The Teen Toolbox provides “tools for teens to take charge”. We are huge proponents of the positive youth development model. In its simplest form positive youth development means that instead of focusing on risk factors and deficits, we focus on the strength and promise in youth. The positive youth development model suggests that helping youth to reach their full potential is the best way to prevent them from engaging in destructive behaviors. This approach asserts that young people need various services and supports as they transition trough different developmental stages. In order to build healthy, productive adults, communities and agencies offer young people the opportunity to engage by learning and applying essential life skills – leadership, advocacy, and self-efficacy.
A healthy community and a progressive movement have one thing in common – young people who are allowed to help make important decisions about their own lives, the services they receive, and the environment where they live. Who knows young people better than young people? Who better to discuss the issues affecting teens than teens? Teens gain confidence when they are given the opportunity and responsibility to be a part of the solution and aren’t viewed as problems or seen only as consumers of services. When teens engage in productive activities they begin to understand how they add value to the world.
We all have a role to play. Implementation of the positive youth development model requires buy-in and participation from parents, neighbors, politicians, educators, businesses, faith-based institutions, and service providers. Youth advisory boards, peer education programs, teen focus groups, community service opportunities, and youth-led businesses are examples of the positive youth development approach. Each activity provides a platform for young people to share their ideas and involve themselves in resolution seeking activities. Are your teens taking charge? They deserve a seat at the resolution table. This blog post is my encouragement to everyone who has an impressionable young person in their life to provide a platform for that young person to share their voices and make a difference. The effects last a lifetime.
Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer
The Teen Toolbox provides youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic enrichment opportunities to help teens set goals for life after high school and create a road map to reach those goals through its PACKAGED FOR SUCCESS™ Programs.