Youth Development Insight

Facilitating acculturation for immigrant youth

2013-03-15T17:30:02Z

Unless you have had a similar experience, it may be difficult to understand the everyday lives of immigrant youth.

Imagine Ana for a moment. She is a 14-year old girl who moved to the US from Guatemala over a year ago. These days she feels exhausted by the amount of energy she pours into her daily life. Especially in school, she feels lonely because of seemingly insurmountable language barriers. Her experience is also mixed with feelings of accomplishment that come with living in a new culture. She finds relief in her relationships with people around her.

]]> Perhaps you can relate to Ana's experience of adjusting to life in a new country or place. This phenomenon is called acculturation. For immigrant youth, acculturation is a pervasive part of life and it is one experience almost all immigrant youth have in common. Watch this 12-minute award-winning video entitled "Immersion" for another view into immigrant youth experiences.

Educators and people working in the field of youth development have opportunities to play critical roles in immigrant youth lives. Learning about acculturation is a starting point. This knowledge can help practitioners build sensitivity and bolster their ability to employ culturally responsive practices.

I have been researching the experience of acculturation for more than 10 years. In one study, I talked with immigrant girls about the adults who played supportive roles in their lives. Hearing their stories greatly impacted the way I think about relationships practitioners can have with youth. Here are some excerpts from the interviews. Here a girl described adults at her school who were particularly helpful:

Not all of them. Yeah just the ones who know the, who understand the difference. The difference between coming here and living here. They are the only ones who understand the culture maybe, but, at least that there is a difference in cultures. They make all the difference in school for me. It helps so much, having them there.

The educators she is talking about saw a difference and recognized the role of culture in life. In race relations, color blindness is an attitude whereby race is treated like an insignificant factor that does not affect people. A comparative term -- culture-blindness -- could be applied in cases where the uniqueness of being an immigrant is disregarded. This girl described adults who were sensitive to differences, comforting, and attentive to her individuality.

Another girl talked about how one educator worked with her through language issues:

And then, I just kind of, got to know the teacher, and he was nice. And so I asked him for help. And he said, "Yes, whenever, whenever you want, you ask me for help, and I will help you. If you want to stay after school, I will stay with you." And yes he is a nice teacher, yeah. And he speaks like Italian and those languages and so he, he told me, "It is okay that you speak to me in Spanish because I am going to try and understand you because I have some Italian and French and those are similar to Spanish. So I am going to try and understand you." And so, yes, he is nice.

That educator was an initiator. He reached out to this young person, encouraging her to ask her questions in Spanish while he took responsibility for understanding her. Think of the amount of time this student spent in classrooms struggling to understand what others were saying. With that special educator, the opposite occurred when he gave her the opportunity to relax in her first language.

Are you an initiator? What approach do you take? I am interested in knowing about your practices in working with immigrant youth.

Jennifer A. Skuza, PhD, assistant dean

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Tips for building right-brain skills for 21st century thinking

2012-11-14T21:53:04Z

As we explore what it takes to thrive in the 21st century, it is hard to ignore the growing amount of literature that suggests the right side of the brain is needed more than ever. Right-brain abilities - artistry, empathy, design, big-picture thinking, creating something that the world didn't know was missing -- are hard to outsource or automate and in high demand in workplace and community settings. Left-brain abilities -- the logical, linear, analytical, spreadsheet kind of skills -- are important but not sufficient for success.

So what does this have to do with the field of youth development? The answer is that it is directly related.

]]> Our field plays an important role in helping young people to gain 21st-century learning skills and abilities to thrive in a global world. Here are some tips for building right-brain abilities through the learning environments found in youth programs.

Critique the learning environment

With youth take time to critically reflect on the types of activities in the program. Ask age-appropriate questions that informally assess the learning environment, such as "How are we learning?" "Does this program promote right and left-directed thinking" and, if so, "How?" "What do we need more of, less of, or the same?" Make time to pause, reflect and adjust.

Cultivate creativity in design

Do youth have a role in the design of their learning experience? Promoting this role can tap the natural curiosity, creativity and imagination that youth possess by fueling their motivation for learning.

Create stories

Listen to youth as they tell their stories. Then, work together to create a collective story about the program that allows youth to see them themselves as part of that narrative and an important force in moving that narrative forward. This provides an opportunity for youth to develop big-picture thinking skills and to see how their contributions matter.

Do not interrupt

Youth have the ability to concentrate; they simply need space and time to do it. So, avoid interrupting their concentration with misplaced questions such as "What are you learning", "What are you doing?" and "Why are you staring off to space?" Wait for them to come to you. I know this is a hard one, but giving youth space to concentrate will reinforce their natural tendency to learn, while building autonomy.

Play more

Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. In youth-driven play, young people practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.

Dig deeper

An important thing for one to learn is the capacity to recognize embedded assumptions and challenge them. So encourage youth to discover their assumptions in life, challenge premises, and bring false premises to the surface. Use reflective methods such as reading, writing, dialogue, discussion, role play and simulations. This can be a liberating experience of discovery that not only builds critical thinking skills but also artfully creates new meanings in life.

Build empathy

Empathy is commonly defined as identifying with and understanding another's situation, feelings, and motives. Build empathy into everyday programming by modeling it, reinforcing it among relationships, and encouraging this avenue over snap judgments or apathy.

The environments in high-quality youth programs are ideal for fully engaging youth in whole-mind thinking by learning through what interests them. Think about your own practice. What right- and left-brain directed skills do you use in your everyday practice and how do they influence the work you do?

Jennifer A. Skuza, PhD, assistant dean

Olympic spirit: Motivation for inclusive learning environments

2012-08-08T17:00:49Z

All eyes are on London this summer for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games. Like many people across the globe, I find the Games to be so inspiring. I am particularly drawn to the Olympic spirit of diversity and inclusion and that same spirit motivates me in my youth development profession.

In fact, each time I build a youth program, I ask myself this question: How can I build an inclusive learning environment? We know from research that programs serve youth best when the learning environments in which they function are intentionally inclusive. But the word inclusive can be rather hollow if you are not sure how to apply it. Here are some tips to consider when building inclusive learning environments.

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Mind your own language

The way we speak about young people reflects our attitudes and influences what youth programs can achieve. Use language that honors youth. Phrasings such as doing things with youth, rather than for or to youth show that you value young people and that you do not view them merely as recipients of programs or problems to be fixed. According to Nicholson, Collins and Holmer, collaborative language can lead to stronger youth-adult relationships.

Talk about culture and race

Developing a positive identity is especially challenging for youth who are marginalized in society, but marginalization affects all youth -- and all people for that matter. So, in everyday programming, go ahead and discuss culture and race, and invite youth to critique and reject negative stereotypes. Also, help youth to find adults who acknowledge, rather than dismiss, the emotional impact of "isms" or other destructive encounters. To learn more about these types of conversations, watch this video of Beverly Tatum, a psychologist and the president of Spelman College, about her book Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race.

Create a sanctuary

At a minimum, a learning environment in a youth program can be a refuge from slurs and oppressive actions about race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, body size and shape, and other common forms of discrimination against young people. At best, the environment provides a safe and supportive space within which to positively develop one's identity as a person separate from those negative influences according to Chang et al. So, co-create a safe environment with youth that affirms the identity of each young person, is a sanctuary from discrimination, and is a place where youth can thrive in developing a strong sense of self.

Create a youth-centered atmosphere that is embraced by the community

A youth-centered environment where young people feel embraced by the community distinguishes successful programs from others that do not view young people as the most important stakeholder. Young people thrive when we listen to them, respect them as contributors and leaders, and engage with them in meaningful investment in the community. So work with youth to build authentic community-based programs and the learning environments in each will naturally reflect the diversity of the community.

There are many more practices to consider. The art of building inclusive learning environments is a perpetual process of improvement. Here are few resources you may be interested in exploring: Teaching Tolerance, Reclaiming Youth International, Intercultural Communication Institute.

What do you do to build inclusive learning environments? What resources have you used?

While you are thinking about that here is an Olympics trivia question: What does YOG stand for?

Answer: YOG is an acronym for Youth Olympics Games. The games are for young people ages 14-18. They are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events. The first such event was held in Singapore in August 2010 and the next will be held in Nanjing, China in 2014.

Jennifer A. Skuza, PhD, assistant dean

Can learning make people happy?

2012-03-07T18:00:00Z

Do you ever get involved in something so deeply that nothing else seems to matter, and you lose track of time? If you answered yes to that question, then you have experienced flow.

Flow describes a sense of effortless spontaneous action that people feel in moments that stand out as some of the best in their lives. The concept stems from the seminal research of Mihály Csikszentmihalyi.

]]> He found that most people are happy when they are in that state of flow - a state of concentration or complete absorption in the activity at hand. Athletes call it "being in the zone." Artists and musicians describe it as being passionately focused on their creative work. Children experience it when they are fully engrossed in their play.

What does flow have to do with learning? Well, the experience of flow can serve as a magnet for learning -- that is, a draw for developing new levels of challenges and abilities. The learning environments found in youth work can offer prime opportunities to foster flow. Csikszentmihalyi identified a number of factors that accompany the experience.

I have taken eight of those factors and described them in the context of youth work practice to provide some ideas on how to build learning environments that support flow.

Clear Goals
Flow is most often achieved when goals have been set by youth themselves, and are achievable and measurable.

Focus
In a relaxing and engaging environment where they can focus, youth may also develop persistence, which comes when they are given time to practice endurance. In our well intended rush to give youth answers and to provide an efficient learning experience, adults deny youth the vital opportunity to explore long enough to find out the answers for themselves.

Loss of self-consciousness
Youth often feel as though they are surrounded by an invisible audience. Concerns such as how youth look to others or how well they measure up to others' expectations will rob them of flow. So, incorporate methods or curricula that help youth bolster their self-esteem and shape a strong sense of self.

Direct feedback
In flow, youth know how well they are doing in real time. This can happen in a variety of ways. Adults or peers could give youth clear and immediate feedback on their performance. Eventually youth can learn how to judge the quality of their own performance and improve by seeking out resources for themselves.

Altered sense of time
Youth have the innate ability to become so absorbed in an activity or topic that fascinates them that time seems to stands still. Equally they can turn off quickly when they decide something is boring. Adults can ruin youth learning processes by rushing them through too much material, in too short a time, and by not giving them the chance to relate a new idea to their earlier experiences.

Ability, balanced with challenge
Anxiety can set in if an activity is too challenging. Boredom can be experienced if the activity is not challenging enough. Apathy can occur if both challenge and ability are too low. Gradually increasing both ability and challenge will help youth experience flow.

Control
It is important to feel in control of an activity. In this case, control is the confidence that comes from having the self-knowledge to predict what you can do because you have prepared for the activity.

Intrinsically rewarding
Flow cannot be imposed or rewarded with artificial recognition. Rather, it stems from an inner joy that comes from being engaged in an activity. Help youth find their internal motivation by creating vibrant learning environments that allow for sparks to emerge.

Do you see a relationship between happiness and flow? Do you see youth experiencing it? Could an emphasis on flow serve as a magnet for learning?

Jennifer A. Skuza, PhD
Extension professor and program leader, educational design & development

How do young people learn? We don't exactly know

2011-11-02T17:00:30Z

A number of researchers have argued that youth are a distinct group of learners compared with children and adults, yet surprisingly little research has been put forth on the experience of youth learning. Most research on learning has focused on either children or adults; and adult learning principles misguidedly remain the core philosophy for most educators and youth workers who work with youth audiences.

As stated by Knud Illeris, youth learning is "...a gradual transition from the uncensored, trusting learning of childhood to the selective and self-controlled learning of adulthood". Research on the experience of youth learning is important because it could provide a foundation for understanding how young people learn.

]]> Of the studies that do exist, Choy and Delahaye indicate that when they study for exams, youth commonly use a surface approach to learning, a form of scanning that is usually absent of reflection, because formal education conditions them to do so. However, given a choice, youth prefer nonformal, less structured learning. This reveals a contradiction between how youth are usually taught to learn and how they prefer to learn.

Youth want a relational level of understanding -- to relate their learning to their everyday lives, rather than abstract thinking, according to Choy and Delahaye. Relational learning is often facilitated with an approach that begins with a concrete experience, followed by reflection, abstraction, and application as found in Kolb's learning theory.

Choy and Delahaye's findings suggest some interesting implications for us to explore. For instance, thinking about the role that youth work can play in shaping youth learning and recognizing that the less structured learning environments found in many youth programs are exactly the environments in which youth WANT to learn. We have a unique advantage because the environments found in many youth programs are unbound by the rules and expectations faced by schools and have the freedom to bring about nonformal and relational learning with the flexibility to consider all influences on a young person's learning.

Similar to Dana Fusco's point in a previous blog post, youth work is a developmentally responsive practice that has the ability to respond to youth needs in real time. We are uniquely positioned to understand the inner workings of youth learning and to help identify learning principles to guide practice.

Along with some colleagues, I am working on a study that is focused on describing the experience of learning of youth, with hopes of spurring future research geared toward identifying youth learning principles. What have you observed? Do you see value in identifying youth learning principles to help guide our youth work? Are you interested knowing more about how youth experience learning?

Jennifer A. Skuza, PhD
Extension professor and program leader, educational design & development

Ideal learning environments: An impossible dream?

2011-06-15T17:22:04Z

Is it possible to build the ideal learning environments described by the thinkers in our field? Or is it better to strive for a "happy medium" between theory and the realities of practice?

Now and then I like to dust off and reread literature that shaped my thinking. Milbrey McLaughlin's report, Community Counts: How Youth Organizations Matter for Youth Development influenced my thinking on how to build intentional learning environments and put into perspective the value of community.

]]> McLaughlin says that the most powerful learning environments are intentionally youth-centered, knowledge-centered, and assessment-centered and reflective of the community they are in.

McLaughlin constructed a theory of ideal learning environments focused on youth, knowledge, program assessment and reflective of the community. It is hard to find fault with these ideals:

Youth-centered
Learning environments are effective when young people know that they matter and that they are central to what happens in the program. So it's important for youth workers to build on youth strengths, reach out to young people in the community, involve youth in the selection of materials, and provide personal attention to each young person in the program. It's hard to argue with this. But is it possible to be youth-centered all the time? Is it ever necessary to veer off this center?

Knowledge-centered
Knowledge-centered learning environments motivate youth and contribute to their development by having concentrated programs that aim to deepen skills and competence through intense engagement in a specific subject. They point to learning as the reason why youth should get involved. These environments have a clear focus, high-quality content and instruction/facilitation, and embedded curriculum. If you are like me, you probably took a deep breath after reading that description -- not all youth are drawn to a program to learn. So, how can youth workers build knowledge-centered learning environments that attract young people with a wide range of reasons for participating?

Assessment-centered
Youth workers need to know the impact of their program on the lives of young people. Last week, Sam Grant discussed evaluation in program design. Equally important, youth need to know the progress they are making in their learning based on their own standards. The experiential learning process can be used to help youth reflect critically and apply new knowledge and skills. Youth workers who use cycles of planning, practice, and performance can help young people find their own rhythm within the program. Feedback and recognition methods can help youth know when they excel. Using a variety of assessment techniques brings new, relevant and challenging learning to the youth. But where is the balance between assessment and other priorities?

Reflecting the community
Community learning environments are usually informal, which helps youth to relax enough to "get into" the learning without the anxiety they sometimes experience in school. Therefore, it is important to conduct programs in community and/or bring community into the program by inviting family, agency partners, and other caring adults into the program planning and implementation processes. For some young people, youth-serving organizations serve as a primary source of relationships and support. An environment rich in community resources can help youth build social capital. Finding natural ways to build community into a learning environment requires resourcefulness on the part of the youth worker. What is sacrificed in a program if the learning environment does not reflect the community?

But reality sometimes gets in the way of reaching our ideals. Do you aspire to McLaughlin's ideals, or different ones? How can we build learning environments that best support the growth and development of young people?

How do you balance your ideals with the realities of practice?

Jennifer A. Skuza, PhD
Extension professor and program leader, educational design & development

Don't let borders get in the way of learning

2011-02-23T18:00:40Z

Cultural education is an important part of preparing youth to thrive in a global world. Today's youth have greater opportunities for interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds and world views than previous generations have had. These opportunities might be seen as obstacles to effective interaction and learning if youth are not equipped with the cultural abilities to bridge these differences and reap the tremendous value rooted in intercultural interactions.

The nonformal learning environments found in many youth programs are ideal places to nurture this cultural learning. Unbound by the rules and expectations faced by schools, they have the potential to be relaxed enough so that youth feel comfortable sharing personal experiences and challenging their own and others' thinking.

]]> Here are four commonly used cultural education approaches; each has a distinct purpose and role in fostering cultural education and puts forth a unique form of critical pedagogy. The application of each approach often results in an overlap or blend of purposes, which you will notice in the following examples.

Which approach or combination of approaches suits your philosophy of youth development and way of designing youth programs?

Multicultural education

The main goal of this approach is to reform schools, institutions, and organizations so that individuals from diverse backgrounds experience educational equity. Examples include Canada's multicultural education policies, the Northstar STEM Alliance, geared to broaden the participation of underrepresented student minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and a Youth Work Institute training designed to teach youth workers how to build inclusive youth programs.

Multicultural education addresses both equity and oppression and aims to create change on individual and institutional levels. To learn more about multicultural education, start with some literature by James A. Banks.

Social justice approach

This approach aims to resolve injustice by identifying issues, removing social barriers, emancipating individuals and groups, and creating social change. Examples include the Peace Jam movement, an international organization designed to help young people become social change agents, led by youth and with an affiliate in north Minneapolis.

Like multicultural education, this approach addresses equity and oppression and seeks deep change of multiple levels. However, it places greater emphasis on the change that occurs within individuals and therefore can be a very personal experience. For more on the social justice approach to cultural education, explore Paulo Freire's work.

Intercultural education

Intercultural education focuses on building and strengthening cultural interactions among people. It could be in the form of cultural immersion summer camp, cultural simulation activities like the underground railroad or Star Power, or intercultural communication training or courses. It is highly experiential and focuses on what connects people - their communication and relationships. In this way, cultural understanding is possible through shared cultural experiences with others.

International education

This approach aims to teach learners to nimbly do the frame shifting needed in intercultural contexts. In it, they examine their assumptions and begin to understand how their thinking impacts their interactions with others. Like intercultural education, it reinforces human relationships but is also interested in developing independent and critically thinking leaders that are able to see their and others' worlds through a global lens. Some examples of this approach include a curriculum designed to show youth how to participate and lead in a global society that I wrote with Jessica Russo and Ali Hurtado called WeConnect.

Others include the Global Youth Leaders Conference, and the International 4-H Exchange Program, which provides opportunities for youth to implement action plans upon their return. For more information on international education, read some of Joseph Mestenhauser's work.

How have you incorporated cultural education into your youth work practice, teaching or research?

Jennifer Skuza, Extension professor and program leader