Abstract
As the youth development field has grown, there has been an increased focus on building academic preparation programs in youth development that prepare leaders and staff in youth-serving organizations. Very few degree programs exist in preparing youth leaders. Even fewer, if any, evaluations have been conducted on the potential outcomes and benefits of graduate degree programs on alumni who serve in leadership positions in youth organizations. This study presents findings from a survey of graduates of a master’s level youth development leadership (YDL) degree program. The findings focus on graduates’ perceptions of the outcomes linked to attaining a degree from such a program and associated competencies and opportunities in the field of youth development. Questionnaires were distributed to YDL alumni (2007-2018) requesting their perspectives on professional benefits and opportunities associated with degree completion. Respondents reported a statistically significant increase (reaching medium to large effect sizes) in relevant competencies targeted in each course. Additionally, respondents noted opportunities in salary increases, promotions, and more challenging responsibilities because of completion of the YDL program; rated their level of application of learning to new professional skills applied to their professional positions highly; and identified products created in their professional positions directly related to their academic preparation. A discussion of the value of youth development degree programs is provided.
Highlights
The youth development field would benefit from academically trained professionals who could serve as leaders in building impactful youth-serving organization to promote youth well-being and preparation for a successful adulthood (Borden et al, 2020)
The null hypothesis of equal levels of competency means was rejected for all 10 areas. These results suggest that there was a significant enhancement of knowledge in youth development content areas as viewed by graduates. Because these courses are built upon benchmarks in the youth development field pertaining to qualifications either informal or as part of a credential in the field (NAA Core Competencies), results suggest that a graduate degree program offers substantial professional development in staff and leadership positions in youth-serving organizations
Graduate degree programs of this kind may be one of the most vital opportunities available in the youth development field currently, as many youth-serving programs are illequipped with staff who have knowledge of youth development theories, fundamentals of best practice programs, youth program assessment skills, grant writing, or a grasp of leadership theories and strategies
Summary
The youth development field would benefit from academically trained professionals who could serve as leaders in building impactful youth-serving organization to promote youth well-being and preparation for a successful adulthood (Borden et al, 2020). The field of youth development would grow more rapidly with the existence of academic and certificate programs that could train youth development professionals more effectively in organizations than what currently exists (Mahoney & Warner, 2014). There are, very few degree and certificate programs explicitly focused on preparing youth leaders. The purpose of this article is to report the outcomes, including benefits to youth leaders, linked to participating in a graduate level youth development degree program from the perspective of alumni of the program. As the graduates were working professionals both during and after their time in the program, this study provides an opportunity to examine if and how the degree program influenced their professional goals and achievements and contributes to the scant literature on the effects of degree programs on youth-serving professionals
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