Training youth program staff on the importance of cultural responsiveness and humility: Current status and future directions in professional development
“…Importantly, collaborative learning should not be limited to program activities with youth but also among staff as a part of their training experiences. Ongoing professional development opportunities coupled with intentional time for collaborative and critical reflection will help to promote practices that are not only culturally responsive but also effective (Gutierrez et al, 2017; Richmond et al, 2018).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…As these studies suggest, ASP dimensions related to positive program structure (e.g., safe and positive social norms, culturally relevant curriculum, skill‐building opportunities) and supportive youth‐staff relationships are critical to the facilitation and promotion of culturally responsive practices (Hirsch et al, 2011; Roth & Brooks‐Gunn, 2016; Simpkins et al, 2017; Smith et al, 2014; Yohalem & Wilson‐Ahlstrom, 2010). Supportive youth‐staff relationships constitute one of the most important dimensions of program quality that alters the extent to which culturally responsive practices can impact youth learning and development (Richmond et al, 2018; Simpkins et al, 2017). These youth‐staff relationships contribute to positive youth development and have been associated with higher grades, lower levels of psychological problems, and increased STEM learning and interests (Chittum et al, 2017; Kuperminc et al, 2019; Price et al, 2019; Smith et al, 2017; Yohalem & Wilson‐Ahlstrom, 2010).…”
High‐quality afterschool programs (ASPs) are opportunities to diversify the ways that Latinx youth from economically underprivileged communities experience STEM learning. Utilizing qualitative methods, based on the experiences and perspectives of low‐income Latinx middle school participants of a math enrichment ASP in Southern California, we identified four culturally responsive practices: (1) the promotion of an inclusive, safe, and respectful program climate, (2) engaging in personal conversations, (3) facilitating opportunities for mutual and math learning across diverse cultures and perspectives, and (4) the promotion of math and a range of social‐emotional skills across contexts. These practices helped youth feel more connected to the program, their peers, and program staff (college mentors); provided a platform for youth voice and contribution to the processes of teaching and learning; facilitated opportunities for skill development and practice across the different contexts of youth’s lives; interrelated with Latinx cultural values; and helped to promote youth’s engagement and math learning. Importantly, youth’s relationships with their mentors was a significant aspect of their experiences and perceptions of these practices. We argue that culturally responsive practices are necessary to achieve high‐quality programs and provide specific implications for how ASPs can implement them in the design and implementation of their programs.
“…Importantly, collaborative learning should not be limited to program activities with youth but also among staff as a part of their training experiences. Ongoing professional development opportunities coupled with intentional time for collaborative and critical reflection will help to promote practices that are not only culturally responsive but also effective (Gutierrez et al, 2017; Richmond et al, 2018).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…As these studies suggest, ASP dimensions related to positive program structure (e.g., safe and positive social norms, culturally relevant curriculum, skill‐building opportunities) and supportive youth‐staff relationships are critical to the facilitation and promotion of culturally responsive practices (Hirsch et al, 2011; Roth & Brooks‐Gunn, 2016; Simpkins et al, 2017; Smith et al, 2014; Yohalem & Wilson‐Ahlstrom, 2010). Supportive youth‐staff relationships constitute one of the most important dimensions of program quality that alters the extent to which culturally responsive practices can impact youth learning and development (Richmond et al, 2018; Simpkins et al, 2017). These youth‐staff relationships contribute to positive youth development and have been associated with higher grades, lower levels of psychological problems, and increased STEM learning and interests (Chittum et al, 2017; Kuperminc et al, 2019; Price et al, 2019; Smith et al, 2017; Yohalem & Wilson‐Ahlstrom, 2010).…”
High‐quality afterschool programs (ASPs) are opportunities to diversify the ways that Latinx youth from economically underprivileged communities experience STEM learning. Utilizing qualitative methods, based on the experiences and perspectives of low‐income Latinx middle school participants of a math enrichment ASP in Southern California, we identified four culturally responsive practices: (1) the promotion of an inclusive, safe, and respectful program climate, (2) engaging in personal conversations, (3) facilitating opportunities for mutual and math learning across diverse cultures and perspectives, and (4) the promotion of math and a range of social‐emotional skills across contexts. These practices helped youth feel more connected to the program, their peers, and program staff (college mentors); provided a platform for youth voice and contribution to the processes of teaching and learning; facilitated opportunities for skill development and practice across the different contexts of youth’s lives; interrelated with Latinx cultural values; and helped to promote youth’s engagement and math learning. Importantly, youth’s relationships with their mentors was a significant aspect of their experiences and perceptions of these practices. We argue that culturally responsive practices are necessary to achieve high‐quality programs and provide specific implications for how ASPs can implement them in the design and implementation of their programs.
“…Self-reflection and critique, in particular, are quite important in the process of implementing inclusive change (Danso, 2018;Foranda et al, 2016). Richmond et al (2018) note that youth development professionals having cultural humility requires that they be "life-long learners of cultural beliefs, values, and assets who, through selfreflection, have constantly evolving cultural knowledge and skills" (p. 504). In practice, humility is a recognition of the professional's ignorance and immaturity of and within a culture (Van Tongeren et al, 2019).…”
Section: Cultural Humility Versus Competencementioning
Indigenous youth are systemically underserved by 4-H and other positive youth development (PYD) organizations. Many underserved First Nation communities in the United States could greatly benefit from programs that foster youth thriving; however, these programs tend to be ineffective in creating culturally reflective spaces for Indigenous participants. In this article, we argue that the Peoplehood Model should serve as a unifying model for the inclusion of Indigenous identity in programming, and that cultural humility should be firmly integrated into program design and assessment. We also propose that, to support Indigenous youth thriving, PYD practitioners must intentionally create a “partial vacuum” that supports youth creating program context and thriving.
“…Positive Youth Development occurs when opportunities, activities and relationships are made available to young people in meaningful ways allowing them to develop their own unique capacities and talents (Sanders et al 2015). Such an approach is grounded in developmental systems theory and focuses on interactions between young people and their contexts, that is, how multiple resources within young people's social, emotional, physical, academic and interpersonal environments contribute to growth, learning and thriving (Richmond, Braughton, & Borden 2018). It seeks to promote generalised positive development of assets such as bonding, resilience, social, emotional, cognitive, behaviour or moral competence, self-determination, positive identity, belief in the future, recognition for positive behaviour and opportunities for pro-social involvement (Lerner et al 2005;Roth et al 1998).…”
Section: The Contribution Of Positive Youth Development For Supportinmentioning
Despite the policy and academic interest in helping disadvantaged young people into employment and education, and towards a more positive future, little is known about the process of supporting positive transitions for young people. In Australia and internationally, youth work is increasingly considering alternatives to the traditional deficit-oriented and risk-averse approach to supporting young people experiencing social or material disadvantage. With an outset in youth practitioners' perspectives on their work and underpinned by key concepts drawn from the Positive Youth Development approach, this paper seeks to improve understandings of how best to support disadvantaged young people's ability to thrive, facilitate practitioner dialogue and strengthen practice. Qualitative interviews were conducted with twelve youth practitioners and a focus group run with an additional eight. The paper explores three concepts emerging from the analysis that were identified as key to understanding the unique potential youth work practitioners have to support positive transitions with and for disadvantaged young people: having an ecological focus, encouraging personal agency and fostering alternative possibilities. The findings propose new possibilities for working with young people with whom mainstream services struggle to engage. The paper concludes by discussing the practical implications and limitations of this approach.
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