Creating Community Through Cohort Learning: A Training Model for Youth Development Professionals

Authors

  • Amber Shanahan University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Youth Development https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8423-9830
  • Trisha Sheehan University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Youth Development

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2020.827

Keywords:

cohorts, action learning, onboarding, staff development

Abstract

University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development (CYD) initiated a learning cohort for their local youth development professionals, 4-H Extension educators (EEs) to fulfill a need to better support staff beyond onboarding. The Youth Development Learn and Lead (YDLL) cohort is grounded in integrative leadership that influences professional relationship building through the sharing of applicable skills and theory across hierarchical boundaries while providing a community of practice to discuss ideas and share resources. The cohort has positively impacted employee engagement and has shown impressive results around networking, relationship building, and learning objectives. The YDLL cohort has been deemed an essential training by CYD, and has been replicated internally to encompass a larger audience with unique staff development needs.

Author Biography

Amber Shanahan, University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Youth Development

Extension Center for Youth Developemtn; Assistant Extension Professor

Amber Shanahan has been with Extension Youth Development since 2012. Her research is focused on staff development within a youth development context through the development, delivery and evaluation of cohort training models that support staff. She shares YD supervisory and leadership research and best practices through the Leadership Matters course. She also leads the 4-H Youth Teaching Youth program, developing cross-age teaching programs and curricula that support social and emotional learning. 

References

Barnett, B. G., Basom, M. R., Yerkes, D. M., & Norris, C. J. (2000). Cohorts in educational leadership programs: Benefits, difficulties, and the potential for developing school leaders. Educational Administration Quarterly, 36(2), 255–282.

Beder, H., & Medina, P. (2001). Classroom dynamics in adult literacy education (Report No. 18). Boston, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy.

Brooks, P. A. (1998). Cohort communities in higher education: The best example of adult education. Adult Education Research Conference. http://newprairiepress.org/aerc/1998/papers/12

Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (1999). Relationships of knowledge and practice: Teacher learning in community. Review of Research in Education, 24(1), 249-305. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X024001249

Finley, S., Marble, S., Copeland, G., Ferguson, C., & Alderete, K. (2000). Professional development and teachers’ construction of coherent instructional practices: A synthesis of experiences at five sites. Promoting Instructional Coherence, 19(2), 74-86. http://www.sedl.org/pubs/pic04/welcome.html

Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915-945. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038004915

Hartje, J., Evans, W., Killian, E., & Brown, R. (2008). Youth worker characteristics and self-reported competency as predictors of intent to continue working with youth. Child and Youth Care Forum, 37(1), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-007-9048-9

Hill, S., Connolly, J., Akiva, T., & McNamara, A. (2018). Taking it to a new level: inquiry-based professional development as a field-building enterprise. In H. J. Malone & T. Donahue (Eds.), The growing out-of-school time field: Past, present, and future (pp. 115-117). Charlotte, NC: Information Age.

Kerno, S. & Mace, S. (2010). Communities of practice; beyond the team. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 12(1), 78-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422310365341

Kinsey, S. (2011). Action learning—An experiential tool for solving organizational issues. Journal of Extension, 49(4), Article 4TOT2. https://www.joe.org/joe/2011august/tt2.php

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kress, C. (2004). Essential elements of 4-H youth development. https://4-h.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TheEssentialElementsof4HYouthDevelopment.pdf

Moir, E. (1990). Phases of first-year teaching. https://www.aliefisd.net/cms/lib011/TX01917308/Centricity/Domain/140/First%20Year%20Teacher%20Phases%20Article.pdf

Norman, M. (2013). Using a hybrid approach for a leadership cohort program. Journal of Extension, 51(5). https://www.joe.org/joe/2013october/iw2.php

Peel, H. A., Wallace, C., Buckner, K. G., Wrenn, S. L., & Evans, R. (1998). Improving leadership preparation programs through a school, university, and professional organization partnership. NASSP Bulletin, 82(602), 26–34.

Reynolds, K. C., & Hebert, F. T. (1998). Learning achievements of students in cohort groups. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 46(3), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377366.1998.10400354

Shanahan, A. (2018). Take action with action learning: A valuable practice for navigating change. Journal of Extension, 56(4). https://joe.org/joe/2018august/tt6.php

Skuza, J., Grant, S., Harrington, R., Haugen, H., & Pokorney, N. (2016). Minnesota 4-H youth development logic model. Saint Paul: University of Minnesota Extension.

Wenger, E. (2011). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. STEP Leadership Workshop. University of Oregon. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11736

Wiedow, J. (2018). Supporting effective youth work: Job-embedded professional development in OST. Afterschool Matters. https://www.niost.org/images/afterschoolmatters/asm_2018_fall/ASM_Fall18_YouthWork.pdf

Downloads

Published

2020-03-11