Positive Youth Development in Education

Abstract

Positive youth development (PYD) is an approach to child and adolescent education that provides resources in the school and community to enable youth to reach their full potential and to flourish in a democratic society. The approach draws on various disciplines and legacies in its practices and approaches, ranging from school curricula to out-of-school activities that have long traditions, such as scouting and 4-H clubs. We take note of the philosophical tradition stemming from Aristotle that prioritized acquiring various virtues as the path to human happiness and how virtues of justice, temperance, courage, and prudence are the focus for many present-day programs under the umbrella of PYD. We review the dominant theories of PYD as well as school programs that have been developed to encourage PYD, including social-emotional learning, character education, civics education, and service learning. We also examine the effects of out-of-school programs on PYD outcomes. We conclude with the prospects for PYD and the challenges that remain for its future development.

Musical participation and positive youth development in middle school

“…Participation in extracurricular activities in schools predicted scores on School Connectedness. This is not surprising, given earlier research that links extracurricular activities to student positive experiences in schools (e.g., Eccles and Barber, 1999 ; Romer and Hansen, 2021 ). Music liking also predicted scores on SC, which could possibly be explained by student emotional regulation through music listening ( Saarikallio and Erkkila, 2007 ; McFerran et al, 2019 ) and identity work ( North and Hargreaves, 1999 ; DeNora, 2002 ; Miranda, 2013 ; Lamont and Hargreaves, 2018 ).…”

“…It was also interesting that students in the INOUT and COMB groups scored higher for Competence than VMSME students. Competence refers to positive views of one’s actions in social, academic, cognitive, and vocational areas ( Bowers et al, 2010 ), including agentic and adaptive decision-making skills ( Romer and Hansen, 2021 ). This finding does not come as a complete surprise if we consider the novelty of the VMSME program.…”

“…Adolescents who manifest the Five Cs over time are more likely to make contributions to society (i.e., the sixth C), and are also less likely to be on a life journey that is marked by risk and problem behavior ( Bowers et al, 2010 ). While PYD does not postulate happiness as one of its goals, the development of the 5Cs is “consistent with the acquisition of habits that lead to happiness in the eudaimonic sense” ( Romer and Hansen, 2021 , p. 84).…”

Building resilience now and for the future: Adolescent skills to address global challenges

“…A range of high‐tech, medium‐tech, and low‐tech technologies are being exploited in an attempt to reach the most marginalized students and teachers (e.g., Hennessy et al, 2022; Lynch et al, 2022). Educational development agendas that are centred on youth, and created with and by students (and teachers), are being promoted (Romer & Hansen, 2021). It is through efforts at all levels of the ecosystem (home, school, community, national and international policy) that education systems in LMICs can also build resilience to respond to future shocks—and ensure sustained support for all young people in times of crisis.…”

Management of Behavior Problems at School

“…2020) Behavioral development is an educational approach for children and adolescents that provides resources in schools and communities to enable youth to reach their full potential and thrive in a democratic society. (Romer and Hansen 2018) Social support is essential because it meets students' need for interconnectedness and attention. Academic support is also essential, as it supports their need for competence.…”