Symone Says

 "In this frame, young people are situated as individuals with emotional, physical, academic, moral, and social potential." -From I Know What I Believe: Using Theory to Prepare Youth Workers - This quote from the reading really resonated with me because I think it is so important to make space for youth to be authentically themselves. I believe it is a disservice to the youth for the adults or mentors who work with them to pigeonhole the leaders of tomorrow (and sometimes today). While there is nothing wrong with viewing Youth Development through differing lenses like Risk, Resilience and Prevention, Civic Youth Development, and Social Justice Youth Development, I find that using the Positive Youth Development lens allows for more agency from the very beginning. This viewpoint reminds me of the approach used at DCYF, which we call a "strengths based approach." A strengths-based approach gives people the opportunity to focus on the assets they already see in themselv...

 Reading Katie Johnston Goodstar’s article, Decolonizing Youth Development: Re-imagining Youthwork for Indigenous Youth Futures , left me feeling a mix of disappointment and self-reflection. As a member of the Narragansett tribe, I’ve often felt a bit out of touch with the deeper aspects of my culture, so diving into this article was both eye-opening and a little uncomfortable. It felt like I was looking at something that I should be more connected to, but I didn’t quite feel like I belonged in the conversation about Indigenous issues. Goodstar’s discussion about how Indigenous children and communities are treated hit home in a way I wasn’t expecting. While I could relate to some of her points due to my upbringing, I didn’t realize until reading her work that many of our family practices are actually tied to my Indigenous roots. For example, the way Goodstar described Indigenous kinship systems, where children are cherished and not seen as burdens, perfectly matches my family’s app...

 When I started watching Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution , I was prepared to feel a sense of pity for the people on screen, expecting to confront the painful reality of how society mistreats and marginalizes those with disabilities. I anticipated having to face my own past mistakes and unintentional biases. To my surprise, I didn’t end up feeling pity at all. Instead, I was left with a profound sense of awe and wonder at the strength and resilience of the individuals featured. The documentary made it clear that when people come together with a shared goal and belief, they can achieve remarkable things. One particular moment that hit me hard was Judy Heumann’s speech after the ADA bill was finally passed. Her comment about being "tired of being thankful for accessible toilets" really struck a nerve. At first, I thought she should take a moment to appreciate the progress made, considering how hard it was to get the ADA passed. But then I realized that Heumann had every right...

 In "Denaturalizing Adolescence," Nancy Lesko discusses several key beliefs about young people that influence how society views and treats them. One major belief is that adolescence is split into rigid categories—normal vs. abnormal, masculine vs. feminine, and civilized vs. savage. This binary thinking doesn’t recognize the full range of adolescent experiences and development, pigeonholing young people into categories like "behind," "on target," or "advanced." This kind of classification affects marginalized youth more harshly; for example, those from lower-income backgrounds or minority groups are often unfairly labeled as troubled. Gender norms also play a role here; boys are expected to be assertive while girls are expected to be passive, reinforcing stereotypes and ignoring the diversity of individual experiences. Another belief discussed is that adolescents are controlled by their hormones, which paints their behavior as erratic and driven ...