The youth development
approach is predicated on the understanding that all young people
need support, guidance, and opportunities during adolescence, a
time of rapid growth and change. With this support, they can
develop self-assurance in the four areas that are key to creating
a happy, healthy, and successful life:
-
A sense of
competence: being able to do something well
-
A sense of
usefulness: having something to contribute
-
A sense of
belonging: being part of a community and having
relationships with caring adults
-
A sense of
power: having
control over one's future
If these factors are
being addressed, and basic needs are being met (food, clothes,
health care, safety, and security), young people can become
fully-prepared to engage constructively in their committees.
To learn more about how
your community can promote positive youth development, check out the
resources on youth development
available through the Web site of the Family and Youth Services
Bureau (FYSB). FYSB
is a Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
You also may link below to a statement of principles for the positive development of
America's youth that was collaboratively developed, and is supported,
by a broad range of Federal agencies, non-profit organizations, advocacy organizations,
intergovernmental associations and others. (A complete list of supporting
organizations is at the end of the brochure.)
The statement of
principles, "Toward a Blueprint for
Youth: Making Positive Youth Development a National Priority"
is available in HTML and
Adobe Acrobat. (To view the Adobe Acrobat version of the
brochure, you must first download and install the free Acrobat
Reader.) The brochure also is available in Spanish
in HTML. (El folleto también esta disponible en español en
HTML.)