Youth are often the primary group for parks and recreation organizations, yet recreation professionals are often not adequately prepared in the principles and practices of youth development. Similarly, youth workers outside the recreation field often lack information on basic recreation program design and activity leadership. Improving access to…

Given the research about the decrease in age of coming out and the established need for support during young adolescents' sexual development, it is clear that programming targeted to middle grades LGBTQ youth is both essential and widely lacking. Interventions such as staff development and training, in-class curriculum, support groups,…

Surveyed 659 family support workers regarding their training and services for families with 10- to 15-year olds. Found that 30 to 50% rated training as inadequate or poor, had inaccurate knowledge about young adolescent development, and felt they were doing an inadequate job promoting developmental assets for youth. Higher quality training was…

Camp counselors in training (CIT) are usually adolescents. CIT programs must support teens through their developmental changes and provide opportunities to practice activity and life skills in a safe environment. Developmental tasks teens face are identified and elements of a strong CIT program are discussed. Sidebars present teen trends and…

Continuous progress education is designed to relate to the special interests, needs, and abilities of each individual learner. A curriculum responsive to the needs of early adolescents would include the elements of content organization, learning activities, time allocations, student assessment, staff and materials development, and budget. (JN)

Notes that effective staff development and positive youth development practice share many philosophical and structural similarities. Examines the relationship between youth and staff development and the long-term implications of organizational commitment to the youth-serving movement's newest paradigm-positive youth development. (EV)

Overviews the nature of self-esteem and describes various dimensions of self-esteem, including gaining a sense of competency and experiencing acceptance by others. Strategies for camps include establishing goals for camper achievement, creating developmentally appropriate camp activities, and training staff with the necessary skills for enhancing…