YDS TOOLS
-
The Formative Index is a compilation of program and organizational practices that helps guide and assess the structural changes sites can implement in adopting the YDS model.
-
The purpose of this toolkit is to provide some history, theoretical grounding, activities, ideas and resources for supporting or growing a “Youth Driven Space” (YDS) across the out-of-school time (OST) sector in the state of Michigan. The partnership between the Neutral Zone and the Michigan Afterschool Partnership (MASP) produced a YDS “Community of Practice” (CoP), a 7 month training series, consisting of one in-person and eight virtual sessions, attended by 18 individuals from across the state of Michigan. These individuals were introduced to the concepts of youth driven spaces by Neutral Zone staff and this toolkit represents one product of this CoP. MASP is excited to make this toolkit available to Youth Development Advocates (YDAs) across the state so that more youth can examine their intersecting identities, co-create spaces of belonging with adults, and use their agency to dismantle oppressive systems. Much of the content developed in this toolkit comes from a long standing partnership, started in 2010, between the Neutral Zone and the Weikart Center for Program Quality and Michigan State University’s (MSU) Community Evaluation Programs, Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship (formerly MSU’s Community Evaluation Research Collaborative).
-
Funded by the Edmund A. Stanley Jr. research grant from the Robert Brown Foundation, this Rubric is developed through a research study consisting of extensive literature view, a series of program observations, youth and adult interviews and focus groups to assess the practices of Youth-Adult Partnership (Y-AP) in various youth settings (i.e., school reforms, afterschool programs, camps, parks and recreation, youth participatory action research, etc.). Similar to the concepts of “youth-driven” and “youth civic engagement,” the Y-AP approach aims to increase youth voice and youth leadership in affairs that affect them and their communities.
The Rubric was conducted in partnership between The Neutral Zone and Michigan State University’s Community Evaluation Research Collaborative. It follows the framework of the article “The Psychology and Practice of Youth-Adult Partnership” (Zeldin, Christens, & Powers, 2013) to capture specific behaviors and social climates supporting the four critical dimensions of Y-AP:
authentic decision-making
natural mentors
reciprocity
community connectedness
Our goal is to provide a freely available assessment tool for professional development and program evaluation. You’re encouraged to download the fillable form and hit the “submit” button in the PDF file when you’re done.
Contact Dr. Jamie Wu at wuhengch@msu.edu or 517-884-1412 for more information.
-
The self-assessment survey is meant to help agencies explore their readiness and capacity for engaging in the adoption of YDS practices. A review of the readiness and assessment helps agencies recognize the strengths and challenges for adopting YDS practice. It also provides a tool for conversations both within the agency and with YDS training service providers.
-
This guidebook will help you to learn about the key ingredients for creating dynamic youth-driven programs for teens. Experiences show that one of the best ways to make a space youth-driven is to support a teen advisory council! The Guidebook is available for purchase from the Center for Youth Program Quality
Research Supporting YDS
-
Restorative practices and student voice play crucial roles in fostering a safe climate for students to thrive in school.
Many best practices around RP and student voice undergird the success, to date, that this work has in fostering a safe and thriving climate for students in their school. We learned some key lessons for strengthening school climate through student voice and restorative practice.
White, Annie M., and John Kenneth Weiss. "Safe, supported, and empowered." Phi Delta Kappan 104.4 (2022): 18-22.
-
This paper, from the Journal of Youth Development, aims to provide strategies for youth-serving organizations to maximize opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills within the out-of-school time program context. The sample includes 5 youth-serving agencies who participated in the Youth Driven Spaces This paperinitiative led by a Midwest program.
Wu, Jamie Heng-Chieh, et al. "Maximizing Youth Leadership in Out-of-School Time Programs: Six Best Practices from Youth Driven Spaces." Journal of Youth Development 17.3 (2022): 5.
-
This article provides data and insights from the historical foundations of Y-AP, community based research, and case studies. The authors propose Y-AP as a unifying concept, distinct from other forms of youth-adult relationships, with four core elements: authentic decision making, natural mentors, reciprocity, and commLink to Full Articleunity connectedness.
Zeldin, Shepherd, Brian D. Christens, and Jane L. Powers. "The psychology and practice of youth-adult partnership: Bridging generations for youth development and community change." American journal of community psychology 51 (2013): 385-397.
-
Engaging young people as partners in community change is a compelling idea, but translating that idea into effective practice requires focused attention to a range of issues. The principles described in this paper emerged from the commingling of research and practice that occurred when the Forum for Youth Investment merged with Community IMPACT! USA.
-
The Youth-Driven Space (YDS) program, funded by Youth Driven Space Pilot Final Evaluation. The Youth-Driven Space (YDS) program, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, was comprised of a coaching/training model implemented in eight youth-serving organizations in Michigan. The program was designed to increase the capacity of organizations serving high-school-age youth to develop youth 21st Century skills (or “soft skills”), including collaboration, communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership, by providing opportunities for youth to function within the management system of the organization. This evaluation report addresses the period between January 25, 2010 and December 31, 2011and includes a series of evaluation activities, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, and observations with youth, staff, administrators, and coaches.