Huntsville's Promise
Our Children Our Future
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Creative Pathways to Youth Development: Huntsville’s Promise By: Naomi W. Lede’* One major challenge facing communities throughout the nation is how to provide successful opportunities for youth development, both morally and educationally. Community organizations and governmental institutions have combined their efforts to provide specialized ventures and a broad range of activities to involve youth. During October, 2006, the Huntsville City Council passed a resolution, possibly based on some core beliefs about the importance of both external and internal developmental assets to guide the development of programmatic activities to enhance youth development. In short, it pledged to “strengthen its commitment to family and youth issues facing our community.” Specific reference was made to mobilizing and actualizing specific assets and articulated “a collaborative role with community organizations to improve and advance the needs of the citizenry of Huntsville and Walker County.” Huntsville’s Promise is the mechanism through which community initiatives can be fulfilled. Success lies in creating pathways of participation through cooperative ventures designed to solve community problems. Comprehensive asset-based approaches to education and youth development have tremendous potential for contributing to the academic success of students from all backgrounds. The Search Institute in Minneapolis, MS developed a framework for developmental assets, which when applied, may serve as positive factors for young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings considered central to promoting healthy development in young people. This article, presented on behalf of Huntsville’s Promise, will focus on an important external asset: Constructive use of time. During the latter part of the decade of the 1960s and extending through the 1970s, I devoted a substantial proportion of my time working to address urban problems, including education. It was clear then-as now-that community involvement is an indispensable element in the development of productive people. Citizen participation can be directly linked to the fundamental principle that a good way to solve a problem is to take action. In cities/towns across the nation, high school and college/university students continue to serve as volunteers to help meet the needs of communities. They have tutored children, worked with elderly citizens, counseled juveniles, and refurbished neighborhoods. The force of “youth mobilization” is an essential means of tapping talent among youth at an early age, thereby re-humanizing American society. Service Learning/Experiential Education and Sharing The concept of service learning is not new. Early programs such as the Peace Corps pursued the goal of preparing global citizens through international service-learning. To develop the capacity of ensuring “asset” development, communities will have to combine their talents and resources to provide direct experiences to immerse students in experiences that will have benefits and consequences. Experiential education becomes the mechanism for young people to participate in a variety of activities, including music, theater and other artistic endeavors. Youth may elect to spend one or more hours per week in activities working with those in need in a religious institution or invest time and effort in character development initiatives by working with other participants in sports and swimming to ensure constructive use of time. Research has shown that constructive youth participation boosts student achievement. One widely adopted form of experiential education in learning through service to others. An example is project OASES (Occupational and Academic Skills for the Employment of Students) in the Pittsburg Public Schools. Eighth graders, identifies as potential dropouts, spend three periods a day involved in renovating a homeless shelter as part of a service project carried out within their industrial arts class. Students in programs such as these learn enduring skills such as planning, communicating with variety of age groups and types of people, and group decision making. In carrying out these activities and in the reflection component afterward, they develop new insights and integrate diverse knowledge from fields such as English, political sciences, mathematics, and sociology. During the mid-1960s through the decade 1970-1980, I spent a substantial amount of time working with high school and college students in the interest of motivating them to work with urban and semi-urban communities. As a member of the Board of the Urban Affairs Corporation, we were able to have a nationwide impact on high school and college students. We successfully institute several programs, including the Young Scholars Program and the Intensive Summer Studies program, both of which had a service-learning component. For more than 10 years, I directed a program at the Texas Transportation Institute in cooperation with Texas Southern University, Palo Alto College, UTSA, and Prairie View A&M University to conduct a Summer Transportation Institute for High School Students in Science, Mathematics and Engineering. Many of the participants in these programs became outstanding scholars and community leaders. Youth development programs like these and Huntsville’s Promise are designed to give youth opportunities to develop skills and have experiences that will help them become successful adolescents and adults. Positive Youth Development Programs Positive youth development refers to a sustained effort to develop skills, assets and strength in youth. Recently an unusual story appeared in the media. A 17-year old boy became a hometown hero by opening a grocery store. When the only market in Truman, Minnesota closed last year, more than 1,200 residents spent several months driving 24 miles round-trip to Fairmont. They traveled far distances so they could buy fresh meat, vegetables and bakery goods. It was devastating to the small town. Then high school senior Nick Graham pooled all his savings from years of odd jobs and convinced the local e-development agency to help him land a loan so he could re-open the market. “I didn’t want to see downtown deteriorate,” says Nick. I want to remain part of this community long-term. He achieved this goal when last year, residents cheered the grand opening of Nick’s Main Street Market. Volunteers from the community helped stock shelves and clean the place up. He made constructive use of his time by attending day classes at the high school and working after school until closing at 6:30 p.m. He also works on the weekends. “The biggest thing he is selling is convenience,” says Dave Rode, the owner of a local company. His actions, while making a difference, extended far beyond convenience vs. inconvenience. It was a clear demonstration of resiliency, i.e., a person’s ability to adapt to whatever situations life may bring, even if the situation is very negative. Youth development programs like Huntsville’s Promise strive to develop resilient youth who can bounce back in troubled times and face what the future offers. Young people need to feel their strength and purpose guiding them to the future. Participation in wholesome activities gives them a sense of purpose. The United States has a strong tradition of volunteerism. Young people must be encouraged, from a young age, to find ways to help their communities. Service-learning can promote not only a greater commitment to improving conditions locally but also an understanding of the inter-relatedness of communities and societies across the world. Finally, the questions and issues facing us as citizens and as leaders in our communities are difficult. We are being challenged to find new ways to address basic needs. We must walk hand-in-hand with out youth. Solutions are not easy to find but we must all be part of the process which seeks them. *Dr. Naomi Lede’ is a retired Senior Research Scientist, Distinguished Professor, and University Administrator. She has substantial expertise in Curriculum and Instruction, Urban Planning and Community Development. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the Samuel Walker Houston Museum and Cultural Center in Huntsville. |
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