©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. The Forum for Youth Investment Impact Strategies, Inc. Washington, DC ©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Bringing Principles into Policies: Taking the Youth Development Movement to the Statehouse

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. The Paradigm Shift: Establishing New Principles Phase I

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Addressing youth problems is critical… Positive Development Primary Prevention High Risk Treatment But, problem free is not fully prepared. Broaden the Goals : Beyond Prevention

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Preparation Participation Power Sharing …Even Beyond Preparation But, young people need to be fully engaged. Better preparation is critical... Primary Prevention High Risk Treatment

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved.  Cognitive  Social/Emotional  Physical  Cultural  Civic  Vocational  Moral/Spiritual Core Functional Areas Broaden the Outcomes: Beyond Academics

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Core Functional Areas Behavioral Outcomes  Competence  Character  Connection  Confidence  Contribution …and Beyond Competence

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Core Functional Areas Outcomes Inputs  Services, Supports, Opportunities  People, Places, Possibilities  The 5 Resources  The 40 Assets Broaden the Inputs: Beyond Services

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Core Functional Areas Outcomes Inputs Pathways Across Settings Over Time Broaden the Strategies: Beyond Programs to Pathways for Development Good programs are not enough, especially for young people who cannot see a clear and positive future. Pathways are essential.

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Institutions & Communities Families Youth Remember the Contexts in Which Development Happens SPACESPACE TIME

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Broaden the Evidence Base: The National Research Council Affirms Youth Assets Personal & Social Assets that Facilitate Youth Development  Physical development health habits, risk management skills  Intellectual development life skills, vocational skills, school success, critical thinking, decision-making, navigation  Psychological & emotional development good mental health, positive self-regard, self-regulation, coping skills, autonomy, time use  Social development connectedness, sense of place, attachment to pro-social institutions, navigate cultural contexts, commitment to civic engagement

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. NRC Features of Positive Developmental Settings  Physical & psychological safety  Appropriate structure  Supportive relationships  Opportunities to belong  Positive social norms  Support for efficacy & mattering  Opportunities for skill-building  Integration of family, school & community efforts

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Broaden the Assumptions: Beyond Youth as Recipients Fixing Youth Problems Preventing Youth Problems Promoting Youth Preparation Promoting Youth Participation Promoting Youth as Problem Solvers

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Cognitive Social/ Emotional Physical CulturalCivic Moral/ Spiritual Vocational Basic Functional Areas Competence Confidence Character Connections Contributions Desired Outcomes Services Supports Opportunities Key Community Inputs Clear PATHWAYS for success Pathways Problem Reduction Prevention Preparation Participation Toward Full Engagement ADDING IT UP: Building Blocks of Youth Development

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. The Policy Shift: Assessing the Adequacy of Supports and Opportunities Phase II

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Making Mandates Out of What We Know about Children & Youth  Young people need & deserve supports & opportunities throughout their waking hours.  Young people deserve early & sustained investments throughout at least the first two decades of life.  Young people need investments & involvement to help them achieve a broad range of positive outcomes from academic to physical to civic. (This requires a steady focus on protection, prevention, preparation & participation within each area.)

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Putting Shape to What We Know: Defining Developmental Space From their earliest years until their twenties, children, teens & young adults awaken every morning looking for people to talk to, places to go & things to do that will help them feel that they matter. This is a developmental imperative. Times of Day Outcome Areas Age This is developmental space

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Schools Fill Some, “After-School Programs” A Bit More

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. A Hodgepodge of Other Programs Fills the Rest of the Space for Teens & Young Adults Diversion Prevention Youth Development Youth Employment Service Recreation Enrichment

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Youth, families, peer groups Schools & training organizations Youth-serving organizations Media/entertainment Faith-based organizations, CBOs Businesses Libraries, parks, recreation departments Community-based health & social service agencies Law enforcement, juvenile justice Who Is Responsible for Filling the White Space? ? ? ?

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. All of Us. None of Us. It is a truism that it takes a village to raise a child. But in the U.S., the villagers rarely come together to take stock of their efforts. When General Powell and America’s Promise challenged the country to provide every young person with five fundamental resources, communities had no idea how many resources their young people commonly had. There are no mechanisms to track the quality or even quantity of support young people receive across systems. All children and youth are worse off because of this, but it is especially problematic that the supports offered to low-income teens just don’t add up to what they should.

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. The Dangers of Not Adding Things Up  A false sense of accomplishment Busyness is not the same as effectiveness. There are many, many policies, programs and initiatives addressing youth problems &, to a lesser extent, supporting preparation & participation. But these efforts are not evenly distributed within & across sub-populations.  Unchecked support for narrow interests Our chronic inability to ask what all of our efforts add up to suggests that there are reasons why no one really wants to know. Need arguments can be made for almost any program or policy if they are made in a vacuum.  Unleveraged resources in scarce times Our growing inability to help all young people succeed, despite rhetoric to the contrary, suggests that communities & states have no choice but to call the question: Are we doing the best that we can by all of our youth?

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. It Is Time to Call the Question  There has been too much talk & not enough action in the youth fields.  It is time to decide not only that every child counts & every dollar counts but that every opinion, every meeting, every report, every evaluation counts.  It is time to bring discipline & direction to meandering discussions about how to support young people’s growth & development.  This doesn’t necessary mean more planning, but it does mean more precision.

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Questions Are the Wonder Drug  Seek Clarity  Surface Tensions  Share strategies  Shape agendas  Scrutinize policies

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved.  Learning school achievement, basic skills  Thriving physical, behavioral health/risks  Connecting social/emotional well-being  Working employment & career experience  Leading civic & community engagement Lock in Commitments to Improving a Linked Set of Outcomes

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Promote a Youth Policy Dashboard, Not Just a Report Card Cars are Complicated Drivers Monitor their Progress by: Odometer Speedometer Fuel Gauge Octane Distance Traveled Rate of Speed Quantity of Fuel Quality of Fuel Quantity of Services, Supports & Opportunities Quality of Services, Supports & Opportunities Rates of Growth (indicators) Age of Young Person Children are More Complicated Communities Should Monitor Policies by: + + +

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Define Outcomes Across the Age SpanSAMPLE Developmental Areas Early Childhood (0-5) Elementary Age (6-10) Middle School (11-14) High School (15-19) Young Adults (20-24) Learning (Basic and Applied Academics) All Young Children Ready to Learn All Children Developing Basic Skills and Competencies All Youth Are Succeeding in School All Young People Are Fully Prepared for Higher Education or Work All Young Adults Enter Workforce or Higher Ed With Marketable Skills Thriving (Physical Health) All Young Children Fully Immunized All Children Meet Physical Standards for Developmental Age All Youth Develop Proper Nutrition, Hygiene, and Exercise Routines All Youth Are Engaged in Physical Activity and Avoid Risk- Compromising Behaviors All Young Adults Have Good Health and Health Habits Connecting (Social/Emotiona l Well-Being) All Young Children Have Appropriate Attachment to a Significant Adult All Children Have Positive Self Awareness, and an Ability to Express Themselves All Youth Engage in Socially Acceptable Behavior and Have a Healthy Self-Concept All Young People Have a Sense of Independence as Well as Positive Relationships With Those Around Them All Young Adults Foster Personal and Social Growth in the People In Their Lives Working (Vocational Career Experience) All Young Children Have Awareness that Adults Work All Children Have Positive Attitudes Towards The Employment of Adults in Their Lives All Youth Are Aware of Possible Career Paths that Give Them Hope and Purpose All Young People Make a Successful Transition to Adulthood All Young Adults Are Employed With a Living Wage And Benefits Leading (Civic and Community Engagement) All Young Children Feel Supported By a Community Around Them All Children Accept Rules and Social Boundaries All Youth Demonstrate Attitudes and Behaviors of Civic Responsibility All Young People Are Involved in Programs to Give Back All Young Adults Are Making a Difference in Their Community

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Define the Full Range of Indicators For Each Age Group (Shown for Year-Olds)SAMPLE DEVELOPMENTALAREAS DEVELOPMENTALAREAS GEARS Protecting/ Punishing PreventingPromotingParticipating Learning (Basic and Applied Academics) % of Students Who Are Not Enrolled in School % of Students Who Skipped Or “Cut” Classes or School Days in the Last Three Weeks % of Students Achieving at Grade Level % of Students Actively Involved in Service Learning Programs Thriving (Physical Health) Rates of Youth Deaths% of Youth Who are Overweight or Obese, Have STDs, Use Tobacco or Illicit Substances, or Binge Drink. % of Youth Reporting Regular Exercise, Healthy Diet, and Reproductive Health % of Youth Who are Active in Programs to Promote Physical Health Among their Peers Connecting (Social/ Emotional Well-Being) Suicide Rates% of Youth Who are Reported to be Sad, Unhappy or Depressed % of Youth Reporting “Adults in My Community Care About People My Age,” and “Students in my School Treat Each Other With Respect” % of Youth Serving as Peer Tutors and Counselors Working (Vocational and Service) Number of Youth in Hazardous and Illegal Working Conditions Unemployment Rate Among Year Olds % of Youth With Workplace Skills% of Youth Engaged in Workplace Activities Leading (Civic and Community Engagement) Number of Violent Juvenile Arrests Per 100,000 Juvenile Population % of Youth Who Report Physical Fighting % of Youth Who Participate in One or More Community Organizations % of Year Olds Voting

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Check the Fuel Tanks: Monitor Inputs across Systems DEVELOPMENTALAREASDEVELOPMENTALAREAS SYSTEMS Child Welfare EducationHealth and Human Services EmploymentJuvenile Justice Community Based Organizations Learning (Basic and Applied Academics) Promotion Thriving (Physical Health) ProtectionPrevention Connecting (Social/ Emotional Well- Being) ProtectionPreventionPromotion Working (Vocational and Service) Promotion Leading (Civic and Community Engagement) Protection/ Punishment Participation

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Mix the Fuel: Analyze Mix of Inputs from Each System (Education System Shown, High School Ages Shown)SAMPLE DEVELOPMENTALAREASDEVELOPMENTALAREAS GEARS Protecting/ Punishing PreventingPromotingParticipating Learning (Basic and Applied Academics) Ending Social Promotion Remedial Education Academic Courses Active Learning Thriving (Physical Health) Reporting Suspected Abuse Sexual Education School Clinic Physical EducationTeam Captains Connecting (Social/ Emotional Well- Being) Reported Suspected Neglect CounselingStudent ClubsPeer Tutors Working (Vocational and Service) Workers Rights ClassRemedial EducationVocational Education Career Awareness Community Internships School-To-Career Leading (Civic and Community Engagement) Expulsion Policies for Dangerous Youth Conflict Management Training Civics EducationStudent Council Service Learning

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Harmful Minimal Optimal Physical and Psychological Safety Physical and health dangers, fear, feeling of insecurity, sexual and physical harassment, verbal abuse. Safe and health-promoting facilities; practice that increases safe peer group interaction and decreases unsafe or confrontational peer interactions. Appropriate Structure Chaotic, disorganized, laissez-faire, rigid, overcontrolled, autocratic. Limit setting, clear and consistent rules and expectations, firm-enough control, continuity and predictability, clear boundaries, and age-appropriate monitoring. Supportive Relationships Cold, distant, overcontrolling, ambiguous support, untrustworthy, focused on winning, inattentive, unresponsive, rejecting Warmth, closeness, connectedness, good communications, caring, support, guidance, secure attachment, responsiveness Opportunities to Belong Exclusion, marginalization, intergroup conflictOpportunities for meaningful inclusion, regardless of one’s gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disabilities; social inclusion, social engagement and integration; opportunities for socio-cultural identity formation; support for cultural and bicultural competence. Positive Social Norms Normless, anomie, laissez-faire practices, antisocial and amoral norms, norms that encourage violence, reckless behavior consumerism, poor health practices; conformity Rules of behavior, expectations, injunctions, ways of doing things, values and morals, obligations for service Support for Efficacy and Mattering Unchallenging, overcontrolling, disempowering, disabling. Practices that undermine includes motivation and desire to learn, such a excessive focus on current relative performance level rather than improvement Youth-based, empowerment practices that support autonomy, making a real difference in one’s community, and being taken seriously. Practice that is enabling, responsibility granting, meaningful challenges. Practice that focus on improvement rather than on relative current levels Opportunities for Skill Building Practice that promotes bad physical habits and habits of mind; practice that undermines school and learning. Opportunities to learn physical, intellectual, psychological, emotional, and social skills; exposure to intentional learning experiences; opportunities to learn cultural. Integration of Family, School, and Community Efforts Discordance, lack of communication, conflictConcordance, coordination, and synergy among family, school, and community Check the Octane: Do the Places Where Young People Spend their Time Really Support Their Growth? Quality Counts

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved.  Broaden the goals: beyond prevention  Broaden the outcomes: beyond academics  Broaden the inputs: beyond services  Broaden the strategies: beyond programs  Broaden the settings: beyond schools  Broaden youth roles: beyond recipients  Broaden accountability: beyond lists & promises Promoting Youth Development: A Quick Summary of Ideas

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Successful children remind us that children grow up in multiple contexts – in families, schools, peer groups, baseball teams, religious organizations… – and each context is a potential source of protective factors as well as risks… Lessons from Resiliency Research – Masten and Coatsworth, The Development of Competence in Favorable and Unfavorable Environments…, 1998

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. – Masten and Coatsworth, The Development of Competence in Favorable and Unfavorable Environments…, 1998 Development is biased toward competence, but there is no such thing as an invulnerable child. If we allow the prevalence of known risk factors for development to rise while resources for children fall, we can expect the competence of individual children and the human capital of the nation to suffer.

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Getting There from Where We Are Saturating neighborhoods with effective & sustainable services, supports & opportunities can only be achieved if communities :  Strengthen infrastructures for coordinating, managing, delivering, monitoring & sustaining efforts  Create a climate conducive to action for & with young people.

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Clarify the message: what, why, how, for whom? Counter negative perceptions of youth Connect to popular issues, institutions & strategies Build vocal, savvy constituencies Build sustainable local intermediaries Monitor resources, outputs & outcomes Define & strengthen public & private delivery systems Saturate neighborhoods with solid supports & opps Strengthen & interpret the evidence base Recognize What It Takes Saturate neighborhoods… Strengthen infrastructures… Create a climate for action…

©2002 The Forum for Youth Investment/Impact Strategies, Inc.. All rights reserved. Realize the Power of Young People