Positive Youth Development Resource Manual:
Purpose: To provide user-friendly materials to educate community groups about positive youth development with the ultimate goal of facilitating organizational and community change. The content of the manual is based on ACT for Youth's seven years of working closely with diverse NYS community partnerships, and ongoing review of research and training resources in the youth development field.
Structure: This online manual includes training activities with instructions/facilitation tips, handouts, brief power point presentations and references to other resources. The manual is divided into six themed sections. Section 7 provides resources, references and an addendum of energizers. Sections include:
- Section 1: What is Positive Youth Development?
- Section 2: Positive Youth Outcomes
- Section 3: Youth Involvement
- Section 4: Youth Development in Care Settings
- Section 5: Effective Youth Development Programming
- Section 6: Community Involvement and Collaboration
- Section 7: References and Resources
How to Use the Manual: Choose and combine activities according to audience and goals. This is not a standard curriculum that mandates a certain sequence of activities; the manual was intentionally created to be flexible depending on your goals and interests. The recommendations given are suggestions based on actual training experiences. We have tried not to duplicate existing training materials, and have listed other available resources (via reference or web link). Some of the PowerPoint presentations include facilitator notes, however, these notes are not visible until you download the files to your computer.
Citation and credits: Please feel free to use some or all of this manual as needed/appropriate for your youth/community group, however please cite the manual as: Dotterweich, J. (2006) Positive Youth Development Resource Manual. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, ACT for Youth.
Contact: Jutta Dotterweich at jd81@cornell.edu for more information.
Complete YD Manual
Jutta Dotterweich
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Download the complete text and handouts for the Positive YD Manual here. Powerpoint presentations must be downloaded from sections 1-6 listed below.
Section 1: What is Positive Youth Development?
1.1. Positive Youth Development: What Do Young People Need to Thrive?
Handouts: Handout 1.1A , Handout 1.1 B, Handout 1.1C
PowerPoints: From Traditional Youth Srvcs to Positive YD, Community Groups and Organizations
Reading Material: Principles of Youth Development
1.2 Positive Youth Development: Origins and Principles
Handouts: Handout 1.1A, Handout 1.2A, Handout 1.2 B
PowerPoint: Positive Youth Development
Section 2: Positive Youth Outcomes
2.1 Adolescent Development
Handouts: Handout 2.1A, Handout 2.1B, Handout 2.1C, Handout 2.1D
PowerPoint: Adolescent Development
2.2 Adolescence – Positive Outcomes
Handouts: Handout 2.2A, Handout 2.2B
PowerPoints: 5 C's, Environmental Settings
2.3 Positive Youth Outcomes
Handout: Handout 2.2B
PowerPoint: 5 C's
2.4 Building on Strengths
Handouts: Handout 2.4 A, Handout 2.4B
PowerPoint: What are Strengths/Based Approach?
2.5 A Typical Day – 24 Hours in the Life of a 9th Grader
Handouts: Handout 2.5 A, Handout 2.5 B
PowerPoints: Long-term Commitment, Out of School Data
Section 3: Youth Involvement
3.1 Meaningful Roles for Young People
Handouts: Handout 3.1A, Handout 3.1 B, Handout 3.1C,
3.2 Youth Involvement: A Challenging Notion!
Handout: Handout 3.2
3.3 Benefits of Youth Involvement
Handout: Handout 3.2
3.4 Organizational Roadblocks to Youth Involvement
Handouts: Handout 3.4, Handout 3.1C
3.5 Recruiting, Preparing and Retaining Young People
Handouts: Handout 3.5A, Handout 3.5B, Handout 3.5C, Handout 3.5D, Handout 3.4, Handout 3.5E
3.6 Preparing Adults for Youth Involvement
Handouts: Handout 3.6 A, Handout 3.6B, Handout 3.6C
PowerPoints: Adultism, Adult Allies
3.7 Youth Adult Partnerships
Handouts: Handout 3.7, Handout 3.2, Handout 3.5E, Handout 3.6B, Handout 3.6C
PowerPoint: Ladder of Youth Participation
Section 4: Youth Development in Care Settings
4.1 Struggles and Strengths
Handouts: Handout 4.1A, Handout 4.1B, Handout 4.1C
PowerPoint: Resiliency
4.2 Fostering Resilience
Handouts: Handout 4.2 A, Handout 4.2 B, Handout 4.1C
PowerPoints: Consequences of Labeling, Personal Strengths, Nuturing Resiliency
4.3 Resiliency Strategies
Handouts: Handout 4.3 A, Handout 4.3 B, Handout 4.2 A, Handout 4.1B
PowerPoints: Emma and Kathy, Nurturing Resiliency, Resiliency Strategies
Section 5: Effective Youth Development Programming
5.1 Best Practice Strategies in Youth Development Programming
Handouts: Handout 5.1A, Handout 5.1B
PowerPoint: Features of Effective Youth Development Strategies
5.2 Feeling Safe – Creating Safe Environments
5.3 Checking Stereotypes and Cultural Assumptions
Handout: Handout 5.3
PowerPoints: Manifestations and Interventions
5.4 Intentional and Engaging Youth Activities
Handouts: Handout 5.4A, Handout 5.4B, Handout 5.1B
Powerpoint: Program Atmosphere/Activity Type
Resource: YALPE - Youth Adult Leaders for Program Excellence
5.5 Engaging Young People Effectively
Handout: Handout 5.5
5.6 Experiential Education and Service Learning
Handouts: Handout 5.6A, Handout 5.6B, Handout 5.7
PowerPoints: Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle, Simplified Learning Cycle
5.7 Engaging Older and Marginalized Young People
Handout: Handout 5.7
PowerPoint: Youth Civic Engagement
5.8 Integrating Youth Development into Organizational Practice
Handouts: Handout 5.8 A, Handout 5.8 B, Handout 5.8 C, Handout 5.8 D
Section 6: Community Involvement and Collaboration
6.1 It Takes a Community...
Handouts: Handout 6.1A, Handout 6.1B
PowerPoint: Community Groups and Organizations
6.2 Knowing Your Community
Handout: Handout 6.2
6.3 Asset Based
Handouts: Handout 6.3A, Handout 6.3B
PowerPoints: Community Needs and Assets
6.4 Involving Businesses
Handouts: Handout 6.4A, Handout 6.4B, Handout 6.4C, Handout 6.4D, Handout 6.4E
PowerPoints: Business Roles, Involving Business
6.5 Understanding Collaboration
Handouts: Handout 6.5A, Handout 6.5B, Handout 6.5C, Handout 6.5D
PowerPoints: Collaboration Continuum