Green Corps, Young Australians for the Environment, is an Australian Government youth development and environmental training program for young people aged between 17 and 20 years. Green Corps provides young people with the opportunity to volunteer their time and effort to conserve, preserve and restore Australia's natural environment and cultural heritage. See: http://www.greencorps.gov.au/
Work undertaken by the initiative wrapped up in August 2002. The archived AUSYOUTH website (online at The Source) describes some of its activities and provides the full set of publications produced by Ausyouth for easy download.
Outcomes for Participants in Youth Development Programs: A report of a three-year longitudinal study carried out by the Australian Youth Research Centre
A report on the outcomes for participants in youth development programs in Australia was launched earlier in March at the National Conference on Volunteering in Melbourne. The project began in late 2001, and the report is the result of a three-year longitudinal study carried out by the Australian Youth Research Centre, which was contracted by the Australian Government to undertake the research. The study examined the benefits of youth development programs, including the range of practice models used to produce effective outcomes for young people in terms of both their self-development and their connection with the community. The study also explored students' expectations of youth development activities, their attitudes and skills, and how these change over the period of their participation in the programs.
The study found that young people who participate in youth development programs acquire skills, knowledge and confidence, and develop teamwork skills. It also found that the youth development programs which were most effective were those which involved 'hands-on' activities and work for the community. Programs that demonstrated a partnership between the school and the provider, and allowed young people to participate in planning, achieved the best outcomes.
There are two versions of the final report:
1.
'Doing Positive Things: "You have to go and do it": Outcomes for Participants in Youth Development Programs' presents the findings succinctly, and is available both in hard copy and online.
2.
'Technical Report: Outcomes for participants in youth development programs' is available online only. It includes a fuller description of the project methodology and a more detailed analysis of data.
Note that to obtain a hard copy of this report, contact the Youth Bureau in Canberra, email bob.griffiths[AT]facs.gov.au or phone him at: (02) 6212 9419. [Text modified 11 November 2006].
For download options see: http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/content/development_programs.htm
Source: Youth Field Xpress, March 2006, and update, April 2006.
This is a youth development program which provides South Australian secondary school students with the opportunity to get involved in their local communities as they participate in a range of exciting challenges that promote self-reliance, self-confidence and community service. The active8 program is based on partnerships between community organisations and education sites to provide young people with local program activities which reflect the needs of the young people and the communities in which they live. More at: http://www.officeforyouth.sa.gov.au/ (navigate to: youth development)
Youth development best practice, and school retention
In 2005, the South Australian Office for Youth issued a survey for those involved in programs aimed at keeping young people engaged, or re-engaging young people in school, training or work. They were researching and documenting world best practice in youth development programs, with particular emphasis on how the programs impact on school retention. Contact Amanda Putrus, Graduate Officer, Office for Youth, ph: (08) 8207 0641, fax: (08) 8207 0661, email: amanda.putrus AT dfc.sa.gov.au. See: http://www.officeforyouth.sa.gov.au/"
In North America, there are many excellent youth development organisations:
National Youth Development Information Center
This USA organisation provides current news to the youth development field.
The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), a 30-year old organisation, is a coalition of the National Human Services Assembly member organisations that have a significant interest in youth development. Members of the National Collaboration for Youth include more than 50 USA non-profit, youth development organisations. The mission of NCY is to provide a united voice as advocates for youth to improve the conditions of young people in America, and to help young people reach their full potential.
Forum for Youth Investment
USA researcher Karen Pittman, executive director of this organisation, has written extensively on youth development.
Search Institute is famous for its theory of there being 40 Developmental Assets®, which are concrete, common sense, positive experiences and qualities deemed to be essential to raising successful young people.
UK report on Positive Youth Development
(Source: Youth Field Xpress, March 2008)
Interest in Positive Youth Development (or PYD) in England and the United Kingdom has grown in recent years. The first systematic exploration of the key features of PYD for an audience in England has been published by the UK's National Youth Agency. The NYA's 'Children and Young People Now' online magazine reports that a youth development model has provided theoretical underpinning for a number of recent initiatives, such as the Department of Health's Young People's Development Project, and has influenced the UK's 10-year 'Aiming High' strategy for positive activities. However, there have been "limited reviews" of the international evidence of what actually constitutes "Positive Youth Development". Unlike deficit-oriented approaches, PYD focuses on the factors all young people need in order to lead a healthy life. These protective and resiliency factors involve "identifying and promoting developmental benchmarks, including social, emotional and moral competencies, a sense of identity and self-efficacy and opportunities for pro-social involvement". The NYA's report, 'Evidence of the impact of the 'youth development model' on outcomes for young people: A literature review' (http://tinyurl.com/228dyl) highlights six rigorously evaluated programs and their outcomes and assesses their effectiveness. The NYA research applies the PYD approach to current policy development in England and reflects on the difference that the youth development model would make if it were fully adopted. A blog debate on the strengths and weaknesses of the model can be found at: http://community.cypnow.co.ukYouth service
Overseas, the concept of "youth development" is sometimes included within the concept of national "youth service". Many countries of the world have models of youth service programs involving their young citizens in serving their communities or their country as a whole, in civilian settings. Examples abound in India, Africa and Europe, as well as the Americas.
This kind of youth service has been defined as a sustained form of voluntary service by youth in civilian settings. For more on this concept, see the research undertaken by the Innovations in Civic Participation, or ICP, a "think tank" on global youth service.
ICP are organising the 8th Global Conference on National Youth Service will take place from 19-22 November 2008 at the Fondation des Etats-Unis in Paris, France. The conference will be hosed by International Association for National Youth Service (IANYS) secretariat, and by Innovations in Civic Participation in partnership with Unis-Cité and the (USA) Association of Voluntary Service Organizations. The conference will include IANYS members and other professionals in the field of youth civic engagement from across Europe and around the world.