Keys to Quality Youth Development

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1. Youth Feel Physically and Emotionally Safe
Premise
Young people will learn better and participate more fully when they feel physically and emotionally safe. This environment encourages honesty, trust, and respect among all youth and adults.
Building a Foundation Boundaries and Expectations Boundaries and expectations let young people know what to expect from others and what others expect from them. The Search Institute identifies important examples: Safety - Young person feels safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood. Family boundaries - Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person’s whereabouts. School boundaries - School provides clear rules and consequences. Neighborhood boundaries - Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people’s behavior. Adult role models - Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior. Positive peer influence - Young person’s best friends model responsible behavior.	Selecting Outcomes What will be done in your program to make sure youth - are physically safe? feel emotionally safe? work together with adults to establish rules and consequences of violating rules? understand how conflicts will be resolved and disrespectful behavior (bullying, name calling) will be handled? will be respected by adults and other youth? see consistency from adults? experience both structure and flexibility? have access to the program in terms of time of day, location, cost, and transportation?
Identifying Practices
Involve youth in determining and setting expectations for participation. Provide adult and youth leaders with group facilitation training and skills. Help adults appreciate need for fair enforcement of rules. Ensure that leaders know how to handle emergencies. Encourage youth and adults to work together to determine, develop, and give leadership to the program. Develop rules and plan programs that encourage appreciation of diversity and diverse opinions.
How It Works    Elisha is a 10-year-old who is small for her age and lags behind her classmates in physical skills. In school and on the playground she is a target for teasing and bullying.    Elisha joined a local 4-H club this year, as her parents wanted to get her involved in building personal skills and capitalize on her interests and skills with the computer. At first, Elisha was reluctant to be involved, but youth and adults welcomed her and included her in activities. She said to her mother, "I was really afraid the kids would pick on me like at school, but they don’t! Everyone is my friend!"    Elisha continues to be involved with the club, and offers to be on committees. She enthusiastically created computer graphics for a club display and helped put the display in a downtown business window. At a local Chamber of Commerce meeting, Elisha was recognized for her computer expertise with the project.	Things To Think About In emotionally safe environments, kids express their thoughts, ideas, and personality without the fear of being ridiculed or laughed at. Youth and adults feel emotionally safe when there are no put-downs or disrespectful behavior. Consistency in programs for youth is important so they know what to expect. Activities should be planned and structured so youth feel included. Words Of Wisdom "Kids can walk around trouble, if there is some place to walk to and someone to walk with." Tito, Urban Sanctuaries, p. 219.
Questions For Youth
Think of a time when you expressed your ideas and opinions:       How did you feel about talking in the group?       What was the response to your ideas and opinions? Give an example of a time when you did not feel comfortable sharing your ideas. Tell us about a time when you or someone else was held accountable for your/their behavior. What happened? How did you feel? Can you think of a time when people were not held accountable for their behavior? How did you feel? What do you think should have been done? If you could change the experience so it would be safe for everyone to express his or her ideas, what would you do?
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