Youth Leadership Development Research Articles

Youth Leadership Development Self-Efficacy: An Exploratory Study Involving a New Construct

Supported by Bandura’s social cognitive theory, our study examined personal factors and environmental factors that impact adults’ ability to assist youth in developing leadership. We introduce youth leadership development self-efficacy (YLD-SE) as a new construct for use in leadership research. A 7-item scale to measure YLD-SE was developed and its psychometric properties were established through exploratory factor analysis. The study sought to investigate the YLD-SE of agricultural education teachers, determine the relationship that YLD-SE has with selected variables, and determine the predictors of YLD-SE. Participants were agricultural education teachers (N = 177) in [Midwestern state] who taught during the 2005-2006 school year. Results showed that teachers perceive they have a high level of YLD-SE, and hierarchical regression analysis revealed that transformational and laissez-faire leadership style were significant predictors of YLD-SE. The full model explained 25% of the variance in YLD-SE.

Youth Leadership Development: A National Analysis of FFA Member Role and Activity Context

A purpose of youth organizations is to develop leadership skills among members through organizational structure and organization sponsored activities. But do they develop those skills? This national, multi-stage study examined the role of youth and the context of their activities in developing leadership in rural FFA chapters. FFA members had a higher level of agreement with statements indicating that activities focused on self-development and the lowest agreement with statements focused on the community. FFA members indicated that in their interactions with adults they were most likely to be treated as partners. It follows that in the role-context matrix, the strongest agreement with statements regarding their interaction with adults and the dimension of leadership development was in developing self in a partnership role with adults. Youth leadership activities should help youth gain skills that help them understand self, interact with others, function effectively in groups, and provide leadership within the community.

Examples of sports‐based youth development programs

The authors provide examples of sports-based youth development programs and offer information about program mission and vision, program design and content, evaluation results, and program sustainability. The four sports-based youth development programs presented are Harlem RBI, Tenacity, Snowsports Outreach Society, and Hoops & Leaders Basketball Camp. These programs serve diverse audiences with diverse missions, but all are focused on using sports to develop life skills and facilitate learning. Harlem RBI serves boys and girls ages seven to eighteen living in East Harlem. The program combines baseball, academic, and enrichment programs with the overall goal that participants who enter the program as vulnerable children graduate as resilient young adults. Tenacity, a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Boston, uses tennis to attract and retain students who particiate in a high-quality academic support and physical fitness program. The mission of Snowsports Outreach Society, based in Vail, Colorado, is building character in at-risk and underprivileged youth to develop their decision-making ability for healthy and successful life experiences. Hoops & Leaders Basketball Camp is a youth mentoring and leadership development program that offers summer camp experiences to improve the lives of at-risk urban youth in New York City. It uses the game of basketball to provide youth with caring mentors, develop leadership skills, and offer exposure to different educational and career paths.

The Handbook of Leadership Development Evaluation

Foreword by Laura C. Leviton. Preface. Acknowledgments. The Authors. Introduction (Jennifer W. Martineau, Kelly M. Hannum, and Claire Reinelt). PART ONE: DESIGNING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION. 1 Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Evaluations (S. Bartholomew Craig and Kelly M. Hannum). 2 Leading with Theory: Using a Theory of Change Approach for Leadership Development Evaluations (Manuel Gutierrez and Tania Tasse). 3 EvaluLEAD: An Open-Systems Perspective on Evaluating Leadership Development (John T. Grove, Barry M. Kibel, and Taylor Haas). 4 Making Evaluation Work for the Greater Good: Supporting Provocative Possibility and Responsive Praxis in Leadership Development (Hazel Symonette). 5 Measuring Return on Investment in Leadership Development (Jack J. Phillips and Patti Phillips). PART TWO: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION IN CONTEXT. 6 Building Leadership Development, Social Justice, and Social Change in Evaluation Through a Pipeline Program (Prisca M. Collins and Rodney K. Hopson). 7 From the Inside Out: Evaluating Personal Transformation Leadership Efforts (Sally Leiderman). 8 Evaluating Leadership Development and Organizational Performance (Nancy Vollmer LeMay and Alison Ellis). 9 The Importance of Local Context in Leadership Development and Evaluation (Larry Peters and John Baum). 10 Evaluating Community Leadership Programs (Teresa R. Behrens and Maenette K. P. Benham). 11 Evaluating Leadership as a Strategy to Transform Complex Systems (Kimberly Jinnett and Todd Kern). 12 Evaluating Leadership Development for Social Change (Kim Ammann Howard and Claire Reinelt). 13 Evaluating Youth Leadership Development Through Civic Activism (Hanh Cao Yu, Heather K. Lewis-Charp, and Michelle Alberti Gambone). 14 Evaluating Leadership Efforts for Neighborhood Transformation (Nilofer Ahsan). PART THREE: INCREASING IMPACT THROUGH EVALUATION USE. 15 Strategic Uses of Evaluation (E. Jane Davidson and Jennifer W. Martineau). 16 Evaluation for Planning and Improving Leadership Development Programs: A Framework Based on the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence (Karl E. Umble). 17 Communication in Evaluation: A Systems Approach (Darlene F. Russ-Eft). 18 Accelerating Learning About Leadership Development: A Learning Community Approach (Deborah Meehan and Claire Reinelt). 19 Continuous Learning (Rosalie T. Torres). Afterword: Future Directions for Leadership Development Evaluation (Kelly M. Hannum, Jennifer W. Martineau, and Claire Reinelt). Name Index. Subject Index. About the Center for Creative Leadership.

Eagle and the Condor: Indigenous Alliances for Youth Leadership Development

This narrative describes the growth of an alliance between two indigenous organizations in North and South America, illustrating how a shared indigenous vision of cultural survival and connection to the land led to the creation of an ongoing collaboration for indigenous youth leadership development, which has extended to encompass collaboration with other South American and Caribbean indigenous groups. Allowing organizational relationships to emerge from naturally occurring personal relationships was vital for success. Mutuality of the exchange was key in developing a partnership of equals. Visits to each others' territories, internal stability of the organizations, sound financial arrangements, and the contribution from other aspects of organizational activities to the alliance were also necessary ingredients for strength and continuity.

Civic minded: Programs for youths focus on community

AbstractRecognizing that young people strongly want to make civic contributions, a number of youth leadership development programs have expanded their focus from the individual to the community level. The thinking is that involvement in their communities not only helps youths build leadership skills but also enables them to expand their knowledge of and access to resources within those communities. How well are such programs working?

Moving from “youth leadership development” to “youth in governance”: Learning leadership by doing leadership

Abstract“Leadership is not the filling of a pail; it is about the igniting of a fire.”—W. B. Yeats

Youth leadership and youth development: Connections and questions

AbstractThe youth development movement represents a broad trend toward promoting opportunity and resilience over preventing delinquency and failure. While the topic of youth leadership is clearly relevant to this movement, the connection between the two topics remains for the most part unexplored and undefined. With this chapter we examine the ways that youth leadership connects to the much broader context of the youth development movement.

Bridging generations: Applying “adult” leadership theories to youth leadership development

AbstractThe vast literature related to adult leadership has very little to say about youth leadership. Adult leadership literature tends to focus on issues of authority (voice, influence, and decision‐making power). In contrast, youth leadership literature tends to focus on issues of ability (skills, knowledge, and talents). The author explores the difference and attempts to bridge the gap.

The mystery of youth leadership development: The path to just communities

AbstractSome of the mystery around the meaning of youth leadership development, and around what youth leadership means for youth development, can be solved by accounting for the potential connections, as well as the potential tensions and conflicts, between the Inside and Outside approaches.

Youth as Engaged Citizens and Community Change Advocates Through the Lexington Youth Leadership Academy

SUMMARY The Lexington Youth Leadership Academy is a leadership development and community change program which has helped high school-aged youth develop into effective leaders in a diverse society. The author describes a multifaceted approach emphasizing education and dialogue about diversity, training in problem solving and leadership skills, adult and peer mentoring, and community collaborations. The program employs an empowerment approach that begins with youth leadership development skills training, and culminates in youth-driven community change projects that focus on social injustice and educational reform.

Sariling Gawa Youth Council as a Case Study of Youth Leadership Development in Hawai'i

SUMMARY This article describes Sariling Gawa Youth Council as a case study of youth leadership development in Hawai'i. Since 1980, thousands of young people-primarily Filipino youth-have participated in Sariling Gawa activities which have developed their leadership skills. Many of them have continued to lead the organization and utilize what they learned with numerous local organizations and state agencies. The authors examine Sariling Gawa's growth, structure, and other factors that contribute to its longevity. The model includes (1) youth empowerment through building their leadership skills, (2) fostering and strengthening peer social support and social networks, (3) promotion of positive ethnic identity, and (4) community capacity building by involving youth in civic and community affairs.

Modeling Service Learning for Future Leaders of Youth Organizations

This project provides instructors seeking to integrate Service Learning (SL) into collegiate level courses a model for future use and adoption. Approximately 60 students in a collegiate youth leadership course and two collegiate student organizations participated in a SL project at an environmental center in West Philadelphia. The majority of students who participated were enrolled in either the youth leadership development course or in a special topics course on SL. In both instances students were exposed to service learning from an historical and operational perspective and participated in guided reflection at the completion of the project. The SL project allowed the instructors to model a unique experiential learning strategy that could be adopted by future agricultural education instructors, 4-H youth development educators, collegiate or youth organizations.

Building youth–adult partnerships for community change: Lessons from the Youth Leadership Institute

AbstractThis article explores the way one youth leadership development organization has used youth–adult partnerships (Y‐APs) as a practice to support youth participation in community‐change efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California. The authors describe how Y‐APs are used in two principal areas of the Youth Leadership Institute's work: training and philanthropy. The authors also present a set of lessons learned through over 12 years of Y‐AP practice. Based on this experience, they highlight the importance of organizational pathways for leadership development, the necessity of advance preparation by youth and adults, the need to moderate program intensity, and the difficulty of sustaining Y‐APs in a resource‐scarce environment. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 111–120, 2005.

A Comprehensive Leadership Education Model to Train, Teach, and Develop Leadership in Youth

The authors conducted a meta-analysis of the youth leadership development literature and were able to construct a conceptual model for teaching, training, and developing leadership in youth. After citing the need for leadership education, and the lack of information regarding leadership development for young people in career and technical education, the model is described in detail and proposed as a curriculum framework for teaching leadership to all students. The model consists of five dimensions and three stages of development. The five dimensions of the conceptual model are: (1) Leadership Knowledge and Information, (2) Leadership Attitude, Will, and Desire, (3) Decision Making, Reasoning, and Critical Thinking, (4) Oral and Written Communication Skills, and (5) Intra and Interpersonal Relations. The recommendation is made to allow the model to serve as the first step in developing a curriculum designed to teach leadership to youth in a formal setting.

Developing Leadership Through Adult and Adolescent Partnerships in the Third Millennium

Leadership educators must consider how to most effectively develop youth knowledge, skills, attitudes, aspirations and leadership abilities when facilitating leadership development. During the first two millennia, leadership was adult-centered, with little focus on development. To develop effective leadership programs, it is essential that leadership educators: consider the implications of societal trends; project the contexts of 21st century leadership; understand and apply the principles of effective youth leadership development; and, develop meaningful adult and adolescent partnerships to prepare youth for success in the third millennium.

A Community Building Perspective in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT This paper presents a community building perspective as integral to all aspects of social work education. Community building theories have existed for many years but community building practice approaches are just beginning to emerge. Organizational studies have primarily looked at community building in suburban or rural areas and for prevention of child abuse and neglect (Earls, McGuire & Shay 1994; Garbarino & Kostelny, 1992; Glisson & James, 1992; Halpern, 1996; Mulroy & Shay, 1997; Shay, 1995) or in youth leadership development (Finn & Checkoway, 1998; Lerner, 1996). These studies demonstrate the basic principles of community building practice. These include involving community residents as partners rather than clients as they establish community or neighborhood networks that use empowerment strategies and a community asset approach (Naparstek & Dooley, 1997). This paper examines incorporating community building practice into graduate social work education primarily through field education and eventually throughout the foundation and specialization curriculum. The authors will address the viability of integrating a community building perspective into social work education with the goal of developing practice approaches in community building which social work educators can use and integrate into the classroom and field teaching.

Character Education: An Essential Ingredient for Youth Leadership Development

Character education in schools involves formal instruction in honesty, trust, cooperation, respect, responsibility, hope, determination, and loyalty; it also lays the foundation for positive leadership development. The values mentioned are important to leaders regardless of their race, religion, economic status, or other defining characteristics, to promote a livable and workable society. For adolescents, positive leadership behavior is character education in action.

Young People as Competent Community Builders: A Challenge to Social Work

This article reports on a pilot study of exemplary communitybased youth initiatives in the United States in which young people are active participants in solving problems, planning programs, and providing services at the community level. The article presents brief summaries of six initiatives illustrating a range of youth participation in the issues that affect their lives and their communities. These diverse initiatives exemplify a view of young people as resources and promote individual, organizational, and community development. They were selected on the basis of their commitment to youth involvement, capacity building, collaboration, cultural awareness, community-defined concerns, leadership development, continuity, and comprehensive and change-oriented practice. The initiatives provide lessons for practice and challenge social workers to build meaningful partnerships and practice approaches that challenge problemoriented interventions and recognize young people as competent community builders.

Self-Perceived Youth Leadership And Life Skills Of Iowa FFA Members

Iowa FFA members were surveyed to determine if a significant relationship existed between their self-perceived youth leadership and life skills development scores and their participation in youth leadership activities. This study was patterned after research done by Dormody and Seevers (1994) of New Mexico State University. Responses were received from 316 Iowa FFA members. Iowa FFA members' Youth Leadership And Life Skill Development Scale (YLLSDS) scores ranged from 0 to 90 with a composite mean of 62.6. The three highest shill means were observed for the YLLSDS items "getting along with others, " "respect others, " and "show a responsible attitude. " FFA members participated most actively in chapter meetings, fundraising and chapter banquets. Respondents indicated the highest leadership opportunities for non FFA activities occurred through participation in sports, church groups, and after school jobs. The strongest relationship existed between YLLSDS scores and FFA leadership activities followed by years of membership in FFA, age, jobs, achievement expectancy, club officer, church groups, and class officer. A total of 22.26% of the variance in YLLSDS scores was explained by a combination of participation in FFA leadership activities, after school jobs, years in the FFA, self-reported cumulative grades, and gender.