Note: This is an excerpt from the Youth Development Insight blog. We welcome your comments here.

We know that youth programs have public value. But does the greater community know? Recipients of public funds must defend their use of public resources by demonstrating the value to the community, not just the value gained by the individuals who participate. Can you articulate what that is? Have you been doing so?

My Extension colleague Laura Kalambokidis works with educators in youth development and other fields across the nation on how to demonstrate the public value of their programs. Laura did a survey of educators that shows that of those who do not infuse a public value approach in their work, the primary reason is that they do not have enough time. To me, this suggests we view this approach as something "extra" to tack onto our plan of work. I would argue that demonstrating public value helps us to prioritize our work and involves changing how we talk about what we do and how we measure the impact of our work.

Youth programs have societal impact. Here are a couple of ways in which they do that:

• They build trust among community members

  To take a negative example, the "What's Up?" study showed that young people spend a large amount of time isolating themselves with computer games and television viewing. This is a threat to their personal development, but more than that, social isolation among young people is linked to social ailments such as criminal activity and drugs use -- a societal problem (Rankin & Quane, 2000). On the other hand, as one of my favorite authors, Robert Putnam says, trustworthiness "lubricates social life." Relationships among unlike peers and diverse community members, fostered by youth programs, generate social trust (Flanagan, 2003).

  I am currently working on the Pathways Project, which is finding that youth in the programs studied have affinity and trust across race, ethnic background and socioeconomic background, embracing the philosophy, "all equal; all different." In their programs, they unpack stereotypes, cross social boundaries and develop trust in people outside of their family. Social trust is the root of democracy and is linked to publicly valued outcomes such as a strong economy, well functioning political institutions, and better performing schools (Rahn and Transue,1998; Social Capital Blog, 2012).
  

• Youth become agents of change

  In programs, youth develop agentic capacities-- the ability to improve the quality of life for themselves and their community. So, while leadership skills, education plans, and civic values fuel young people to achieve private success, youth agency is also a resource that can be released into the community, making it a ready asset to the public. Youth programs position young people to be community partners, prepared to work with others to collectively improve the well being of the communities they share. For example, young people in the the Big Urban Woods CYFAR club recently partnered with their school, community organizations and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to restore a neglected 5-acre parcel of forestland. A place that was once a spot of unsightly neighborhood activity is now a vibrant outdoor learning environment and place of pride for the CYFAR youth and others in the community. Young people acted as partners for community improvement.

These are just two examples from my own work. What do you see as the public value of youth programs? Are you letting the public know about the value they receive?

-- Joanna Tzenis, community program specialist

Weigh in on the conversation about this exciting blog entry and others here.

Dr. Dana Fusco presented her current research on the sphere of youth work education in the United States. The sphere of youth work education is rotated geometrically to look at the places and spaces where it occurs; sliced anthropologically to examine the cultural traditions and influences; and lifted to see what human understandings of youth work lie underneath.

View the report

The symposium was recorded and the video will be posted on our website soon.

These opportunities are not endorsed by the Extension Center for Youth Development. Take advantage of these opportunities at your discretion. Please call Cece Gran at 1-612-624-9117 if you have any questions.

Register for the Allied for Action: Bridging Differences for the Greater Good 2012 conference hosted by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Minnesota Council on Foundations. As a participant, you can join in on mold-breaking plenaries, interactive breakouts and productive dialogues, where we all will learn how to harness the power of our differences and truly work together toward a greater good.

Visit the new conference website, for a sneak peek on what you and 1,400 of your colleagues will experience on November 1 and 2, at the St. Paul RiverCentre

The Minnesota Department of Health's STD and HIV Section is interested in learning about the sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention education efforts of youth-serving agencies in Minnesota. The results of this survey will help us better understand what is currently being provided and help us focus our technical assistance in the future. The survey should take approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Click here https://survey.vovici.com/se.ashx?s=56206EE3519C589F to take the survey. Please feel free to forward this email to other youth-serving staff within your agency and/or at other agencies. The survey end date is: May 25, 2012 so we appreciate your help before then!

National Call to Action Institute and Conference

The Women of Color Network (WOCN) is hosting their National Call to Action Institute and Conference here in Saint Paul, Minnesota. WOCN is a national grassroots initiative responding to violence against women and families in communities of color. For questions about the Institute and Conference, contact Shasme Jackson at 800-537-2238, ext 142, or nctaregistration@nrcdv.org.

The week long conference takes place July 9-13, 2012. The theme this year is "Collective Empowerment and Collective Liberation", and it will be addressing the following issues: tribal sovereignty, trafficking, homicide, gender identity, and immigration.

Register

The Humphrey School's Center for the Study of Politics and Governance (CSPG) is now accepting applications for its 2012-13 Policy Fellows Program.

"The Policy Fellows Program is Minnesota's civic coral reef--it's where emerging leaders from business, government, and the nonprofits learn cutting-edge skills and practice working for the common good," says Professor Larry Jacobs, director of CSPG. "Nothing I do gives me more pleasure than working with the policy fellows, who regularly express the same sense of reward and rejuvenation of working with the civic-minded across sectors, political party lines, and our diverse communities."

For 22 years, the Policy Fellows Program has brought together rising leaders from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors to hone their leadership skills, build their professional networks, and learn how to tackle the "common good" challenges facing our state and nation. As part of a 35-person cohort, fellows meet monthly between September and June for full-day workshops and seminars; design and implement group projects on topics of their choosing; and participate in a three day study trip to Washington, D.C. The program is directed by Larry Jacobs, professor of political science at the Humphrey School, and Kate Cimino, who was recently honored as the Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal's "40 under Forty" for 2012.

Emerging and mid-career leaders throughout the state of Minnesota are welcome to apply. The application and two recommendation letters are due June 1, 2012, for the nine-month program beginning in September.

For more information visit:
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/cspg/initiatives/policy_fellows/index.html

Senior Director, Housing, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) has a strategic imperative to end homelessness for kids in Minnesota and to invest in the development or acquisition of affordable family housing. Our vision is that Minnesota's children have safe, stable homes and the opportunity to thrive in the community.

This position, reporting to the Vice President, will provide overall statewide direction of Housing, Youth Residential and Youth Community Based Services, including LSS' correctional program. Expectations for this position are to evaluate effectiveness, growth potential, quality of services and financial viability; develop and implement the strategic plan, and provide overall leadership for advancement of new opportunities for homeless families and at risk youth.

Apply

University of Minnesota Extension Urban 4-H Promise Fellow

The Urban Youth Development Office (Urban 4-H) will be hosting a Promise Fellow to work with American Indian Magnet School for the 2012-2013 year (work will begin August 15, 2012 and continue to August 14, 2013). Benefits include living allowance appx. $450 every two weeks pre-tax, health insurance, Qualified Student Loan Deferment, $5550 Education Award upon successful completion of service, and ongoing, extensive support and training. Plus, you get to work with a dynamic, talented team of youth workers in Urban 4-H!

The fellow will work with Urban 4-H interns, staff, and volunteers, as well as school staff, to develop "projects through community" (service learning, or projects that connect with communities to carry out the learning), helping youth discover their interests and connect those interests to future possibility. As part of this work, the fellow supports out-of-school-time programming (including expanding our current Big Urban Woods 4-H Club work), connects with families, and recruits caring adults who can provide support to youth, through mentoring, tutoring, or sharing of content expertise (such as STEM, healthy living, citizenship, and performing arts).

Full description

To apply, candidates must complete an application at www.mnyouth.net and email/mail/fax a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references by June 11, 2012 to:

Jessica Pierson Russo
Director, Urban Youth Development Office
University of Minnesota Extension
90 Coffey Hall
1420 Eckles Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108
pier0239@umn.edu
(612) 624-7625

PROGRAM COORDINATOR for the REDUCE TOBACCO ABUSE PROJECT

This is a non-exempt full-time position at the Division of Indian Work. The Program Coordinator will plan and implement activities that are directly related to preventing and reducing the misuse of tobacco in American Indian communities.

See more information

Youth Sports Coordinator
The City of Chanhassen is seeking a Youth Sports Coordinator for the Park & Recreation Department. This position is responsible for the organization and implementation of a variety of youth sports programs and outdoor activities. The coordinator is expected to provide leadership and direction for other part-time staff members by providing clear program expectations. Hours will vary throughout the week, and may include mornings, evenings, and weekends.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and possess a genuine desire to work with youth ages 3-12 in various recreational sports settings. Prior experience in community recreation is preferred but not required. Salary $9.00 - $10.00 per hour and will be expected to work 15-20 hours per week. More information about the city can be found at www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us.

Send all applications and resumes to Jodi Sarles, Recreation Center Manager, 7700 Market Boulevard, P.O. Box 147, Chanhassen, MN 55317 or jsarles@ci.chanhassen.mn.us. The position is open until filled.

The National YPQI study released this month finds that using a professional development approach of assessment, planning and coaching significantly increases youth program quality. This comes at a time when the afterschool field has made quality a top priority and are challenged with how to give staff and programs the support they need in a way that is cost efficient and scalable.

The research intervention was tested in Minnesota and included a parallel study cohort with the Youth Work Institute's Quality Matters project. The positive research findings highlight the importance of the Extension's model of bringing research, teaching and public value together to create highly effective and valued learning support on one of the most critical issues in youth development today. The issue matters to every young person because program quality is necessary in order to gain a positive effect on their learning and development. This and other research work is a part of the full range of support provided through Extension's Youth Work Institute which has been a state leader in aligning the support needed to improve program quality.

Our thanks go out to many Minnesota programs, funders and other stakeholders that were a critical part of the study completion and should be congratulated for making this national study possible. Study findings are now available in a variety of formats at: National study findings. Both a full report and executive summary are available for download.

Key Study Findings Include:

* Using the YPQI intervention increases quality
* Staff retention increased at programs using the intervention
* The intervention works across a variety of settings present in youth work
* The intervention is a cost effective, lower stakes model for improving quality

The new evidence also highlights the importance of supporting youth program staff through on-going professional development cycles. It elevates to the general public the complexity and importance that staff play inside youth programs and makes the case for investments in their learning. For additional information, including other research work on partnering with youth to assess and improve program quality, go to the Extension web page at: http://www1.extension.umn.edu/youth/docs/Minnesota-4-H-Quality-Improvement-Study.pdf

If you would like to learn more about what the Youth Work Institute is doing to improve quality, you can also contact Deborah Moore, ddm2@umn.edu.