Final Reflection

Final Reflection

            Through the Youth Development Leadership (YDL) program at Clemson University, I have learned and developed my skills around positive youth development and become a leader in the field. Over two years, twelve classes in which I developed 21 artifacts, and now a network of my peers, I am prepared to advocate and develop programming and work in organizations that connect youth with nature.

At the core of my experience in the YDL program is not that I learned a specific topic, 5c’ or the Big 3 (Lerner et al. 2011) of positive youth development. Still, the literature and study of how to help develop youth in positive and constructive realms are evolving. What I learned is how to learn and the importance of continuing to develop critical thoughts around youth development.  While much of the information I learned in various classes was instinctually known, it developed over ten years of experience in the field; I now can substantiate and articulate best practices for youth.

The original plan for enrolling in the YDL program was to work with a larger organization and run a sleep-away camp; I have done this (during this graduate program) and know this is different from my goal. I desire to connect as many people as possible, young and not so young, with nature and advocate for accessibility in the outdoors. This means I will have to find training and ways to educate myself further, build partnerships and engage in dialogue to create a world where nature is truly for everyone.

The development and skills learned, cultivated, and developed have made me even more appreciative of adaptability. People, specifically youth, can adapt and grow in incredible situations. At the same time, there are ideals that we should strive for; the ability to respond in positive responses to stress and stimuli is amazing. A second dimension of adaptability I have deepened my appreciation for is leadership (Yukl & Mahsud, 2010). Adaptive leadership requires leaders to know their team and bring them in to accomplish their SMART/HARD goals (Murphy, 2010).

            The Youth Development Leadership program has deepened my love for working with youth and has created validation in my chosen career. The journey through the program has had its bumps in the road, but I have learned and developed skills that will carry me through my career. Equipped with a deepened knowledge base and vocabulary, I am ready to be a leader and member of the youth development world.

Lerner, Richard & Lerner, Jacqueline & Lewin-Bizan, Selva & Bowers, Edmond & Boyd, Michelle & Mueller, Megan & Napolitano, Christopher. (2011). Positive Youth Development: Processes, Programs, and Problematics. Journal of Youth Development. 6. 40-64. 10.5195/JYD.2011.174.

  Murphy, Mark. Hard Goals: The Secret to Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. US: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

 
Yukl, G., & Mahsud, R. (2010). Why flexible and adaptive leadership is essential. Consulting Psychology Journal: practice and research, 62(2), 81.