WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO? (IDEOLOGIES)

Choose 3 quotes from the readings or org websites that resonate with your philosophy of youth development. Paste them into your blog post. Underneath, write up a short reflection on each: what does this quote mean to you? How does it resonate/ apply/ speak to you?

I Know What I Believe: Using Theory to Prepare Youth Workers

One quote that resonated with me from this article was the definition used for Practitioners in the Positive Youth Development section "Practitioners believe that youth work programs should help children and adolescents further develop their strengths and interests." It goes on to say that this approach aligns with students because "of the ways it disrupts dominant school discourses that position young people as part of the problem, rather than part of a solution." 

I believe that we come into this world for a reason, and that at a very young age we start to see those reasons based on likes and dislikes. If as a community we focused on the children and adolescents and those areas of likes/dislikes, then we can help them develop those interest that are strengths, and those dislikes to help them learn about others who may not be like them. This quote speaks to me because all children have strengths and interests, but are not always taught how to use them, leaving them feeling like they don't have any strengths, which then makes them feel less of a person or as if they don't belong. 

"We believe all children can succeed if they have access to the resources, opportunities and relationships required to thrive today and in the future."

I enjoyed reading about this organization and the work they are doing with students. This quote in their mission statement connected with me because I don't look at students based on their background, culture, economic status, etc. to help them succeed. I see them as a human that are in this world and help them learn about what they can do to make it a better one.  For this reason, relationships play a big role, but also showing them how to access these resources to help them find their way in life. One thing I also noticed about this organization is the language they use in describing what they do. Unlike, PASA and New Urban Arts, they are not using language like "low-income, underserved communities, etc." They also are not focusing on closing "the educational gaps." Clearly, two of these are located in the Providence area and the other one is in a predominantly white community, but regardless of this it speaks high to me because we are not looking at children as these "poor kids" who have no experience, etc. instead the focus is on learning. Students are introduced to new things and seeing how they can be part of the community. This is not to say that the other two organization are not doing these things, but it is the language that is used that makes a difference in terms of the goal. 

The Occupational Culture and Identity of Youth Workers

"What makes youth work exciting and dynamic is that it belongs to nobody because it belongs to everybody." 

I couldn't have agreed more with this statement. The beauty about the work we do with youth is that is everyone's job to teach and learn with our children and adolescents. That it is OK to make mistakes, and that you have a purpose in life no matter how small it is. We all have strengths & interests and sharing those can help others find theirs. No one is perfect, and we don't always know it all, but having a space for these conversations is crucial for our work and our youth. Helping them understand that even as an adult we don't always know the answer and it is OK, not everything has to be planned out, but if the entire community worked together then our children wouldn't have to worry as much or deal with so many challenges in life. 

Connection: "Positive youth development focuses on reinforcing and facilitating developmental assets and strengths of young people." - similar language to the first article. See comment there.