Course Description
This course provides students with an overview of youth development premises, principles and practices that will serve as a theoretical and practical framework for building quality programs that aim to help develop, not “fix,” young people. Students will be introduced to the history of youth development and the context from which current practices emerge, core competencies necessary for all youth workers, and the services, opportunities and supports that contribute to positive developmental youth outcomes. Course content will also include an overview of adolescent development, building cultural competence and methods of empowering youth to become active members of their communities. This course follows the nationally accepted Advancing Youth Development training which is based on curriculum from the Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, Academy for Educational Development and the National Network for Youth. (3 credits)
Recommended Prerequisites
- ASE 255: Introduction to After School Care and Education
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- PSY 101: Psychology
- SOC 101: Sociology
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of youth development as both a framework and a service model.
- Begin to examine and assess their own professional competencies and identify strategies for improvement.
- Demonstrate an understanding of developmental youth outcomes and varying views on necessary youth competencies.
- Distinguish between supports, services and opportunities.
- Develop programmatic structures and interventions that promote positive youth development.
- Articulate different dimensions of adolescent development and assess developmentally appropriate approaches and practices, particularly in relation to youth engagement and leadership.
- Evaluate their own cultural perspective and gain skill in working with a diverse youth population.
- Apply knowledge of the model to developing strategies designed to increase youth participation and leadership opportunities within the context of community.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of program evaluation and gain competency in assessing program success based on youth development indicators and outcomes.
- Demonstrate an introductory level of familiarity with issues such as youth involvement in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems, gender specific needs and/or working effectively within funding/contract guidelines.
General Education Outcomes (GEOs)
Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 34% |
Written Papers (Weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) | 36% |
Midterm Project (Week 4) | 15% |
Final Paper (Week 8) | 15% |
Total | 100% |
Please refer to the Grading Rubric under the Policies section of the course for a complete outline of the grading value system.
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's online bookstore
- Coleman, John C. The Nature of Adolescence, 2011. 4th edition. Routledge N.Y. Publishing. ISBN-10: 0-415-56420-4 or ISBN-13: 978-0-415-56420-5
Additional Resources
- Week 1
- Article - Key Principles
- Slideshow - The Power of Developmental Assets
- Week 2
- Document - CT Afterschool Network, Best Practice Guidelines
- Article - Intro to Youth Voice
- Video - Empowerment Through Youth Councils
- Week 3
- Slideshow - Fecteau Consulting, Ages and Stages PowerPoint
- Week 4
- Article - Parenting Styles
- Slideshow - Fecteau Consulting, Youth Voice PowerPoint
- Week 5
- Document - Structural Racism and Youth Development
- Document - The National Afterschool Association, Code of Ethics
- Week 6
- Document - Core Competencies for Afterschool Educators
- Week 7
- Issue Brief - The Links between Program Participation and Students' Outcomes: The Redwood City Community Schools Project
- APT Assessment Tools (located in course in Course Documents section)
- Week 8
- Article - Prison to Pipeline Graphic (located in course in Course Documents section)
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 1, 2 | Introduction to Youth Development Premises, Principles, and Practices: Moving from a Traditional Service Delivery Model to a Youth-Centered Model
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2 | 3,4 | Additional Youth Development Principles: Achieving Outcomes Utilizing Services, Supports and Opportunities
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3 | 6 | Understanding the Context: Adolescent Development, Multiple Intelligences and Youth Engagement
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4 | 5,8 | Opportunities for Growth: Youth Participation, Leadership and Communities
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5 | 7 | Cultural Competence, Adultism and Ethics |
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6 | 2 | Assessing Youth Workers: Core Competencies and Putting Theory into Practice
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7 | 9 | Evaluating Effective Youth Development Programming
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8 | 10 | Additional Issues: Challenges Facing Youth and Youth-Serving Organizations
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.