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Listen to thisI am currently completing my Child and Youth
Work program in college and working on an assignment about TRENDS within
the CYW/CYC field... I am wondering what Professional CYWs would say
trends have been over the past few years?
Thanks
Samantha Soares
...
There is research on this
topic which I thought I had handy but I'll try to give the gist of it by
memory.
It's important to understand that in the past most youth programs were
designed to fix a problem. There was a target population and we
tried to fix the problems they had. Thus the detention center, the
pregnant girl's program etc. Then people became really interested
in the prevention of these problems again with a similar target
population. We thought we could save lots of money and time this
way. The research backed it up. Every prevention dollar
saves about 10 dollars later, I believe. Something like that.
So you have the creation of the term "at risk kid" and programs to help
them stay "on the right track." Very recently, people began realizing
that if they worked with this "at risk population" in setting goals and
achieving them, then we could achieve even greater outcomes. We
are no longer focused on problems and prevention of them but on future
goals and success. Many youth clubs can help and it is important
to have many options available to kids in the community as possible.
The important distinction is that we are not focused on problems but on
goals and how to reach them.
That population had better
success in all outcomes according to the research. Now we are at a
place, where we realize that ALL KIDS need to be engaged in identifying
and achieving goals. Each individual (and society in general)
achieve even greater outcomes with that approach, especially if it
includes developmental outcomes instead of just achievement outcomes.
This is loosely how I recall what I've read. I can tell you that
there still many places out there that just focus on the problem.
I drove past an agency today called "Mi Kids" (mentally ill kids in
distress). There is one in Tucson called, "The Center for the
Disturbed Child". Those are not agencies that are following the
current trend (although to be fair, I know nothing of them but their
name) which is to look at the whole person not for their problems
but in terms of their goals. The current trend is to ask how do we
help them move a little further down their path? It is
non-judgmental, non-inflictive of our beliefs and values and provides a
safe, supportive "space" for them to learn and grow. Last, we help
all kids, we don't see a difference between kids who are "problems" and
those that are "not problems." They are one in the same.
I will just add there are many programs that fall across the whole
evolutionary spectrum of youth programming. I would say you could
utilize the latest trends is any of them. Good Luck to you!
Here is an article by Karen Johnson Pittman, Merita Irby, Joel Toman,
Nicole Yohalem, Thaddeus Ferber, (Preventing Problems, Promoting
Development, Encouraging Engagement, March 2003 The forum
for youth investment):
http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/files/Preventing%20Problems,%20Promot
ing%20Development,%20Encouraging%20Engagement.pdf
Alfonso Ramirez, Jr.
...
I would like to second what
Alfonso wrote about focusing on strengths and the prevention approach,
as opposed to looking at deficits and solving problems.
There is a program in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada called the Youth in
Care Newsletter Project. This is the philosophy behind this project
which has been very successful for 10 years in helping youth in care
identify personal goals and develop the social, emotional,
communication, and employability skills they will need in order to
achieve their goals, while providing a very supportive environment
enriched by peer mentoring.
The "tangible" outcome of this initaitive is an annual newsletter, "The
Voice", made up of the youths' writings and illustrations. It's very
empowering for them to have this venue which encourages and develops
self-exploration and creative self-expression as well as literacy
skills.
A description of this program and all of the editions of "The Voice" are
avaiable on the Newsletter Project web site:
www.youthnewsletter.net
Regards,
Andrew Safer
St. John's, Newfoundland
