Approaches to the Development of Character Proceedings of a Workshop (2017) / Chapter Skim
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5 Developing a High-Quality Staff
5 Developing a High-Quality Staff
Pages 51-62
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From page 51... ...
Deborah Moroney of the American Institutes for Research explored research on the characteristics of the workforce that serves in out-of-school youth programs and offered ideas for building their capacity to support positive development. Noelle Hurd of the University of Virginia, Rob Jagers of the University of Michigan, and Mary Keller of the Military Child Education Coalition offered their perspectives on the role of culture and context in the development of supportive relationships between young people and program staff.
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From page 52... ...
Never theless, the question of whether positive youth development is the same thing as social and emotional learning or character development is an important one, Moroney noted, and her answer is "yes and no." Studies demonstrate that high-quality youth programs can support positive development, but in her view those that aim specifically to develop character or social and emotional learning goals must take additional intentional steps. Such steps fit well into the missions of high-quality out-of-school programs, she explained, but the character-related learning goals must be explicit parts of the mission -- and staff must be well prepared to pursue them.
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From page 53... ...
In addition to hiring and supporting a qualified and well-prepared staff, programs need to support the staff in developing strong relationships with young people, and design ways for each young person to practice and build skills and to take on leadership roles in activities that engage them. "If these things are in place," Moroney continued, "young people will have the experiences that really are the catalyst for developing social and emotional competencies." Seeing young people make this sort of progress, she added, is a prime reason highly qualified workers stay in the field.
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From page 54... ...
She said she hopes program leaders and staff will recognize that whatever conceptual focus is adopted -- such as character education or social and emotional learning -- the mission of positive development is one that has always been part of the reason out-of-school youth programs exist. "Many youth workers' eyes glaze over when they hear about another ‘new thing,'" Moroney commented, "and we need to make sure this is not another new thing." New ideas about how to support young people's positive development should contribute to the way staff think about all the activities and strategies they already pursue, not replace them.
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From page 55... ...
CULTURE, CONTEXT, AND SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS The three discussants offered their perspectives on how culture and context influence the relationships youth program staff develop with young people, the goals adults have for this work, and how programs can use these insights to strengthen their work. Developing Supportive Adult–Youth Relationships Adolescents are becoming independent, learning to differentiate themselves from their parents, and exploring adult models they might emulate, noted Noelle Hurd.
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From page 56... ...
The concept of critical consciousness, she continued, is an educational tool through which educators engage young people in thinking critically about social and historical influences that shape their own circumstances, such as long-standing social and economic inequities and oppression of minority populations. The opportunity to work in partnership with trusted adults in advocacy or activism for a cause in which they have a shared commitment can be an invaluable learning experience, Hurd pointed out.
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From page 57... ...
Youth development programs aim to build on young people's strengths, Hurd noted, and this is also particularly important for programs that serve marginalized youths. Young people in challenged communities can derive long-term benefits when a trusted adult helps them to identify strengths in their own character, as well as assets in their homes and schools.
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From page 58... ...
Social scientists view culture as primarily subjective, he pointed out. He defined culture as the themes and orientations that shape collective norms, beliefs, values, and behaviors, and noted that these themes influence individuals and their relationships, as well as societal institutions.
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From page 59... ...
Military Children Mary Keller used the example of military children to focus on the challenges that face highly mobile children and the ways youth programs can support them. There are currently approximately 2 million children whose parents are serving in some way in the armed forces, she noted.
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From page 60... ...
She closed with the hope that programming and other supports for military children will continue to reflect the complex understanding of social and emotional learning and character development discussed at the workshop. DISCUSSION Many comments addressed the differences between and overlap among the ways researchers have framed the objectives of building character or helping young people develop in a positive way.
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From page 61... ...
They help researchers understand how their ideas function in practice and they also empower practitioners to think more broadly about what they are doing. Other comments focused on the risk that youth programs designed to build character strengths may reinforce social conformity.
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From page 62... ...
62 APPROACHES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER impacts on equity. Another participant followed up on this point by noting the power funders have in determining what is best practice and what ideas will be supported.
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