 

workshops filled with advice on fundraising strategies and 

tactics. That information will not be duplicated here. In 

general, however, fundraising will be easier if you have 

already developed answers to the following questions: 

 Who, exactly, do you plan to serve?

 What specific services will you be offering?

 Are there statistics to show that your proposed clients 

are in need of services?

 Is there research to prove your strategy works?

 How does your strategy promote PYD?

 Is there anyone else in your area providing the same 

services?

 How is your organization different from your peers?

 Why are you and your organization the most qualified 

to provide these services?

 How will you involve youth in decisionmaking? 

 How much is your program going to cost every year?

 What are your other sources of revenue?

 How are you going to make the program sustainable 

over time?

 How are you going to measure and evaluate your 

outcomes? 

 How will you report those outcomes?

And finally: What’s in it for the funder? Grantmakers, 

businesses, and individuals get solicitations all the time. 

You can set yourself apart by looking through their eyes 

and thinking about how your program would benefit 

them. A Chamber of Commerce, for example, might 

pay closer attention to a project that included how your 

program would prepare youth to be better employees. A 

community member might be interested in hearing how your 

program could reduce neighborhood crime. 

Resources on Fundraising and Writing Grant 

Applications

The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation 

wilderpubs.org

The Association of Fundraising 

Professionals 

www.afpnet.org

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

philanthropy.com

Compassion Capital Fund, Administration on Children 

and Families

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/

White House Office of Community- and Faith-Based 

Initiatives

www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/grant-proposals.html

The Foundation Center 

www.foundationcenter.org

The Grantsmanship Center

www.tgci.com

Grassroots Fundraising

www.grassrootsfundraising.org

Non-Profit Guides

www.npguides.org

U.S. Department of 

Education

www.ed.gov/fund/

grant/apply/

newapplicant.html

Chapter Two: Putting P Y D Into Practice
page 16

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Evaluating and Improving It

Though many people think of evaluation as the last step of the implementation process, successful programs 

frequently build it in to their initial 

strategic planning. And for good reason: Most grantmakers now consider 

a rigorous evaluation component a 

requirement for a funding. Involve youth 

in thinking strategically about what outcomes 

should be measured, and how the research should 

be conducted. 

Why Evaluate?

 To measure your contribution to clients and the 

community.

 To learn what works and what doesn’t so you can 

refine your services midcourse and over the long term.

 To provide accountability to your funders and 

document success stories for your partners in the 

community.

 To share your experiences so that others can learn from 

your hard work.

Evaluation Resources

The Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation. Author: 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and 

Human Services. 2003. Available at http://www.acf.hhs.

gov/programs/opre/other _ resrch/pm _ guide _ eval/

index.html

Introduction to Program Evaluation for Public Health 

Programs: A Self-Study Guide. Author Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention. 2005. Available at www.cdc.

gov/eval/whatsnew.htm.

Community-Based Project Evaluation 

Guide. Author: Callor, S., Betts, S., 

et al. 2001. Publisher: The University 

of Arizona Institute of Children, Youth 

& Families. Available from ag.arizona.

edu/fcs/cyfernet/cyfar/stst _ guide.pdf.

Evaluation Handbook. Author: 

W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 1998. Available from www.wkkf.org/Pubs/TZools/

Evaluation/Pub770.pdf. 

Inside Out: Tools to help faith-based organizations 

measure, learn and grow. Author: United Way of 

Massachusetts Bay. 2003. Available from the Annie E. 

Casey Foundation at www.aecf.org/publications/data/

8 _ uwmb _ insdout.pdf. 

Logic Model Development Guide. Author: W.K. Kellogg 

Foundation. 2001. Available from www.wkkf.org/Pubs/

Tools/Evaluation/Pub3669.pdf.

Making Evaluation Integral to Your Asset-Building Initiative: Employing a Theory of Action and Change. Author: 

William Mesaros. Available from the Search Institute at 

www.search-institute.org/research/knowledge/

MakingEvaluationIntegral.html.

Publicizing It

The media can be a powerful tool for engaging members 

of the community, generating resources and volunteers, and 

adding a level of perceived credibility to the work that you 

do. One way to start publicizing issues of importance to 

your program is to have young people write and submit 

letters to the editor or editorials to city, community, or 

school newspapers. With a little media training, youth 

could also serve as the official “spokespersons” for your 

project. Here are some other general tips on working with 

the media: 
page 17

 Six Tips on Getting Media Interest

1. Be a resource. Build relationships with reporters in your 

area by inviting them in for a no-strings-attached lunchtime 

chat and tour of your program. Introduce them to the 

youth you serve. Ask about their priorities and offer to be 

a behind-the-scenes source of information about news and 

trends in the field. Follow through by occasionally alerting 

them to pertinent issues or events. You can also prepare 

short biographies of your most dynamic, well-spoken staff 

members and youth and e-mail them to reporters covering 

topics that overlap with the expertise of your “sources.” 

When reporters call, always return messages promptly!

2. Craft your story. When you are ready to make your 

own pitch, start by thinking like a journalist. What is a 

journalist looking for? Something new, unusual, or controversial. Something that advances a story or issue already 

being discussed in the news. Something that has rich opportunities for audio (for radio), photography (for print), 

or video (for television). But most important, something 

that is part of a bigger picture. Can your story idea be 

tied to a debate over afterschool funding? Can it be linked 

to a new study that shows that mentoring improves youth 

outcomes? Can it be related to concern over a statewide 

increase in youth homelessness? 

3. Consider who you are trying to reach. Press releases 

may be effective for publicizing events, but not as worthwhile when you have a special feature story that you’d like 

to have covered. Instead, go directly to a reporter 

whose work on a similar topic you have admired. For instance, if your story is about 

a unique afterschool program, try calling 

the local education reporter directly. 

If that reporter isn’t interested in the 

story, ask for the name and phone 

number of someone who might be. 

4. Make life easier for reporters. A typical story has 

several components: the news, the big picture “hook,” 

relevant historical information or statistics, and the perspectives of one or more people affected by the news. Offer 

to provide reporters with as many of these components 

as you can. Compile pertinent statistics and their sources. 

Briefly summarize the history of the issue or program. 

Decide which people would provide compelling stories 

and offer to facilitate interviews. Keep in mind that some 

reporters may decline your help. 

5. Consider the news “cycle.” Trying to place a story in 

the media on election day or during a hurricane is much 

harder than when there is a lull in major news events. 

Target those slow times whenever possible, particularly 

when pitching a feature story that isn’t strictly connected 

to the daily news. The best time to find a reporter with an 

eager ear is right before the end-of-the-year holidays.

6. Don’t be discouraged by “no.” There are many reasons 

why reporters choose to write or broadcast the stories that 

they do. If they reject your idea, they may have just covered a similar story, or they may simply be too busy with 

other pressing issues. Ask them what types of stories they 

would be interested in for the future, and keep trying.

Resources on Working with the Media

A Guide to Working with the Media. Author: Corporation for National and Community Service. No Date. 

Available from www.nationalservice.org/resources/

cross/index.html.

Getting Your Message on the Air: A 

Guidebook for Community Nonprofit 

Organizations. Author: National Association of Broadcasters. Available 

from www.nab.org. 

Chapter Two: Putting P Y D Into Practice
page 18

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

The Jossey-Bass Guide to Strategic Communications for 

Nonprofits. Authors: Kathy Bonk, Henry Griggs, Emily 

Tynes. 1998. Available from www.josseybass.com.

Media Outreach Made Easy: An Advocate’s Guide to 

Working With the Press. Author: The National Resource 

Center on Domestic Violence. 1999. Available from 

www.vawnet.org.

National Mentoring Center Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 1. 

Marketing and Media Outreach. Author: Susan 

Weinberger. February 2004. Available from www.nwrel.

org/mentoring/bulletins.html

Reframing Youth Issues For Public Consideration and Support. Author: The Frameworks Institute. 2001. Available 

from www.frameworksinstitute.org/products/youth.shtml.

Working With the Media. Youth in Action, Number 14, 

March 2000. Author: Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention. Available from www.ojjdp.ncjrs.

org/publications/index.html. 
page 19

How do you know if your program truly promotes the positive growth of all your 

youth? The following questions will get you started in thinking about how well 

your organization encourages Positive Youth Development. 

Don’t worry! You don’t need to answer “yes” to every question to conclude 

that you’re on the right path.

Do youth have opportunities for personal leadership?

• Do youth create their own personal growth plans, in collaboration with staff?

• Do youth create a personal file with items relating their activities in the program? 

• When youth make mistakes, do staff help them problemsolve to make things right?

• Does your organization have a process through which youth, moderated by staff, can adjudicate 

personal disputes with each other?

Do youth have opportunities for organizational leadership?

• Do youth sit on your board or on board subcommittees? Do youth board 

members truly have a say in your organization’s decisionmaking? Are they 

voting members? (Whether they can be may depend on your State’s laws for 

board membership.) If not, do they have a forum to influence voting members? 

Do you train them as you would train other board members?

Chapter Two: Putting P Y D Into Practice

Does Your Program Promote Positive

Youth Development?

A Checklist for Existing Programs
page 20

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

• Do youth interview new staff or sit on hiring committees? Do you train them beforehand?

• Do youth give input into new programs, from planning to writing grant proposals 

to implementing?

• Do youth raise funds, either for the overall organization or for new 

programming and activities they want? 

• Do at-risk youth in your programs volunteer within the organization, for 

instance by mentoring or tutoring other youth? 

• Do youth have opportunities for employment within the organization?

• Do youth help enhance the physical space of your organization by participating in discussions about what improvements are needed, planning how to 

make changes, and implementing them?

• Does your organization ask alumni of its programs for feedback or advice? 

Do youth have opportunities for community leadership?

• Do youth in your programs serve as peer educators in local schools or community organizations?

• Does your program collaborate with schools or local and State government to give youth a voice 

through service on youth councils or boards or on adult-run committees?

• Do youth act as spokespeople for your organization and for youth issues in your community? 

• Do youth in your program have ways to make their voices heard in the community and in the media? 

These might include youth summits or forums or a youth-run newspaper, Web site, or radio station.

• Does your staff encourage youth to volunteer at other community organizations?

• Does your community have a youth court?

• Does your organization help youth use and display their talents, such as art, writing, and athletics, 

in your community?

Reprinted from FYSB’s The Exchange, May 2005.

O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O Y O
page 21

PYD FEATURES WAYS TO IMPLEMENT THEM

Physical and psychological safety and security

-Put the program in a school

-Work with the local police

-Provide chaperones/shuttle vans

-Develop codes of conduct between peers

Structure that is developmentally appropriate, with clear 

expectations, increasing opportunities to make decisions 

and to take on leadership roles

-Post written rules/create a rule handbook

-Use team concepts in planning activities

-Allow youth to evaluate the program

-Put youth on the Board

Emotional and moral support

-Listen, listen, listen

-Reward small accomplishments

-Take an interest in youth’s other activities

-Ask older kids to mentor younger kids

Opportunities to experience supportive adult relationships

-Program adult-youth time into each day

-Encourage all staff to seek interactions 

-Get kids outside of their peer comfort zone

-Develop small group activities

Opportunities to learn how to form close, durable 

human relationships with peers that support and reinforce 

healthy behaviors

-Conduct teamwork activities

-Ask youth to plan and run activities

-Teach conflict resolution

-Model close, trusting relationships 

Opportunities to feel a sense of belonging and 

being valued

-Hand out t-shirts, etc. with program logo

-Ask older youth to mentor younger kids

-Ask youth to give back to the program

-Maintain alumni groups, open-door policy

Opportunities to develop positive social values and norms

- Provide time for meaningful discussions with good role 

models

-Teach peer conflict resolution

-Hold prevention workshops/role playing

Opportunities for skill building and mastery

-Promote “learning by doing” 

- Collaborate with groups that offer advanced skill building 

in many areas

-Provide chances to learn from mistakes

Opportunities to develop confidence in their abilities to 

master their environment

-Keep expectations modest

-Break down goals into small steps

-Talk about your own challenges

-Don’t be afraid to let them fail

Opportunities to make a contribution to their community 

and to develop a sense of mattering

- Allow them to make decisions about what would improve 

the community

-Provide opportunities to volunteer

-Ask youth to conduct community mapping

Strong links between families, schools, and broader 

community resources 

-Include parents in program decisions

-Care about how ALL youth are doing

-Collaborate with other local groups

-Work with policymakers

Chapter Two: Putting P Y D Into Practice

page 23

Every big city and small town across 

America has resources to help 

promote Positive Youth Development. 

Some of the most obvious—schools, 

recreation centers, and public housing facilities—offer direct services to 

whole neighborhoods of youth. And 

youth-serving organizations like Boys 

and Girls Clubs and the YMCA provide 

meaningful programming to millions of young 

people during the afterschool hours. But youth development doesn’t stop there. Everyone in the community has a 

role to play in making sure that all youth have opportunities 

to flourish: State and local elected officials, the media, 

businesses, arts and culture organizations, law enforcement, 

neighbors, parents, friends, and the youth themselves. 

It’s not enough for everyone to know his or her role, 

however. To make sure that every young person develops 

mentally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually, all the 

different actors need to work together, not just to weave 

a safety net, but to build a springboard from which youth 

can thrive. Most important, the youth themselves need 

to be right in the middle of the construction, designing, 

implementing, and running the programs that lead to their 

own brighter future. 

Consider the following youth-led project. What 

partnerships were undertaken? What opportunities for 

collaborations did she miss? 

At 14 years old, Deborah (Chi-Chi) Hsieh 

decided that something needed to be 

done to improve the prospects of the 

largely Hispanic, low-income community 

down the road from her home in 

Chandler, Arizona. 

“This sounds kind of bad, but I drove 

by it every time I went to the mall,” said 

Hsieh, now an energetic college junior with a 

brilliant smile. “You can’t help but notice the difference. In the middle of all these affluent communities, it 

goes from a big road down to a one-lane road, and there 

were no street lights, just stop signs.”

Her first stop was to contact the local Chamber of Commerce, which encouraged her to visit the community center 

that housed an after-hours high school for working teens. 

One of the first things she noticed was a pile of broken 

computer equipment in the corner of the lone classroom. 

“I was really surprised, since every room in my high school 

had a television set and at least one computer,” she said. 

“They were still writing up reports by hand, which is good 

for penmanship, I guess, but not necessarily very good for 

job skills.”

After enlisting the support of the manager of the facility 

and its only teacher, she set about trying to upgrade the 

computer lab. Her computer engineer father pitched in by 

recruiting some of his colleagues to help rehabilitate the 

“Communities should not just sit back and assume that their youth are being taken care of. 

This means they need to have someone or some agency that attends to the community menu 

of programs, who has responsibility for oversight and coordination, and perhaps even helps 

youth get connected to community programs that suit their needs and abilities.” (National 

Research Council, p. 117)

Chapter Three: Collaborating for Change
page 24

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

equipment. When most of 

the computers proved to 

be unsalvageable, Hsieh 

had to look elsewhere, 

though not far. The 

Best Buy down the 

road happened to be 

soliciting proposals for its 

youth grant program, “Now 

That’s a Great Idea.” Hsieh’s proposal won, which allowed 

her to buy five computers, a scanner, and a printer.

During class hours, the highschoolers used the computers. 

After school, Hsieh and a group of volunteers from local 

high schools put together programs for elementary and 

middle schoolers. They offered typing and word processing, and an open lab time to allow neighborhood kids to 

come in and type up school papers. Hsieh’s mother served 

as the adult supervision.

“One of the younger kids, when she first came in, went up 

and hugged the computer,” Hsieh said.

During the summer, the group of volunteers recruited 

preschoolers who were on the waiting list for the local 

Head Start program. Using online materials, they offered a 

curriculum that taught letters, numbers, shapes, and colors, 

as well as some computer activities. The program became 

so popular that a local newscaster broadcast a lengthy story 

about it on the five o’clock news. The publicity brought in 

enough donations to cover the rent and utilities at 

the facility. 

Hsieh said that the experience was a constant challenge for 

the volunteers, with language barriers, troubled children, 

and young people that would disappear for weeks at a 

time without notice. But their perseverance paid off—the 

Boys and Girls Clubs eventually stepped in and took over 

the program, promising it a long life. 

Collaborating With Youth

While not every youth will want to commit to an intensive 

project like Hsieh’s, many have similar capabilities. Each 

day, more and more adults across the country are discovering ways to harness the energy and vitality of young 

people for leadership roles. Youth make programming 

decisions. They manage projects. They recruit new clients 

or volunteers. They present their work to the public, the 

media, and government entities. In short, there is little that 

young people cannot do. 

What’s more, youth benefit greatly from leadership 

opportunities. They build crucial self-esteem and selfconfidence at the same time as they develop professional 

and social skills that will help them for the rest of their 

lives. In the community, their work helps dispel myths that 

young people are not capable or reliable enough to lead.

Youth leadership doesn’t just benefit young people, 

though. Given opportunities to lead, youth can: 

 infuse an organization with energy, creativity, and 

positive thinking

 make services more effective and accountable to youth

 bring new clients and volunteers from their peer and 

family networks

Though the payoff is large, working with youth does require 

some extra time, effort, and expense. For comprehensive 

advice on youth-adult partnering, consult the resource list 

at the end of this section. To get started, some things to 

consider include: 

1. With school and afterschool activities, youth have 

many time conflicts. Flexible scheduling and reminder 

phone calls are key. 
page 25

2. Youth sometimes lack resources for transportation, 

childcare, or eating out. Consider handing out stipends 

or bus tokens. And any meetings or events that last 

through a mealtime should include food. 

3. Youth are sensitive to being the “token young person.” Consider pairing up young people on boards 

and committees. Make sure that responsibilities are 

meaningful and that youth understand why they are 

important to the project or organization. Recognize 

that one young person cannot speak for all youth any 

more than one adult can speak for all adults. 

4. Youth often don’t have experience negotiating the 

adult working world. Explicitly train them on how 

leadership and decisionmaking structures work. 

Consider assigning each young person a mentor who 

answers questions, provides support, and makes sure 

that he or she feels useful and included. Avoid jargon.

5. Youth-adult partnerships sometimes break down 

because of generational misunderstandings or uneven 

power sharing. Train both youth and adults on how to 

work with each other on even footing. Explore stereotypes and preconceptions that could affect teamwork. 

Make sure the atmosphere invites ongoing discussions 

about youth-adult cooperation. 

6. Youth need to be managed, just like any other staff 

members. Establish goals, provide regular supervision, 

address problems, and recognize accomplishments. 

Allow youth to make mistakes and correct them.

7. Parents or guardians often determine the extracurricular 

priorities and commitments of young people. To avoid 

turnover in your youth leadership, keep caregivers 

informed and engaged.

Chapter Three: Collaborating for Change

Given the opportunity, youth can assume many substantive roles in your organization—as volunteers, 

interns, employees, or members of the board. Here are some possible tasks. What ideas can you add 

to the list? 

Answering phones, greeting visitors

Designing Web sites, posters, flyers, T-shirts, etc. 

Budgeting for events and projects

Recruiting and training new interns or volunteers

Making presentations to the public or to government entities

Writing press releases

Mentoring new clients

Giving tours of the facility

z

z

z

z

z

z

z

z

WHAT CAN YOUTH DO FOR YOU?
page 26

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Resources on Youth Involvement and 

Youth-Adult Partnerships

14 Points: Successfully Involving Youth in Decision 

Making. Author: Youth on Board. 2001. Available from 

58 Day St., Somerville, MA 02144; (617) 623-9900 

x1242; www.youthonboard.org.

An Asset Builder’s Guide to Youth Leadership. Authors: 

J. Griffin-Wiesner, et al. 1999. Available from Search 

Institute, Banks Building, 615 First Avenue, NE, Suite 

125, Minneapolis, MN 55413; (800) 888-7828; 

si@search-institute.org; www.search-institute.org.

Building Community: A Tool Kit for Youth and Adult 

in Charting Assets and Creating Change. Authors: The 

Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development 

and National 4-H Council. 2001. Available from the 

Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development, 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 502, Takoma Park, 

MD 20912; (301) 270-1700; fax: (301) 270-5900; 

info@theinnovationcenter.org; www.theinnovationcenter.org.

Promoting Youth Participation. Author: National League 

of Cities. Available from the National League of Cities; 

www.nlc.org.

Working Shoulder to Shoulder: Stories and Strategies of 

Youth-Adult Partnerships That Succeed. Author: Deborah 

Fisher. 2004. Available from Search Institute, Banks Building, 615 First Avenue, NE, Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 

55413; (800) 888-7828; si@

search-institute.org; www.

search-institute.org.

Youth-Adult Partnerships: Training Manual. 

Author: Youth Leadership Institute. Available 

from 246 First Street, 

Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 836-9160; 

www.yli.org. 

Youth Involvement Research and Practice Agenda. Author: 

The Innovation Center. 2003. Available from the Innovation 

Center for Community and Youth Development, 6930 

Carroll Avenue, Suite 502, Takoma Park, MD 20912; 

(301) 270-1700; fax: (301) 270-5900; info@

theinnovationcenter.org; www.theinnovationcenter.org.

Youth on Board: Why and How to Involve Young People 

in Organizational Decision-Making. Author: Youth on 

Board. 2001. Available from www.youthonboard.org

Youth Voice: A Guide for Engaging Youth in Leadership and 

Decision-Making in Service Learning Programs. Author: 

Points of Light Foundation. 2001. Available from www.

servicelearning.org.

Collaborating With Other Community 

and Government Actors

When you are working to improve the lives of young 

people, virtually everyone around you is a potential collaborator. Here are just some of the reasons you should consider 

developing relationships with others in your community: 

T Your youth will have better access to services in the 

community. 

T Your project will be more attractive to funders if you 

can show that you have community support and existing networks.

T You can take on bigger projects when you are working 

with people who have different expertise and access 

to resources in the community. 

T Your work can be easier, quicker, and more cost-effective when you are working with others rather than 

competing with them. 
page 27

T In a cooperative environment, your staff are less likely 

to get frustrated and quit. 

T By working with others, you are setting a good 

example for youth. 

Collaboration often means thinking creatively about how 

to maximize positive experiences for young people in your 

community while minimizing redundancies and streamlining 

costs. For example, if you can’t afford to hire a job counselor for your youth (or even if you can), encourage some 

big employers from your community to give presentations 

or workshops on resume writing and interviewing. Have 

faith-based organizations from the neighborhood invite your 

youth to their socials or community 

service projects. Ask members of 

community arts groups to conduct drawing, music, writing, 

or dance classes for youth. 

Select from the list below, or add your own partners to the table.

Youth

School district/principals

Police department

Colleges and universities 

Parks and recreation department

Public housing authority

Child welfare agencies

State/city/community governments

Mental health services

Unemployment agencies

Big local employers 

Hospitals/clinics

Substance abuse treatment facilities

Job counselors

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Fine arts institutions

Sports clubs or professional teams

Faith-based organizations

Lions/Kiwanis/professional clubs

Women’s groups (American Association of 

University Women, etc.) 

Chamber of Commerce 

Parent-Teacher-Student Associations

Vocational schools/apprenticeship organizations

Neighborhood organizations (Neighborhood 

Watch, etc.)

Local chapter of AARP, retirement homes, 

senior centers

Local media

Advocacy groups 

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WHO SHOULD BE AT YOUR TABLE?

Chapter Three: Collaborating for Change
page 28

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

The Family and Youth 

Services Bureau is just 

one of the government 

agencies actively working to promote collaboration. The Bureau has 

awarded demonstration 

grants to some State and 

local governments interested 

in fostering community-wide 

PYD efforts. Grantees were first charged with building 

collaborations that promote PYD among State government 

agencies. More recently, they expanded their collaborations to include local organizations and agencies. Here are 

some of the projects now under way: 

T In Phoenix, Arizona, the Governor’s Division for 

Community and Youth Development has joined forces 

with the Murphy School District and other community 

groups like Camp Fire USA, the Wheel Council, and 

Neighborhood Partners, Inc., to improve outcomes 

for youth in the 8-square-mile school district, which is 

also home to a jail, a garbage dump, and an interstate 

highway. In an initial meeting between grantees and 

fifth to eighth graders, students asked what services 

they would be getting from the program. Grantees 

responded by asking the kids how they wanted to get 

involved in improving their community. “These kids are 

used to being recipients, rather than fully empowered,” 

a coordinator said. “We tell them that the grant won’t 

happen if they don’t make it happen.” A community 

Halloween party warmed the kids up for future civic 

activities, and parents, though wary of broken promises, have gotten on board.

T In four counties in Nebraska, Lakota youth are working 

to change negative attitudes about young people in 

their Tribe and communities. Some of their activities 

have included holding a wellness gathering, hosting 

the Friends of Intertribal Gathering Pow-Wow, which 

included a youth fun run and walk, a competitive 

5-kilometer race, and a 3-day youth camping trip, discussing ways to make health and human services more 

culturally appropriate for Native Americans through 

regular meetings with the Health and Human Services 

Area Administrator and the Native American Health 

and Human Services Committee, and holding community healing meetings to address community respect for 

other cultures and other families within a culture.

T In the Grove Hall section of Roxbury, Massachusetts, 

local youth are employed by collaboration partners as 

Youth Policy Associates, going into the community to 

conduct forums and help the community come up with 

solutions to its own problems. One of their first initiatives was to clean up a park that had been over run 

with garbage and drug paraphernalia. In the meantime, 

project collaborators the Massachusetts Executive 

Office of Health and Human Services, Roxbury Boys 

and Girls Clubs, and the Youth & Police Partnership 

Program have worked with the juvenile justice system 

to pinpoint troubled youth. After discovering that 472 

neighborhood kids accounted for more than 11,000 

criminal cases, collaborators have started to focus on 

providing activities and support for those youth. 

For more information on these projects and others funded 

by FYSB, go to www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb and click 

on “Special Initiatives” under the heading “Youth Programs.”

As with youth partnerships, 

community collaborations 

have their challenges. 

Programs that are used 

to struggling for funding 

are sometimes territorial. Other groups have 

bureaucracies that may 
page 29

be difficult to manage. And still others may have different 

ideas about how project goals should be met. The following are some things to think about as you begin to develop 

your collaborative environment. 

Making Collaborations Work

 Test the political climate for receptiveness to your 

project by speaking informally with community leaders.

 Consider how your efforts will be sustainable over time 

(in terms of both financial and human resources).

 Bring many different stakeholders —preferably those 

with decisionmaking authority—to the table, including 

those you are planning to serve.

 Make sure all participants share a common perception 

of the issue and similar goals for addressing it.

 Define the key terms so that everyone is using them in 

the same way.

 Build personal as well as professional relationships with 

your partners. Meet face to face.

 Air out and discuss each member’s agenda throughout the 

collaboration.

 Select leadership and define what responsibilities it 

will have.

 Agree on rules, even if that means agreeing not to 

have formal rules.

 Set specific goals. Think in terms of both short-term 

and long-term outcomes.

 Conduct needs assessments, but don’t use them as an 

excuse not to move forward.

 Set clear milestones and assign specific tasks to reach 

your objectives.

 Agree on and enforce deadlines.

 Formally define “done.” Don’t let a collaboration go 

on past its usefulness. 

 Evaluate and readjust, as necessary.

Too many coalition meetings on your calendar? Consider 

how the groups can be merged to more efficiently serve 

the community’s goals.

Collaboration Resources

Building Community: A Tool Kit For Youth & Adults in 

Charting Assets and Creating Change. Authors: The Innovation Center for Community Youth Development and 

the National 4-H Council. 2001. Available from www.

theinnovationcenter.org.

Collaborating to Promote Positive Youth Development. Author: Family and Youth Services Bureau; Administration on 

Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Youth and 

Families; Department of Health and Human Services. May 

2006 issue of FYSB Update. Available from the National 

Clearinghouse on Families & Youth, www.ncfy.com.

Collaboration: What Makes It Work, 2nd Edition. Authors: 

Paul Mattessich, Marta Murray-Close, Barbara Monsey. 

2001 Available from the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 

www.wilder.org/pubs/collab _ wmiw/index.html.

Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth. Author: 

Helping America’s Youth. 2005. Available at www.

helpingamericasyouth.gov.

Creating Communities of Promise: Mobilizing The Collective Power of Communities To Enrich the Lives of Children 

and Youth. Author: America’s Promise. 2004. Available 

from www.americaspromise.org. 

Chapter Three: Collaborating for Change
page 30

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

In 1999, during an 

afternoon of rollerblading, two friends 

in their late teens got 

to talking about the 

valuable experiences 

they had had serving 

as youth leaders in their 

communities and nationally. 

Wouldn’t it be great, they thought, if youth around the 

world could learn about and have access to similar opportunities? Within a year, the pair of young people, Jennifer 

Corriero and Michael Furdyk, had formed TakingITGlobal, 

a Web portal designed to foster communication, inspiration, and action in youth globally. 

Hundreds of thousands of youth now visit the portal’s five 

different language areas—English, Spanish, French, Arabic, 

and Russian—each month. What’s more, the site has since 

partnered with UNESCO, UNICEF, the International 

Institute for Sustainable Development, and a variety of other 

adult-run organizations and businesses that have found value 

in TakingITGlobal’s methods and results. 

Champions of Positive Youth Development argue that 

powerful youth-led initiatives like TakingITGlobal are a 

direct result of young people being given the opportunities 

and tools they need to thrive in their own homes, schools, 

and communities. Once empowered locally, young people 

feel like they can move mountains, and many of them do. 

This is only one example of the many promising local, 

national, and international initiatives dreamed up and put 

in to action by young people who see needs and fill them. 

Do you have such high expectations for youth in your 

community? With opportunities and encouragement, all 

young people could be mobilized 

to work side-by-side with 

adults to build thriving 

communities, a stronger 

Nation, and a freer, 

more equitable world. 

Conclusion
page 31

Community Education Fact Sheets

The following five Community Education fact sheets—Team Up With Youth—were designed by 

the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth for the Family and Youth Services Bureau to 

be distributed to different populations in your community in order to encourage Positive Youth 

Development initiatives. Feel free to copy and distribute the fact sheets, or visit www.ncfy.com 

to download them.

Appendix A

page 33

A Guide for Businesses

Why team up with youth?

It’s good for youth. It’s good for business.

As fundamental building blocks of thriving communities, 

businesses are in a unique position to promote Positive 

Youth Development, an approach that builds on the assets 

and the potential of today’s youth. The Positive Youth 

Development approach fosters relationships between 

young people and caring adults who can mentor and 

guide them; provides youth with opportunities to pursue 

their interests and focus on their strengths; supports the 

development of youths’ knowledge and skills; and engages 

youth as active participants and leaders who can help 

move communities forward.

It’s also good for the bottom line. People are attracted to 

communities that are decent places to live and work. And 

most people want to support businesses that support their 

communities. Also, an investment in youth is an investment 

in the future workforce. 

Many businesses already contribute financially to their 

communities. But businesses can offer much more in terms 

of time and opportunities for young people, and by doing 

so, they can help create safe and inviting environments in 

which youth can assemble, learn, and grow. 

How can businesses team up with 

youth?

Offer job training to help youth develop marketable 

skills

Offer internships and mentored employment for 

young people

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Provide job shadowing opportunities for high school 

students

Offer job sharing experiences, especially for youth 

living in more isolated rural areas where transportation 

is more difficult

Give full-time opportunities for advancement or 

management experience to youth who are transitioning 

into the workforce 

Collaborate with other businesses to cosponsor a job 

fair or career awareness day in the local high school 

or youth development organization

Partner with the schools on service learning projects 

and school-to-work or career development programs

Ask youth to help plan a training or orientation for 

other youth coworkers

Ask youth to train older employees on new 

technologies

Bring youth with you to local business association 

meetings, or offer junior memberships

Sponsor a local youth entrepreneurship contest and 

offer startup grants for youth-run businesses; invite 

young people to serve as judges

Consider youth advisory committees in product development, marketing programs, and community affairs

Sponsor youths’ attendance at leadership conferences 

and training sessions

Invest time and money in your community—

for instance, by sponsoring community service 

projects for employees, donating funds to a new 

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Appendix A

Team Up With Youth!
page 34

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

playground or park, or loaning your office space to 

afterschool groups

Getting down to business

National Groundhog Job Shadow Day gives young 

people a new perspective on their studies through handson learning and a daylong mentoring experience. Students 

are invited to shadow a workplace mentor for a day for a 

firsthand look at how the academic skills they learn in the 

classroom are put into action in the workplace. 

Participating in National Groundhog Job Shadow Day, 

the Alexandria Education Partnership of the Alexandria 

Chamber of Commerce in Virginia partnered with many 

area businesses to offer job shadowing experiences to 

local high school students. Students first attended an 

informational session to cover some of the basics, such 

as employer expectations and the importance of a firm 

handshake, good eye contact, proper dress, and being on 

time. They were also taught the value of networking and 

were advised to collect business cards. But most of all, 

students were encouraged to have fun. 

National Groundhog Job Shadow Day is a joint effort 

of America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth, Junior 

Achievement, the U.S. Department of Education, and the 

U.S. Department of Labor. Companies participating in 

the event have included Best Buy, J.C. Penney Company, 

and Verizon. For more information on how you can participate in job shadowing to help prepare students for work 

in the 21st century, visit www.jobshadow.org.

Resources

America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth

www.americaspromise.org

AmeriCorps

www.americorp.org

Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development

www.theinnovationcenter.org

Junior Achievement

www.ja.org

Job Corps, U.S. Department of Labor

jobcorps.doleta.gov

Youth on Board

www.youthonboard.org

Team Up With Youth! A Guide for Businesses was developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) for the Family and 

Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services. For more information on positive ways to work with youth, please go to www.ncfy.com, or contact NCFY at (301) 608-

8098 or info@ncfy.com. Revised June 2006.
page 35

Why team up with youth?

One of the most valuable resources for improving schools 

is right under adults’ noses: Youth!

Students can provide insight into everything from instructional methods to school climate to curriculum. When 

teachers and administrators ask for and listen to their 

advice, students become more interested in improving their 

schools. And by contributing to school change, they learn 

to communicate with teachers, address problems, work in 

teams, and set and achieve goals. 

Regardless of ethnicity, religion, economic and family 

background, talent, and GPA, students who have a say 

in their educational environment gain self confidence and 

leadership skills. Student participation in decisionmaking 

inside and outside the classroom can bring many benefits 

for schools: attendance and discipline improve, dropout 

rates decline, and communication between students and 

teachers becomes stronger. Schools that encourage student 

participation can transform into safer, healthier, better 

places to learn. Even small changes can make a 

big difference.

How can educators team up with 

youth?

Encourage youth to play a role in educating their 

peers, for instance by tutoring after school, planning 

group projects, or mentoring younger students

Invite students to team teach with their teachers

Ask students to train teachers in subjects in which 

young people have an interest, such as technology, 

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service learning, and diversity, and give them support 

in planning, presenting, and evaluating the training

Give students opportunities to evaluate their teachers 

and classroom experiences

Involve students in the school’s self-study process 

by asking them to serve on committees, collect data, 

design surveys, lead focus groups, and help report on 

findings and proposed changes

Create a process by which students can give input 

into curriculum planning, design, and evaluation on 

both the school and district levels

Invite students to join the local school board (24 of 

35 states studied by SoundOut.org have laws allowing students to serve on local school boards)

Explore using student-led parent conferences in which 

students, with the support of a teacher, evaluate their 

own educational progress and accomplishments

Have students prepare personal learning plans 

and goals

Form a student committee to advise on the selection 

of textbooks and instructional materials

Allow students to provide appropriate input into 

hiring decisions; for instance, invite them to sit on 

hiring committees and interview panels for the selection of staff who will interact frequently with students

Involve students in making discipline and classroom 

management policies

Ask for students’ ideas in planning school renovations 

or new facilities

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Team Up With Youth!

A Guide for Schools

Appendix A
page 36

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Start a leadership class for all students

Form a student committee that evaluates budget 

issues at your school or in your district and proposes 

ideas on how to spend funds 

Ask students to help identify financial needs not met 

by your budget and to help write grant applications 

or raise funds in other ways for projects such as 

library technology or student activities 

Organize student action committees to tackle such 

issues as elective subjects taught at your school, 

student activities, teacher-student relations, peer 

leadership, and safety

Hold student-organized-and-facilitated forums on 

issues of interest to students, with involvement from 

all members of the school community

Train your student press on journalistic standards and 

methods and then allow student reporters as much 

independence as possible 

You may need approval from your school board before 

you try some of the suggestions above!

Resources

Print

Meaningful Student Involvement. Author: A. Fletcher. 

2003. Available from The Freechild Project & 

HumanLinks Foundation, (425) 882-5177; 

www.humanlinksfoundation.org.

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Student Involvement Handbook. Author: California State 

PTA. 1992. Available from California State PTA, www.

capta.org/sections/membership/student-involvement-full.cfm

Student Voices Count: A Student-Led Evaluation of 

High Schools in Oakland. Author: REAL HARD. 

2003. Available from Kids First, (510) 452-2043; 

www.kidsfirstoakland.org.

Web

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

www.nwrel.org

National School Boards Association

www.nsba.org

SoundOut.org

www.soundout.org

National PTA

www.pta.org

What Kids Can Do

www.whatkidscando.org

Team Up With Youth! A Guide for Schools was developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) for the Family and 

Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services. For more information on positive ways to work with youth, please go to www.ncfy.com, or contact NCFY at (301) 608-8098 

or info@ncfy.com. Revised June 2006.
page 37

Why team up with youth?

As someone who works with adolescents every day, you 

want to give all young people the keys to success. You 

probably know that the best way to help youth become 

happy, productive adults is to involve them in programs 

and activities that give them opportunities to grow and 

lead. But you may not always know exactly what those 

programs should be.

Many youth serving organizations have found an easy 

solution to that problem: Ask youth what they need! 

Get them involved in planning and running the programs 

that will help them best. Incorporate their ideas into every 

decision, from the personal (such as what they eat) to the 

bureaucratic (such as how to evaluate your programs). The 

strategy works because young people are more likely to 

trust adults who trust them and to invest in programs in 

which they have a say.

Giving youth decisionmaking power can enable an organization to increase the effectiveness of its programs and 

better fulfill its mission to serve young people.

How can youth-serving organizations 

team up with youth?

Any youth-serving organization can

Invite youth to sit on your board of directors or on 

board subcommittees 

Assign youth to help interview new staff or sit on 

hiring committees 

Seek youth input into new programs, from planning to 

writing grant proposals to implementing the programs

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Ask youth to help raise funds, either for the overall 

organization or for youth-planned activities 

Find ways for youth to volunteer within the organization, for instance by mentoring or tutoring other youth

Employ youth, particularly current and former clients, 

in the organization, perhaps as peer counselors, 

resident managers, staff aides, or interns

Create an organizational process through which youth, 

moderated by staff, can adjudicate personal disputes 

with each other

Encourage youth to plan group recreational and 

educational activities 

Invite youth to participate in discussions about 

enhancing the physical space of your organization, 

and then ask them to help plan and make the changes

Solicit feedback or advice from alumni of your 

programs 

Have youth act as spokespeople for your organization and for youth issues at community events and 

forums where legislators or funders are present

A residential program can

Help youth create their own treatment plans

Hold regular “youth council” meetings in which youth 

make decisions about activities, policies (such as 

curfew hours and rules for visitors), and day-to-day 

issues

Ask youth to help plan meals, shop, and budget 

for groceries

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Team Up With Youth!

A Guide for Youth Service Professionals

Appendix A
page 38

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Allow youth to lead their own discharge planning 

team, made up of people they choose, to put 

together a plan for their relationships, employment, 

housing, and finances after they leave the program

Help youth create a personal file or portfolio of 

documents and items relating to their past, present, 

and future; items could include report cards, school 

records, photos, artwork, and personal documents

Resources

Print

14 Points: Successfully Involving Youth in Decision 

Making. Authors: K. Young and J. Sazama. 2001. 

Available from Youth on Board, (617) 623-9900 

x1242; www.youthonboard.org.

At the Table: Making the Case for Youth in DecisionMaking: Research Highlights from a Study on the Impacts 

of Youth on Adults and Organizations. Author: Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development. 

2001. Available from the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development, (301) 270-1700; www.

theinnovationcenter.org.

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A Guide to Youth Development, Second Edition. 

Author: Networks for Youth Development, Youth 

Development Institute. 1998. Available from Networks 

for Youth Development, Youth Development Institute, 

Fund for the City of New York, (212) 925-6675; 

www.fcny.org.

Working Shoulder to Shoulder: Stories and Strategies 

of Youth-Adult Partnerships That Succeed. Author: 

Deborah Fisher. 2004. Available from Search Institute, 

(800) 888-7828; www.search-institute.org.

Web

At the Table

www.atthetable.org

Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development

www.theinnovationcenter.org

National 4-H Council

www.fourhcouncil.edu

Global Youth Action Network

www.youthlink.org

Team Up With Youth! A Guide for Youth Service Professionals was developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) for 

the Family and Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services. For more information on positive ways to work with youth, please go to www.ncfy.com, or contact NCFY at 

(301) 608-8098 or info@ncfy.com. Revised June 2006.
page 39

Why team up with youth?

Media are in a unique position to promote Positive Youth 

Development, an approach that builds on the assets 

and potential of youth. Key elements of Positive Youth 

Development include fostering relationships between 

young people and caring adults who can mentor and 

guide them; providing youth with opportunities to pursue 

their interests and focus on their strengths; supporting 

the development of youths’ knowledge and skills; and 

engaging youth as active participants and leaders who can 

help move communities forward. 

Media can provide mentoring and expertise, practical 

training, and hands-on experience. Young people need a 

public forum for sharing their experiences, exploring the 

issues that affect their lives, and identifying their common 

concerns. For young writers and artists, participating in the 

production of a publication or Web site can be a meaningful learning experience. 

But it’s not just the youth who benefit. Engaging 

youth can give news outlets a different perspective on 

community issues. Young people are more likely to read 

and heed stories that accurately reflect their experiences 

and concerns. And often, parents want to know what 

their kids are reading. So, involving youth could lead to 

a wider audience for your publication or Web site. 

How can the media team up with 

youth?

Interview youth to get their perspectives on local 

events or policies affecting them

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Invite young people to write editorials

Dedicate a section of your publication or Web site to 

youth issues, and include interactive items like writing 

contests and opinion polls

Offer internships for middle or high school students 

and provide mentors for interns

Invite youth to brief reporters and give a fresh 

perspective on community issues

Initiate a column or a radio or TV spot written and 

produced by and for youth

Help start a youth-run publication or volunteer to 

advise a school paper or TV station

Conduct workshops on effective methods for 

working with the media for staff of community youth 

organizations

Help a local youth agency start a youth-produced 

newsletter or Web site

Sponsor a youth writing contest that youth help 

organize or judge

Hire youth reporters

Invite youth to participate on your advisory or 

editorial board 

Offer awards or scholarships for young writers and 

reporters

Offer grants for community and school projects that 

promote youth media

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Team Up With Youth!

A Guide for the Media

Appendix A
page 40

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Read all about it!

The Seattle Times’ NEXT is a forum for young people 

to voice their opinions and to communicate with each 

other. It has its own team of freelance writers, mostly high 

school and college students, and its own advisory board, 

made up of young people and veteran journalists. Every 

Sunday in The Seattle Times’ editorial section and every 

day online, NEXT features commentary, polls, and letters 

that take a smart, fresh look at issues important to young 

readers. Online at seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/next/.

YO! Youth Outlook is an award-winning 28-page 

magazine by youth in the San Francisco Bay Area, with 

a national distribution of 25,000. Featuring in-depth 

reporting pieces, first-person essays, comic strips, and 

poetry pages, YO! chronicles the world as seen by young 

people between the ages of 14 and 25. In addition, 

YO! has an online news service, a local-access weekly 

TV show called YO!TV, partnerships with local and 

national radio broadcasts, and an annual expo of youth 

communicators. YO! stories also run nationally and 

internationally over the Pacific News Service wire. 

Online at www.youthoutlook.org.

Represent is a bimonthly magazine written by and for 

young people in foster care. It has a paid circulation 

of 10,000 with subscribers in 46 states. Represent 

provides a forum for an open exchange of views and 

gives a voice to young people living in the foster care 

system. In addition, many adults, including social workers, 

group home staff, and advocates read the magazine 

to understand what foster youth are thinking and 

experiencing. The magazine is written by a core staff of 

15 young people, but accepts and receives submissions 

from across the country. Online at www.youthcomm.

org/Publications/FCYU.

Extra! Extra!

The following examples will give you ideas about how to 

involve youth in your work:

Newz Crew

www.newzcrew.org

Street Level Youth Media

www.street-level.org

The Freechild Project

www.freechild.org/youthmedia.htm

Youth Communication

www.youthcomm.org

Team Up With Youth! A Guide for the Media was developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) for the Family and 

Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services. For more information on positive ways to work with youth, please go to www.ncfy.com, or contact NCFY at (301) 608-

8098 or info@ncfy.com. Revised June 2006.
page 41

Why team up with youth?

Youth under age 18 can’t vote. But they can contribute 

to civic life, and many of them already have opinions 

about how to improve the services their local and 

State governments provide. To tap into the energy and 

passion of young people, a large number of local and 

State governments across the country are soliciting their 

opinions on everything from schools to homelessness to 

city planning. When youth have a say in local and State 

decisionmaking, they gain self-confidence, trust, and 

practical knowledge. 

Communities benefit when youth get involved. Adults 

who interact with young people on government councils 

or who see the positive things that youth can accomplish 

will be more likely to view young people positively and 

to listen to their needs. When communities empower their 

youth by giving them leadership opportunities, support 

from caring adults, and chances to make a difference, the 

communities in turn become safer, healthier, and better 

places to live.

How can local or State government 

team up with youth? 

Start a city or statewide youth council

Hold an annual local or statewide youth summit 

Appoint youth representatives to your school board, 

or organize a student advisory council for your 

public schools

Hold neighborhood meetings or “town halls” 

with youth

Establish an annual youth volunteering day or week

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Recruit volunteer or paid peer educators for 

community outreach programs

Appoint youth to community task forces

Create a grant program for youth civic engagement 

projects and involve youth in the grant review process

Invite young people to testify about bills that 

affect them

Invite young people to suggest ideas for new 

legislation

Organize regular forums for youth to communicate 

with police

Ask youth to join commissions studying issues that 

affect them such as education, violence, arts, health, 

poverty, recreation, and so on

Start a youth court in which juvenile offenders are 

judged by their peers, who act as judge, jury, 

prosecutor, and defense

Hire youth as poll workers during elections

A perfect union

In Nashville, Tennessee, members of the Mayor’s 

Youth Council are liaisons to a number of local 

boards and commissions related to health, transit, the 

arts, social services, parks and recreation, education, 

and libraries.

Since 1997, the city of Hampton, Virginia, has hired 

two part-time youth planners who work 15 hours a 

week after school and oversee youth-related aspects 

of the city’s comprehensive plan. For instance, in 

2001 the youth planners researched transportation 

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Appendix A

Team Up With Youth!

A Guide for Local and State Governments
page 42

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

options for young people. The city also has a 24-

member youth commission, which represents the 

ideas and opinions of Hampton’s young people. The 

commission also allocates funds to other youth groups 

and activities. 

The city of Hurst, Texas, sponsors a Youth in 

Government program in which 11 area students 

attend monthly seminars on youth and municipal 

issues and complete an independent project, under 

the guidance of a city council member.

Resources

Print

Collaborating To Promote Positive Youth Development. 

Author: National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth. In 

FYSB Update, May 2006. Available at www.ncfy.com

Political Empowerment at the Local Level: A Review 

of Youth Civic Engagement Efforts in 11 U.S. Cities. 

Author: Summer in the City Program. 2004. Available 

from the Council of U.S. Mayors at www.usmayors.org.

z

The Youth Involved Process. In Best Practices in Youth 

Development in Public Park and Recreation Settings. 

Authors: P. Witt and J. Crompton. 2002. Available 

from National Recreation and Park Association at www.

nrpa.org.

Web

Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, 

Academy for Educational Development

www.aed.org

Innovation Center for Community & Youth Development

www.theinnovationcenter.org

Institute for Youth, Education, & Families, National 

League of Cities

www.nlc.org/IYEF

National Conference of State Legislatures

www.ncsl.org

National Youth Court Center

www.youthcourt.net

National Youth Leadership Council

www.nylc.org

Team Up With Youth! A Guide for Local and State Governments was developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) 

for the Family and Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on positive ways to work with youth, please go to www.ncfy.com, or contact 

NCFY at (301) 608-8098 or info@ncfy.com. Revised June 2006.
page 43

The following leadership self-assessment contains 

questions under four sections: (a) leadership style, 

(b) leadership in relation to staff and board members, 

(c) leadership in relation to youth and community, and 

(d) leadership in action. Answering the following questions will help agency leaders contemplate their own 

leadership style. More important, they can begin to think 

about how to most effectively exercise their leadership to 

ensure that new youth policies meet the needs of young 

people and communities.

A. Leadership Style

Do I consider myself a leader or a manager, and how 

do I define those different roles?

What do I consider to be the key characteristics of a 

strong leader, and how many of those characteristics 

do I possess?

How do I define my leadership style, and through 

what means do I obtain feedback about how that 

style affects individual’s and the organization’s growth 

and success? 

How would I rate my willingness to continually rethink 

old processes and ideas?

What are my greatest fears when I think about collaborating with others (for example, loss of power, 

adverse effect on the agency or young people, time 

constraints)?

What methods do I use to handle my fear of loss 

of power or other personal fears when moving to a 

“power sharing” method of collaboration within or 

outside the agency?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

What would I be willing to give up (power, funding, 

credit) to ensure that youth received the best possible 

care in my community?

What is my learning style, and how does it differ from 

the learning styles of the people with whom I work 

most directly (staff, board members)? 

Do I worry about who will get the credit for a new 

idea or initiative within the agency or the community?

Am I willing to admit being wrong?

Do I view each mistake, mine and those of others, 

as opportunities to solve problems and create new 

systems?

Is my approach primarily reactive or proactive?

B. Leadership in Relation to Staff 

and Board

What decisions do I choose to involve staff in making, 

and what process do I use to ensure their full 

involvement?

How would staff and board members rank my willingness to involve them in continuously “reinventing” the 

organization to better serve youth and the community?

How open am I to 

accommodating the

different learning 

styles of others? 

What methods 

have I used to 

help my staff and 

board explore their 

learning styles?

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

1.

2.

3.

Leadership: A Self-Assessment

Appendix B
page 44

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

Do I continually ask questions of staff and board 

members, and do I really listen to their answers?

Do I use my mistakes as opportunities to model 

learning through experience with my staff?

Do I encourage my staff to take leadership on 

specific tasks?

Do I model proactive leadership with my staff 

or board?

C. Leadership in Relation to Youth 

and Community

What process do I use for periodically reviewing the 

organization’s mission statement to determine its continuing value and applicability to young people and 

the community?

What values, beliefs, and paradigms about youth and 

community do I hold? Which are important to me, 

and which am I willing to rethink?

What methods do I use to keep in touch with the 

changing needs of young people and the community?

What decisions do I choose to involve youth and the 

community in making, and what process do I use to 

ensure their full involvement?

How would youth and community members rank my 

willingness to involve them in developing new services 

or advocating for new policies?

Do I continually ask questions of youth and community 

members, and do I really listen to their answers?

4.

5.

6.

7.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Do I provide opportunities for youth and community 

members to take on leadership roles?

Do I model proactive leadership with youth or 

community members?

D. Leadership in Action

What actions have I taken recently to build my 

leadership capacity?

What actions have I taken recently to build leadership 

or management skills among my staff and board? youth 

and community members?

Do I have people upon whom I can rely to serve as 

an honest sounding board with regard to my new 

leadership ideas?

How often do I step back from my day-to-day work 

to reexamine the appropriateness of the organization’s 

mission and my effectiveness in leading the agency 

toward that mission?

How often do I schedule time for planning, both short 

and long term, and who do I include in the planning 

process?

What process do I use for planning?

What proactive steps have I taken in the past 6 

months to enhance the organization’s capacity to 

improve youth services and policy?

7.

8.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
page 45

The following questionnaire may be used by organizational leaders to begin assessing their organization’s 

readiness to implement a youth development approach to 

serving young people. The assessment tool contains questions under three sections: (A) organizational development, (B) programs and services, and (C) collaboration. 

A. Organizational Development 

What is the organizational vision or mission with regard 

to implementing a youth development approach? Who 

was involved in creating that vision or mission?

What has the organization done to ensure that all 

programs are based on a youth development rather 

than a problem-centered approach? 

What will be necessary to help staff and board 

members shift their thinking about youth from a “deficit 

based” to an “attribute based” approach?

What is the staff and board members’ understanding 

of the life development process, and what has the 

organization done to help them understand their own 

ongoing development?

How has the organization trained staff and board 

members about the adolescent development process?

What has the organization done with regard to examining conditions that exist within the community, how 

young people experience those conditions, and how 

negative conditions might be improved?

What has the organization done to remove the barriers 

to healthy youth development that exist within the 

neighborhood, community, and Nation?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

B. Programs and Services

Does the organization offer young people programs 

that do the following:

a. Provide a full range of services and opportunities?

b. Enable young people to develop new skills?

c. Teach personal life skills, such as problem solving, 

making decisions, setting and achieving goals, and 

creating and maintaining harmonious interpersonal 

relationships?

d. Connect young people to caring adults (non-staff) 

and then support those connections?

e. Support young people’s educational experience?

f. Provide academic and employment preparation 

and internships ?

g. Enable young people to consider and plan for 

their future?

h. Address the general problems of adolescence 

or specific difficulties without labeling youth 

as “troubled”?

i. Mix young people from 

various backgrounds?

j. Expose youth to new 

events, circumstances, 

opportunities, and 

locations?

1.

Implementing A Youth Development Approach:

An Organizational Assessment Questionnaire

Appendix C
page 46

Putting Positive Youth Development Into Practice

k. Teach young people about what to expect from, 

or how to handle, real-life situations such as 

planning for the future, getting married, having 

children, maintaining employment, developing 

hobbies or special interests, celebrating successes, 

or adjusting to loss?

l. Place young people in supported leadership 

positions through which they are exposed to the 

challenges and satisfactions of collaborating with 

others to explore options, make decisions, and 

achieve positive outcomes?

m. Connect youth to the community through special 

projects or linkages to on-going community efforts 

or activities?

Does the organization offer guidance to youth about 

how to take advantage of services and opportunities 

(provided through the organization, through other 

agencies, and in the larger community)?

How does the organization address young people’s 

need to take part in activities that are functional, 

educational, and fun?

What characteristics demonstrate that a youth development approach underlies program efforts?

How are the results of program efforts to support 

adolescent development measured and shared?

C. Outreach and Education

What is the prevailing youth policy (State or local), 

and how has the organization worked to inform the 

policy process with regard to youth development?

How has the organization worked with the community 

to create and communicate a vision of what is necessary for the positive development of young people?

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

How has the organization addressed the culturally 

based negative feelings about adolescents? How will 

it do so in the future?

How has the organization used the media to 

counteract the current projection of negative images 

about youth that shape public opinion and therefore 

public policy?

D. Collaborating with Other Youth 

Service Providers, Young People, 

and the Community

How does the agency collaborate with other youth 

service providers to develop strategies for moving toward a youth development approach to helping young 

people within the community? the State? the region?

How would other youth service providers characterize 

the agency’s contributions to improving youth policy 

and practice?

What has the organization done to truly involve 

youth, families, and community members in designing 

and evaluating programs and developing strategies for 

rebuilding communities?

What types of situations has the organization created 

in which young people are valued and included?

How will the organization help the community shift 

from thinking about youth from a “deficit based” to an 

“attribute-based” approach?

How will the organization help the community to 

understand and value adolescent development as part 

of a lifelong developmental process?

What real outcomes have resulted from the organization’s collaborative efforts in the past?

What real outcomes is the organization working toward 

through its current collaborative efforts?

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.
page 47

The American Youth Policy Forum www.aypf.org

America’s Promise www.americaspromise.org

Annie E. Casey Foundation www.aecf.org

Center for Youth Development and Policy Research www.aed.org/us/youth.html

The Child Welfare League of America www.cwla.org

Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth www.helpingamericasyouth.gov

Community Toolbox ctb.ku.edu/index.jsp

Family and Youth Services Bureau www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb

The Finance Project www.financeproject.org/TFPPubs.asp#Youth Development

Free Management Library www.mapnp.org/library

Innovation Center for Community & Youth Development www.theinnovationcenter.org

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth www.ncfy.com

National Conference of State Legislatures www.ncsl.org

National Network for Youth www.nn4youth.org

National Resource Center for Youth Development www.nrcys.ou.edu

National Service Learning Clearinghouse www.servicelearning.org

The National Youth Development Information Center www.nydic.org

National Youth Leadership Council www.nylc.org

Promising Practices in Afterschool www.afterschool.org

Urban Institute www.urban.org

U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Youth Services www.doleta.gov/youth services

Youth on Board www.youthonboard.org

YMCA of the USA www.ymca.net

YouthBuild USA www.youthbuild.org/publications.html

Internet Resources on Positive Youth Development