Nancy Schaff
Department of Human Development
Cornell University
What is Community Youth Development?
Community Youth Development (CYD) is a concept that is gaining attention
among youth development professionals. It is being increasingly
recognized that the growth and well-being of youth and communities
is inter-connected. Community Youth Development is a movement that
is dedicated to improving the quality of life for and with communities,
families and youth. CYD focuses on harnessing the energy, creativity,
and dedication of both youth and adults to create systems and build
sustainable communities that fully engage young people in their
own development. The goal in CYD is to work with young people rather
than work on them - it is grounded in collaboration, as community
building requires opportunities for empowerment through learning
and strategies for reconnecting people of all generations and backgrounds.
Keys to successful CYD:
- Strong and continuous leadership
Credible culturally sensitive local lead agencies anchored in
the community
- Intermediaries with resources, credibility and neutrality to advance
a CYD agenda
- Focus on changing adult perceptions of and commitment to young
people
- Communities that are actively involved in dialogue with youth
Involvement on key public systems
Community Youth Development benefits youth and communities
Democracies thrive on engaged citizens. CYD encourages collaboration
to prevent the isolation of youth from civic values that hold us together
as a society. Young people need to be recognized as capable citizens
today, as well as provided opportunities to develop the skills and
qualities required for active citizenship throughout their lives.
Research shows that adults are more likely to be active in the community
if they were active in community organizations as youth. Civic development
needs to take place in the public world through participation over
time, and is best started early in life.
Our society has become increasingly age-segregated. CYD is a way
to break down the barriers between generations and gain from what
all citizens, including the young, bring to the table. Adolescents
are negatively affected by stereotypes and suspicions that are out
of line with reality. Most adolescents are engaged in positive activities
and wish to make a difference in their communities, while learning
and developing into caring, competent, and contributing citizens.
Constructive action and involvement increase the developmental assets
that youth possess, which in turn increase the likelihood that young
people will fully develop their potential.
What makes young people powerful catalysts for change? Young people
possess many attributes that are indispensable assets in a community
building process. They are enthusiastic, optimistic, energetic,
dedicated, eager to learn, creative, imaginative, oriented toward
social justice, connected to local places and people, less tied
to tradition than adults, and receptive to new ideas. Combined with
adults' experience, skills and knowledge, political realism, guidance
and support, institutional power, and access to resources, a partnership
between youth and adults makes a strong synergistic combination
for building community.
Examples of projects
Growing
up in Cities
Growing Up in Cities is a global effort to understand and respond
to questions about urbanization and whether cities can be positive
places for young people as constructive, contributing members of
a civil society. It is a collaborative undertaking of UNESCO and
interdisciplinary teams of municipal officials, urban professionals,
and child advocates around the world, working with young people
themselves to create communities that are better places in which
to grow up - and therefore, better places for us all. Growing Up
in Cities enlists the energy, ideas, and hope of young people to
evaluate their own circumstances, define priorities, and create
change.
Public Achievement
Public Achievement is an international youth initiative focused
on the most basic concepts of citizenship, democracy and public
work. It is a project of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship
at the University of Minnesota. Public Achievement draws on the
talents and desires of ordinary people to build a better world and
to create a different kind of politics. Public Achievement is anchored
in four core ideas:
- Everybody can do citizen work
- Power starts in you
- Citizenship isn't easy
- We learn by doing
Public Achievement is about discovery - about young people working
as citizens to discover how democracy empowers ordinary people to
do extraordinary things.
Teen Assessment Program
The Teen Assessment Program (TAP) is a unique university-community
partnership. TAP is a collaborative community process that facilitates
the building of a coalition focused on youth development. A local
steering committee is formed to develop a survey that meets community
needs and schools are invited to participate in a student survey.
The partnership ideally includes youth and results in actions taken
based on issues identified through the survey. TAP would be one
way to introduce a community youth development approach on the local
level. For more information contact Nancy Schaff, Department of
Human Development, Cornell University, nfw3@cornell.edu.
Additional Resources
CYD Journal
The journal's mission is to be a catalytic force in promoting youth
and adult partnerships; working to create just, safe, and healthy
communities; and influencing policymakers at the local, regional,
and national levels.
Community YouthMapping
Community YouthMapping (CYM) is young people and adults canvassing
their neighborhoods in search of places to go and things to do.
Simply put, CYM is data collection for young people, children and
families, by youth.
Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development
A wellspring for fresh ideas and experiential learning, a link to
new partners, and a catalyst for positive change in the way youth
development takes place - a network of youth and adult staff and
partners foster and strengthen the best thinking and practice in
the field.
National Civic League - Alliance for National Renewal
The Alliance for National Renewal is an intentional community of
civic leaders and community builders who collaborate to learn and
tell their stories to inspire creative problem solving, imitation,
and innovation in pursuit of democratic revitalization and the renewal
of civic life. ANR is in the process of working with a number of
partners to develop a civic youth culture initiative. A useful list
of youth projects is included.
Project for Public Spaces - Teens as Community Builders
A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people of all ages
create the kinds of places that build communities by telling stories
of youth who are doing positive things to improve their communities.
4-H Public Adventures Active Citizenship Project
4-H Public Adventures is a guide that can walk a group of youth
(with an adult coach) through the steps to plan and carry out a
meaningful community project. The project is designed for middle
school grades, but can be modified for older youth. Participants
gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be an active citizen
in a democracy and participate in building stronger communities.
For more information contact:
Nancy Schaff
Extension Associate
Cornell University
Department of Human Development
G-59 MVR Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-8130
nfw3@cornell.edu
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