Youth Development

Park and recreation professionals recognize that a majority of youth are making the right choices every day. Receive resources that help you empower youth to create positive relationships with concerned adults who provide guidance. Learn about our role in creating healthy adults!

CPRS Youth Development Academy and Summit

CPRS Youth Development Academy and Summit will be held from February 28 – March 1, 2008 at the Long Beach Conference. Join us for two days of a leadership training experience for your staff and youth leaders, followed by a Youth Summit designed by Youth in the Orange County / Los Angeles area.

To peruse the 2007 Youth Development Leadership Academy held in Sacramento , click here.

Policymakers: A Checklist of Youth Development Principles

Principles and a checklist of important questions as a guide for policymakers when creating, modifying, supporting, and/or funding youth policy. Click here to download.

CPRS Policy Statements

  • CPRS endorses the youth development model as a framework that addresses human needs in the healthy development of young people.
  • CPRS believes the development of meaningful, achievable and measurable youth outcomes is critical to establishing the foundation for the transition to youth development.
  • CPRS encourages park and recreation agencies to use their key assets (programs, services and facilities) to support the healthy development of young people.
  • CPRS encourages park and recreation agencies to adopt an "outcome management" model in establishing youth development programs. Measurable outcomes of youth development include behaviors, skills, knowledge, perceptions and values that address youth competencies in the areas of health/physical; personal/social/ cognitive/creative; vocational; and citizenship.

Youth Development Resources

Youth Development Strategy Paper. Learn six critical elements needed to shift your youth activities program to a youth development approach. Click here to view the entire paper. Click here to view the summary.

National Youth Development Information Center-- www.nydic.org -- is a one-stop Website for youth workers with interest in any and all of the following areas: funding, programming, research, policy, job and training opportunities. NYDIC also provides current news to the youth development field and has one of the largest online libraries, providing practice-related information at low-cost or no cost. NYDIC provides constant opportunities for practitioners to share knowledge and experience, enabling them to build the best practice in the field of youth development. NYDIC is an initiative of the National Collaboration for Youth.

Youth Leadership Institute— www.yli.org -- Youth Leadership Institute builds communities where young people and their adult allies come together to create positive social change.  YLI designs and implements community-based programs that provide teens with leadership skills in the areas of prevention, philanthropy, and policy and civic engagement.  Building on these real-world program experiences, YLI creates evidence-based curriculum and training programs that enable them to engage in social change efforts across the nation, all while promoting best practices in the field of youth development.  YLI provides customized, on-site training and technical assistance services that are grounded in real-world experience. The effectiveness of these services is continually tested and evaluated through community-based programs.

Promoting Youth Development. Information to help you promote youth development in your community. Click here to view the fact sheet.

Additional Resources. A list of California park and recreation agencies with a youth master plan, advisory council or commission Click here to view the list.

Action Steps to Forming Youth Commissions or Youth Councils. Review six action steps to guide you through the development and formation of a youth commission or council for your community.  Click here to read the Tip Sheet.

Fact Sheet. Youth development and your organization. Click here to download.

Fact Sheet. A list of Web sites with information on supporting youth and youth programs. Click here to download.

Youth Development Committee Roster
Click here to view the committe roster and contact information.