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Positive Youth Development

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The goal of Positive youth development or PYD is to develop multi-faceted programs that help kids grow into mature and successful adults. Karen Pittman, a renowned veteran in youth work, is credited with coining the motto of the PYD field: "Being problem-free is not the same as being fully prepared."

Common goals of PYD programming include:

• Promoting positive relationships with peers
• Emphasizing youths' strengths
• Providing opportunities to learn healthy behaviors
• Connecting youth with caring adults
• Empowering youth to assume leadership roles in programs
• Challenging youth in ways that build their competence

NCSL's publication, Positive Youth Development: State Strategies, discusses this new approach and addresses some of the challenges states may face when incorporating it into their state policies. 

Organizations - Over the past 20 years, PYD has gained support and publicity from youth workers, researchers, advocates and policy makers. Various organizations help communities or programs assess the quality of their services for youth while others offer expertise in designing and building programs. Some organizations have defined the youth assets necessary for healthy development (good decision-making skills, good health habits, school success, etc.) and then created assessment tools to gauge how individual youth are supported.

• The National Youth Development Information Center provides information about youth development to national and local youth-serving organizations.
• 4HUSA.org has emphasized a PYD approach in their programming for many years.
• The Forum for Youth Investment is a research organization that supplies policy makers and advocates with information focused on youth and PYD.
• The Search Institute offers extensive research and technical assistance on its 40 developmental assets.

Research - Researchers from various fields, including education, early childhood development, developmental psychology, and adolescent development, have begun to formalize the ideas behind PYD. Policy makers are establishing and tracking youth outcome indicators to better gauge the effects of programs on the positive development of youth. Compilations of successful programs and their key elements are also beginning to surface.

• Community Programs to Promote Youth Development is a report produced by the National Research Council evaluating PYD programs.
• Positive Youth Development in the United States: Research Findings on Evaluations of Positive Youth Development Programs is a report produced by the University of Washington (under contract with DHHS). The report identifies 25 programs that address some PYD elements and that are based on well-designed experimental studies.

 Back to the Youth Program main page

For more information regarding youth issues, please contact Finessa Ferrell in the Denver office at 303.364.7700 or cyf-info@ncsl.org or either Sheri Steisel or Lee Posey in the D.C. office at 202.624.5400 or fedhumserv-info@ncsl.org.

NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.