Brodrick Clarke

Youth Development Leadership - Clemson University

Top

Connect on socials

Key Insights Learned in YDL

1. Youth Agency is Crucial: Youth programs must prioritize agency, allowing young individuals to take active roles in decision-making, goal-setting, and participation. This empowerment fosters autonomy, control, and influence over their experiences.

2. Skill Development: Experiencing agency in youth programs helps develop critical life skills such as decision-making, problem-solving, and communication, which are valuable in various aspects of life.

3. Positive Self-Perception: Valuing youth opinions and contributions enhances their self-perception and encourages ownership of the learning process, leading to increased motivation and engagement.

4. Empowerment and Advocacy: Empowered youth are more likely to advocate for themselves and others, promoting a culture of inclusion and support within the program.

5. Overcoming Challenges: Agency involves facing challenges and making decisions, helping youth develop problem-solving skills essential for navigating real-world situations.

6. Collaboration and Communication: Actively participating in decision-making processes helps youth develop positive relationships with peers and adults, enhancing their social skills.

7. High-Quality Programs and Equity: High-quality summer learning programs can help close the achievement gap, particularly for low-income students. It is essential to provide equitable access to such programs.

8. Leadership Training: Programs like the National Youth Leadership Institute (NYLI) focus on skill development, self-discovery, and community engagement to prepare young individuals for leadership roles.

9. Professional Development: Programs should also provide professional development for staff, enabling them to foster youth voice, choice, and agency effectively.

10. Evaluation and Feedback: Ongoing evaluation and feedback are critical to ensure that programs are effectively promoting youth agency and to identify areas for improvement.

11. Civic Engagement: Encouraging youth to think globally and engage in civic responsibilities fosters a sense of responsibility and commitment to community well-being.

12. Networking Opportunities: Providing opportunities for youth to connect with mentors, peers, and professionals can be instrumental in their future educational and career endeavors.

13. Program Design and Implementation: Programs should intentionally integrate opportunities for youth voice, choice, and agency, ensuring that youth-generated ideas shape the participant experience.

14. Internal Accountability: Organizations must hold themselves to the same standards they promote, demonstrating competency in infusing program operations with youth agency.

15. Mixed Methods Evaluation: Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, such as observations, focus groups, and surveys, provides a comprehensive understanding of program effectiveness.

Works Cited:

Hart, C. S. (Ed.). (2014). Agency and participation in childhood and youth : international applications of the capability approach in schools and beyond. Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472552754

Krauss, S. E., Collura, J., Zeldin, S., Ortega, A., Abdullah, H., & Sulaiman, A. H. (2014). Youth–Adult Partnership: Exploring Contributions to Empowerment, Agency and Community Connections in Malaysian Youth Programs. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(9), 1550–1562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-0027-1

Zeldin, Shepherd; Krauss, Steven Eric; Collura, Jessica; Lucchesi, Micaela; Sulaiman, Abdul Hadi. American Journal of Community Psychology; Macon Vol. 54, Iss. 3-4, (Dec 2014): 337-47.

Augustine, C. H., & Augustine, C. H. (2013). Getting to work on summer learning : recommended practices for success. RAND Corporation.

Kuhfeld, M. (2019). Surprising new evidence on summer learning loss: New research findings challenge common assumptions about summer learning loss. Phi Delta Kappan, 101(1), 25-.

Chandarana, S., Nagaraj, N., Landry, M., & Vyas, A. (2023). Exploring voice and agency among adolescents in South Asia: a vignettes-based approach. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2023.2267647

Charteris, J., & Smardon, D. (2019). Assessment and student participation: “choice and voice” in school principal accounts of schooling territories. Teaching Education (Columbia, S.C.), 30(3), 243–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2018.1462311

Mercy Brown-Luthango, & Rosca van Rooyen. (2022). “Do you own your freedom?”: Reflecting on cape town youths’ aspirations to be free. Gateways (Sydney, N.S.W.), 15(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.5130/ijcre.v15i2.8210

National Summer Learning Association, 2024, https://www.summerlearning.org/nyli-23/

Search Institute, https://www.search-institute.org/surveys/choosing-a-survey/dap/

Navigation

Artifacts

On this page you will find all my reflections and artifacts from the Masters in Youth Development Leadership Program. Feel free to leverage these artifacts to advance youth development knowledge and advocate for positive youth development settings that are vibrant, high-quality and youth-led.

Individual Artifacts

YDP 8000 - Organizational Case Study

Brodrick Clarke

Artifacts

Individual Artifacts

Collaborative Artifacts