Y-AP Rationale

Why is Youth-Adult Partnership a core strategy for positive youth development?

  • The research evidence is clear.  When youth and adults work collaboratively, on things that matter for a common purpose, then:  (a) young people become more competent, confident, and connected; (b) adult volunteers gain important insight, and become even more connected and committed to 4-H and to young people in their community.
  • Youth-adult partnership (Y-AP) is a core practice in all 4-H programs — clubs, STEM, community coalitions, citizenship and leadership.  Programs are most effective when youth voice is respected and when adults are actively supportive of youth participation in program decision making and in their own learning.
  • Y-AP is sustainable.  When adults and youth learn to work collaboratively, with a spirit of trust and shared accomplishment, the adults and youth are changed forever.  They take this experience with them, and it positively impacts how they learn and work in other settings.

Read:

Watch:
The Importance of Y-AP I and II (under 5 min.)Right Upper Leaf

Involving Youth in Decision Making (~22 minutes)

This online training aims to accomplish a few things.

Provide an introduction to youth-adult partnerships.
Outline the research base that supports youth-adult partnership.
Outline the “best practices” that are being used in organizations and community initiatives around the country.
Introduce you to a new resource and discussion guide, Being Y-AP Savvy: A Primer on Creating and Sustaining Youth-Adult Partnerships.
And provide links to easily accessible resources on research and on best practices.

After considering the readings and the videos:

Why is youth-adult partnership (Y-AP) considered to be a core practice within 4-H Youth Development?
Why is it important for staff and volunteers to strengthen Y-AP in our programming?