What is​
Positive Youth Development?

   Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a research-based approach that guides communities by organizing supports and opportunities to help young people reach their full potential. At its best, PYD involves community collaboration with young people to create environments, relationships, and experiences essential for youth to thrive. Typically, it is implemented by youth-serving organizations and programs aiming to enhance effectiveness and achieve better outcomes in partnership with youth.
    Positive Youth Development is an intentional, prosocial approach that engages youth within their families, peer groups, schools, organizations and communities in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances youth’s strengths and assets; and promotes positive outcome for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths.

PYD is a commitment to the following principles: 

• Aim for positive outcomes
  
• Use a strength-based approach
• Promote youth engagement and voice
• Utilize inclusive strategies
• Foster collaborative, long-term community engagement            ​
  

Positive Youth Development is an intentional, prosocial approach that engages youth within their families, peer groups, schools, organizations and communities."

Training Overview

Who Should Attend

Positive Youth Development (PYD) training is for everyone, Positive Youth Development (PYD) training is designed for anyone who interacts with youth and young adults in any capacity. This includes individuals involved in housing support, mentoring, mental health, youth engagement, faith-based communities, businesses, media, and life coaching. We also encourage parents, guardians, grandparents, family members, friends, and mentors to participate. Our initiative aims to engage leaders from all sectors of the community 

• PYD is a community-wide effort focused on envisioning a better community, fostering collaboration, and engaging community partners.

• A broader community collaboration can create both new opportunities for youth and supportive engagement from adults, setting the stage for resiliency and positive outcomes.

 

•  Successful youth development collaborations require reaching out to a diverse array of community partners and groups because today's youth are tomorrow's employees and networkers.

Intensive PYD Training – 3 Days (in-person)
This interactive training series is intended to introduce PYD to youth work professionals, volunteers, advocates, community providers and anyone working with youth and young adults.  The training consists of seven topic areas:

1. Principles of PYD
2. Puberty and Adolescence
3. Youth and Technology
4. Youth Development Programming
5. Youth Voice and Engagement
6. Youth Work Ethics
7.  Implication & Implementation of Practice

​Intro PYD Training – 2hrs (virtual)

​This brief introductory training will outline the basic principles of PYD.  Participants will also learn about the Department of Children & Families approach to establishing a consistent and recognizable approach to adolescent practice that would improve the outcomes of transitional youth. 

Upon completion of this training series, participants will be able to:

•  Identify the principles of the PYD approach 

 

•  Strategize ways to put these principles into action
   
• Identity the principles of the VITAL approach

The purpose of this training is to help guide communities in the way they organize supports, services and opportunities for youth and young adults to reach their full potential.

Benefits of Participation

Adults benefit by enhancing their own competencies, learning to better understand and value youth, and increasing their commitment and energy to their organizations.

Organizations benefit by improving their programs, gaining community recognition, and attracting funders.
​
Communities benefit by improving quality of life, coordinating youth services, and authentically.

We also encourage parents, guardians, grandparents and other family members, friends and mentors. Our initiative is a community wide effort.

Upon completion of this training series, participants will be able to…

• Identify specific challenges that some youth face when going through puberty and adolescence 

• Explain risk taking in the context of brain development 

• Describe current trends in teen online behavior 

• Identify key features of the internet and its implications for online behavior 

• Describe key competencies needed for youth workers to be effective 

• Discuss how personal boundary issues arise and how to deal with them
 
• Identify common dilemmas experienced by youth workers and strategies to handle them 

• Identify resources, services, supports and opportunities that youth have identified are beneficial
 
​And More...

Empowering the youth!

Positive Youth Development
Statewide Adolescent Consortium

Join My People Community Services and Our Piece of the Pie as we host a monthly Adolescent Consortium to help guide communities in the way they organize services, supports and opportunities so that all young people can develop to their full potential.

This project was initiated and supported by the Department of Children and Families​.

Who Should Attend

• Youth Services Organizations
• Human Service Providers
• Civic Leaders
• Faith Communities Leaders
• Social Workers 
• Schools 
• Business Partners 
• Media Personnel 
• Youth Services Workers
•  State Agencies​

To help guide communities in the way they organize services, support and opportunities.

For more information contact us at:
[email protected]​

​Exploring the needs of our community, by building the future!