On the Right Path: Youth Development Amidst Colombia’s Sociocultural Transition

Abstract

Colombia is amidst a sociocultural transition due to recent political movements towards ending the long-standing internal armed conflict. Development and implementation of youth programs that are responsive to the current societal context can contribute to this transition by investing in younger generations. This study features findings from the exploration phase of a community-based participatory research study to adapt a youth program from the United States for implementation in Colombia. Through focus group interviews, participants representing 4 different microsystems surrounding youth shared perceptions of youth who will be successful in this transitional context. Perceptions coalesced to reveal a process of positive development for use as a framework for responsive and culturally sensitive program adaptations. The emergent process mirrors positive youth development principles and shares similarities with other positive youth development models. The discussion explores considerations for the sociocultural context when designing youth programs for use in Colombia.

Positive Youth Development in Colombia: Reflections on a Cross-cultural Collaboration

“…PYD-based programs have demonstrated means to promote youth thriving and active and engaged citizenship among international youth (Lerner et al, 2021). Adapting a program based on PYD principles, such as UFL, can offer Colombian youth the tools and skills necessary to become transformative agents for new forms of social functioning and rebuild the fabric of Colombian society (Follmer et al, 2021).…”