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The Youth Development Handbook
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The Youth Development Handbook
Coming of Age in American Communities

Edited by:

October 2003 | 424 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

"In recent years, the fields of psychology and human development have focused growing attention on issues of positive youth development. . . . This volume provides a tool that can be used by researchers, practitioners, and policy makers alike to build collective efforts to enhance the well-being of youth. . . . Professor Hamilton is one of the most respected scholars in the country. There is no doubt in my mind that this volume will not only make a significant contribution in the field, but more important, that it is a volume that will be utilized across disciplines and professions."

—Francisco A. Villarruel, Michigan State University

"The conceptualization and comprehensiveness are excellent. The book also deals with a newly emerging and exciting field and hence is at the forefront of research, policy, and practice. . . . a useful resource."

—Lonnie Sherrod, Fordham University

"Both timely and potentially very useful…nothing nearly as inclusive as this youth development handbook now exists."

—John Kretzmann, Northwestern University

"A handbook like this is a good idea because of the interest in communities and colleges in this topic and because of the number of programs being developed targeted at adolescents. . . . I believe the book will serve as a useful reference for scholars, policy makers, and program development specialists. . . . There are no other comparable resources that focus on exemplary programs and community development issues."

—Philip Newman, University of Rhode Island

 

What are the types of environments in which youth thrive? How do we cultivate such environments to promote optimal development and positive behavior in youth? The Youth Development Handbook: Coming of Age in American Communities provides youth and development practitioners access to current theory and research in the field of youth development, including illustrations of good practice, original case studies, and a contextual approach to such topics as youth participation and diversity.

 

Because youth practitioners typically identify themselves with one or more contexts, such as youth-serving organizations or faith-based organizations, editors Stephen F. Hamilton and Mary Agnes Hamilton have arranged the book so that each chapter explores the application of youth development principles to its context, drawing on current research. Part I of the book is organized around contexts in which adolescents grow up, such as schools, workplaces, families, peer groups, youth-serving organizations, faith-based organizations, recreation groups, juvenile courts, health clinics, neighborhoods, and cyberspace. Part II addresses broader issues such as evaluation, funding, and community-wide initiatives and the concluding chapter identifies themes that cut across contexts, including mentoring, universal vs. targeted approaches, and evidence-based practice.

 

Features of this volume:

  • Chapters written expressly for the book by established scholars committed to learning from the field and making research useful to practitioners in everyday life.
  • Rather than a "how-to" guide, the book is a source of information and ideas for use in planning programs, training practitioners, and understanding the perspectives of partners in community collaborations.
  • Original case studies provide illustrations of good practice in working with youth to optimize growth and development in varied settings such as the family, school, youth organizations, and workplaces.
  • Serves as both a useful reference and as a "state of the art" account of youth development as a field.

 

The Youth Development Handbook is designed for scholars and researchers in applied developmental science as well as practitioners and policy makers who implement youth development initiatives. The book is also recommended for use in graduate courses on youth development in the fields of Psychology, Human Development & Family Studies, and Education.


 
Foreword
 
Preface
 
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT?
Stephen F. Hamilton, Mary Agnes Hamilton (both of Cornell University), & Karen Johnson Pittman (Executive Director, The Forum for Youth Investment)
1. Principles for Youth Development
 
SECTION ONE: PROCESSES & PRACTICES IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CONTEXTS
Sarah Deschenes (Stanford University), Morva McDonald (University of Maryland), & Milbrey McLaughlin (Stanford University)
2. Youth Organizations: From Principles to Practice
Geoffrey L. Ream (Cornell University) & Peter A. Witt (Texas A&M University)
3. Organizations Serving All Ages
William H. Barton (University of Indiana)
4. Bridging Juvenile Justice & Positive Youth Development
Richard Kreipe (University of Rochester), Sheryl A. Ryan (University of Rochester & Rochester General Hospital), & Susan Seibold-Simpson (University of Rochester)
5. Youth Development & Health
Jerome Ziegler (Cornell University)
6. Can High Schools Foster Youth Development?
Mary Agnes Hamilton & Stephen F. Hamilton (both of Cornell University)
7. Designing Work & Service for Learning
Catherine P. Bradshaw & James Garbarino (both of Cornell University)
8. Using & Building Family Strengths to Promote Youth Development
Michael J. Karcher (University of Texas at San Antonio), Bradford B. Brown (University of Wisconsin-Madison), & Douglas W. Elliott (Cornell University)
9. Enlisting Peers in Developmental Interventions: Principles & Practices
Ray Swisher & Janis Whitlock (both of Cornell University)
10. How Neighborhoods Matter for Youth Development
Jane D. Brown, Rebecca Schaffer, Lucila Vargas (all of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), & LaHoma S. Romocki (Director of Communication, Family Health International)
11. Popular Media Culture & the Promise of Critical Media Literacy
 
SECTON TWO: ACTION STEPS
Kathleen A. Dorgan & Ronald F. Ferguson (Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, JFK School of Government, Harvard University)
12. Success Factors in Community-wide Initiatives for Youth Development
Charles V. Izzo, James Connell, Michelle Alberti Gambone, & Catherine P, Bradshaw
13. Understanding & Improving Youth Development Initiatives through Evaluation
Glenda Partee (President, American Youth Policy Forum)
14. Understanding the Lay of the Land: Strategies for Funding Youth Development Programs
Stephen F. Hamilton & Mary Agnes Hamilton (both of Cornell University)
15. Implications for Youth Development Practices

"In recent years, the fields of psychology and human development have focused growing attention on issues of positive youth development. . . . This volume provides a tool that can be used by researchers, practitioners, and policy makers alike to build collective efforts to enhance the well-being of youth. . . . Professor Hamilton is one of the most respected scholars in the country. There is no doubt in my mind that this volume will not only make a significant contribution in the field, but more important, that it is a volume that will be utilized across disciplines and professions."

Francisco A. Villarruel
Michigan State University

"The conceptualization and comprehensiveness are excellent. The book also deals with a newly emerging and exciting field and hence is at the forefront of research, policy, and practice. . . . a useful resource."

Lonnie Sherrod
Fordham University

"Both timely and potentially very useful…nothing nearly as inclusive as this youth development handbook now exists."

John Kretzmann
Northwestern University

"A handbook like this is a good idea because of the interest in communities and colleges in this topic and because of the number of programs being developed targeted at adolescents. . . . I believe the book will serve as a useful reference for scholars, policy makers, and program development specialists. . . . There are no other comparable resources that focus on exemplary programs and community development issues."

Philip Newman
University of Rhode Island
Key features
  • Chapters were written expressly for the book by established scholars and practitioners with experience in and commitment to learning from the field and making research useful.
  • Although not a "how-to" guide, the book nevertheless provides a font of ideas for use in planning programs, training practitioners, and understanding the perspectives of partners in community collaborations.
  • Original case studies provide illustrations of good practice in working with youth to optimize growth and development in varied settings: the family, school, youth organizations, workplaces, etc.
  • Serves as both a useful reference and an account of the "state of the art" of youth development as a field.

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