Youth Work Matters: Online Professional Development for Youth Workers

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2020.820

Keywords:

cohort based learning, youth workers, professional development, positive youth development, non-credit adult learners

Abstract

As the field of youth development becomes more recognized as a profession, it is imperative that youth workers are trained in foundational youth development research and practice. However, accessibility and cost can limit participation in face-to-face workshops and conferences. Online, cohort-based courses are a viable method to offer professional development for youth workers. This program article provides an overview of the online course, Youth Work Matters, which has provided training to youth workers for over 10 years. The authors demonstrate that professional development for youth workers in an online setting will increase access to learning opportunities. This article also describes key components for an online, non-credit course for participants to gain knowledge, apply new concepts and participate in learning communities.

Author Biography

Kari Robideau, University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Youth Development

Kari is a Youth Development Extension educator, associate Extension professor, with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development.  She has a specialized role in distance learning technologies and concentrates on the development of online opportunities for 4-H staff and others who work with or on behalf of youth. Her development model for non-credit adult learners is used internally to create cohort-based courses and asynchronous 4-H volunteer training modules. Recently, her expertise was sought to lead the development of a nationally offered online course for the North Central Region Volunteer Specialists.  Her teaching and research interests are in creating engaging and interactive web-based learning environments.
Past work experiences include working with children, youth and families as a youth practitioner, parent educator and college instructor. She has worked with young people in the 4-H program; been a coordinator for a year-long ninth-grade youth leadership program; supported youth-in-philanthropy board; and has provided technical assistance to a community planning process to help youth and adults form stronger partnerships. As a college instructor, she has taught courses to emerging adults seeking child & family studies and education degrees. Through parent education, college instruction and community organizing efforts, Kari has found the value of educating adults who work with young people to help foster purposeful, high-quality programs and opportunities for youth.

References

Baizerman, M., & VeLure Roholt, R. (2016) Youth worker professional development: Moving from practicing the symbolic to working substantively. In K. M. Pozzoboni & B. Kirshner (Eds.), The Changing Landscape of Youth Work : Theory and Practice for an Evolving Field (pp 51-67). Charlotte, NC: Information Age.

Borden, L., Craig, D., & Villarruel, F. (2004) Professionalizing youth development: The role of higher education. New Directions for Youth Development, 104, 75-85. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.100

Briegel, M. (2017) Re-thinking professional development of child and youth care practitioners. Relational Child & Youth Care Practice, 30(3), 10-24.

Brion-Meisels, G., Savitz-Romer, M., & Vasudevan, D. S. (2016). Not anyone can do this work: Preparing youth workers in a graduate school of education. In K. M. Pozzoboni & B. Kirshner (Eds.), The changing landscape of youth work : Theory and practice for an evolving field (pp. 71-90). Charlotte, NC: Information Age.

Denissen Cunnien, K. (2017) Investing in youth work: Learning from complexity. Journal of Youth Development, 12(1), 60-71. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2017.491

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013) Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism: Connecting “yesterday’s” theories to today’s contexts. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2). 43-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143

Garst, B., Weston, K., Bowers, E. & Quinn, W. (2019). Fostering youth leader credibility: Professional, organization, and community impacts associated with completion of an online master's degree in youth development leadership. Children and Youth Services Review, 96, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.11.019

Knowles, M. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy. Wilton, CT: Association Press.

Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Mahoney, J., & Warner, G. (2014). Issue editors’ notes. New Directions for Youth Development, 144, 1-10.

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. Policy and Program Studies Service. http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf

Pittman, K. (2004) Reflections on the road not (yet) taken: How a centralized public strategy can help youth work focus on youth. New Directions for Youth Development, 104, 87-99.

Vance, F. (2012). An emerging model of knowledge for youth development professionals. Journal of Youth Development, 7(1), 35-55. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2012.151

Vu, P., Cao, V., Vu, L., & Cepero, J. (2014). Factors driving learner success in online professional development. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v15i3.1714

Downloads

Published

2020-03-11

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2020): Special Issue on the Youth Development Workforce

Section

Special Issue Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
  2. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
  3. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
    1. Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site;
    with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
  4. The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  5. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
  6. Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
  7. The Author represents and warrants that:
    1. the Work is the Author’s original work;
    2. the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
    3. the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
    4. the Work has not previously been published;
    5. the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
    6. the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
  8. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.

Revised 7/16/2018. Revision Description: Removed outdated link.