Tag: Youth Development Leadership

Summer Scholars is an academic summer camp for middle and high school students to experience life on Clemson campus as they start to think about the future prospect of attending college. While in the program, the students stay in residence halls, explore the campus and facilities, and take part in engaging courses that provide an insight into what it’s like to study at Clemson.

This year summer, one Youth Development Leadership (YDL) Master’s alumni and two current students are working in the program: Donna Buss (currently enrolled) is the Administrative Coordinator, Lacey Edgerton (class of 2022-currently enrolled) is the Director, and Leslie Heffington (class of, 2019 and current Ph.D. student), has a part-time role as Graduate Assistant.

With Donna and Lacey in management positions and Leslie working closely with the camp counselors, this year’s Summer Scholars policy and practices were directly informed by content taught through the YDL course. Here’s what Donna, Leslie, and Lacey felt the participation in YDL Master’s impacted their work this summer.

Making Changes to Summer Scholar’s Inclusion and Diversity policy – Donna Buss

I feel incredibly fortunate to work at Clemson University, where I can continue my education and work full time. Since beginning the YDL master’s program in Fall 2021, I have applied every paper and project to Summer Scholars. In one of the Master’s modules, we were tasked with creating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan for our current program. I took this opportunity to make changes to the Summer Scholar’s inclusion and diversity policy; here’s a part of the plan that was implemented:

Summer Scholars believes in the dignity and the intrinsic worth of every human being. We welcome, affirm, and support young people of all abilities, experiences, races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, religion and non-religion, citizenship and immigration status, and any other category people use to define themselves or others.

We strive to become an increasingly inclusive and welcoming environment for our community, strongly affirming the value of inclusivity in all areas of camp life and culture. Summer Scholars encourages meaningful participation, and when we stumble, because sometimes we are not sensitive, we are committed to learn, invest, and reflect more deeply into the values we strive to uphold. As a community, we know that an important aspect of inclusion is continually reflecting and evolving as we go. You are always encouraged to communicate with us if you have concerns.”

Working Hands-On With Camp Counselors– Leslie Heffington

This summer, a lot of my focus has been behind the scenes with Summer Scholars, but I have used information from the YDL program in my interactions with staff. When I was enrolled in the YDL program, I particularly enjoyed the classes that focused on staff management and leadership. I think in the camp setting, we must look at what motivates our counselors to do their jobs. They work long hours, often have minimal time off, and are somewhat disconnected from their friends and family outside camp. The leadership team must make sure these counselors have the support and resources necessary to do their jobs effectively. Creating a positive camp culture and compassionate environment for counselors is essential to the success of any camp program. Without the counselors, camp wouldn’t exist!  At Summer Scholars, we have been lucky to use the strategies and techniques presented to us in the YDL program to try and set up our counselors for success.

Supporting Underserved Students and Developing a Program Evaluation Plan – Lacey Edgerton

As a student of the Youth Development Leadership Master’s program, I have enjoyed taking the content that I have learned in my courses and applying it to the Summer Scholars program. At the start of my role with the Summer Scholars Program, there were two major additions I wanted to add to program operations—financial assistance for underserved students to attend camp and an enhanced outcomes evaluation plan for both campers and counselors. Two courses within the YDL program have given me the knowledge and tools necessary to implement these additions, Grantsmanship and Assessment and Evaluation of Youth Programs.

One of the goals of Summer Scholars is to increase college awareness and postsecondary education attendance, and we hope to increase this affinity for college among underserved students. We hope that through grants, we will have the financial means to provide scholarships for students to attend camp who otherwise may not receive that opportunity, introducing them to higher education both academically and socially.

Within Summer Scholars, we focus on the development of not only campers but also our counselors. Now that I have my first year under my belt, I hope to take the information I learned from Assessments and Evaluations to create an ongoing outcomes evaluation plan that allows us to continue to grow our reach and impact with both our campers and counselors, cultivating an environment and program rich in positive youth development.

Finally…

We are delighted with how Donna, Leslie, and Lacey applied what they learned through the YDL Master’s program and had such a positive impact on the local community. If you want to gain applied and management skills to thrive in the field of youth development, check out our online Master’s of Science degree in Youth Development Leadership (YDL) (36 credit hours, 12 courses, 2 years) and our Graduate Certificate in YDL (15 credit hours, 5 courses) – https://bit.ly/YDLmasters or email youthdev@clemson.edu.

Barry A. Garst, Ph.D. and Ali Dubin

Camp is a principal positive youth development setting providing critical supports and opportunities for children and adolescents during summertime and across the calendar year (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019). After two years of programmatic and operational disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the camp community is once again providing camp experiences to millions of youth across the U.S. While the summer of 2020 relied heavily on virtual engagement and significant reductions in the overall number of youth served, the summer of 2021 was successful due to camps’ effective application of a host of COVID-19 mitigation strategies (called “non-pharmaceutical interventions” or NPIs) including screening, masking, cohorting, hand hygiene, sanitizing practices, ventilation, and social/physical distancing (Garst et al., 2022; Suh et al., 2022). In fact, cohorting (i.e., organizing camp participants in small groups for camp activities) was the most common NPI camps used in 2021.

The summer of 2022 finds camps combining recommended camp health care practices, lessons learned from 2020 and 2021, and innovations and adaptations in response to COVID-19, to ensure the health and well-being of camp participants and to facilitate a return to a more “normal” program delivery model. Organizations such as the Alliance for Camp Health and the American Camp Association have collaborated closely with the Centers for Disease Control and other health organizations to translate health care guidance related to communicable disease prevention and management into recommended practices for the camp community. Camp NPI utilization in many camps is being strengthened by innovations including drive-thru camper check-in, which allows for COVID-19 testing and screening before anyone steps onto camp property. Another impactful adaptation includes transitioning camp health care services like medication administration and triage to an outdoor location, which allows for increased ventilation and distancing to reduce the possible spread of COVID-19. Notably, preparation for the summer of 2022 has required camp administrators and camp health care providers to evaluate important trade-offs. These tradeoffs (e.g., staff time off and possible community spread of COVID-19, use of cohorts, use of masking, and vaccination requirements) are described in this infographic.

Youth development practitioners, educators, and researchers interested in learning more about how the camp community is responding to the pandemic, as well as the emerging mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) needs of youth and staff, are encouraged to visit the Alliance for Camp Health, the American Camp Association, and the Healthy Camp Toolbox.

• Dubin, A., & Garst, B. (2022). Camp programs and health care trade-offs within the context of COVID-19. CompassPoint, 32(1), 19.
• Garst, B., Dubin, A., & Gaslin, T. (2022). Application of non-pharmaceutical interventions in camps following the onset of COVID-19. Child: Care, Health, and Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12957
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Shaping summertime experiences: Opportunities to promote healthy development and well-being for children and youth. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25546
• Suh, H. H., Meehan, J., Blaisdell, L., Browne, L. (2022). Non pharmaceutical interventions and COVID-19 cases in US summer camps: Results from an American Camp Association survey. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 76. 327-334.http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2021-216711

* Reprinted with permission from the Alliance for Camp Health (Dubin & Garst, 2022)

In this blog post our very own Marian Robinson – Faculty Associate and Community Outreach Coordinator in PRTM and YDL – shares her experiences of volunteering. Marian’s words are heart felt, eye opening, and act as a rallying call for all of us to do more in our local communities. We thank her for sharing her story and we hope you appreciate this piece.

January is annually recognized as National Mentoring Month. Honoring the efforts of mentors and promoting mentoring activities makes a great deal of sense. Mentoring relationships are one of the most important assets for promoting thriving and reducing risk behaviors in young people. Youth who have mentors in their lives report a range of better psychological, socioemotional, and behavioral outcomes across adolescence as compared to youth without these relationships.

As part of this celebration of mentors and their efforts, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership has released a new resource to strengthen mentors’ support of young people. Becoming a Better Mentor: Strategies to Be There for Young People was designed specifically for mentors and is available as a written resource, an animated video series (see below), and a soon to be released audiobook. Becoming a Better Mentor is written by experts in the field and full of real-world advice and evidence-based strategies. The guide offers actionable steps mentors can take to ensure they are providing youth with quality support.

YDL’s own Dr. Ed Bowers contributed a chapter on goal setting and support to this essential volume.  The chapter summarizes a wealth of evidence from the field of mentoring, but it is framed by Dr. Bowers’ work on goal-directed skills. Dr. Bowers and colleagues have conducted several studies on the links between goal-directed skills and positive youth development as well as how mentors can support the development of these skills.  Through their work, they identified three key skills that youth use to set and achieve their goals.

Youth with higher levels of these skills are more competent and confident, have higher character and healthier connections to others, and show care for and contribute to the lives of others. These youth are also less likely to report depressive symptoms or engage in delinquent behaviors, smoking, underage drinking, and substance use.

To make these skills more tangible to mentors and youth, Dr. Bowers and his colleagues developed a metaphor of a GPS navigation system on your smart phone to describe these skills. Youth enter their destination (Goal Selection), and the GPS provides them a route to reach their destination (Pursuit of Strategies). Sometimes, youth encounter traffic or roadblocks, so they are re-routed (Shifting Gears). Mentors might view themselves as driver’s ed instructors providing support to their mentees throughout the learning process. Materials based around the GPS metaphor have been linked to positive outcomes in youth in the U.S. and in China.

Each chapter in Becoming a Better Mentor, including Dr. Bowers’, provides an overview of a core mentoring practice, why that practice is important, what it looks like when working with youth, and tips on how to integrate each of these practices into one’s relationships with diverse young people.

As part of the promotion of the resource, Dr. Bowers will also join with colleagues to present an overview of the resource on January 27, 2022, during a workshop session of the National Mentoring Summit. The Summit is fully virtual so you can still register for this key annual event in the mentoring movement.

If Dr Bowers’ work on youth mentoring has piqued your interest… 

Dr Bowers’ is just one of a team of developmental experts who teach on Clemson University’s online Master of Science degree in Youth Development Leadership (36 credit hours, 12 courses, 2 years) as well as a Graduate Certificate in youth development leadership (15 credit hours, 5 courses). These programs are uniquely designed for professionals working in youth development settings. For more information, visit https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/departments/prtm/degrees/graduate-degrees/youth-development-leadership.html or email youthdev@clemson.edu.”

References

Bowers, E. P., Geldhof, G. J., Schmid, K. L., Napolitano, C. M., Minor, K., & Lerner, J. V. (2012). Relationships with important nonparental adults and positive youth development: An examination of youth self-regulatory strengths as mediators. Research in Human Development, 9(4), 298 – 316.

Bowers, E. P., Gestsdóttir, S., Geldhof, J., Nikitin, J., von Eye, A., & Lerner, R. M. (2011). Developmental trajectories of intentional self regulation in adolescence: The role of parenting and implications for positive and problematic outcomes among diverse youth. Journal of Adolescence, 34(6), 1193 – 1206.

Bowers, E. P., Johnson, S. K., Warren, D. J. A., Tirrell, J. M., & Lerner, J. V. (2015). Youth-adult relationships and positive youth development. In Bowers et al. (Eds.), Promoting positive youth development: Lessons from the 4-H Study (pp. 97-120). New York, NY: Springer.

Bowers, E. P., Napolitano, C. M., Arbeit, M. R., Chase, P., Glickman, S. A., Lerner, J. V., Lerner, R. M. (2013). On a pathway towards thriving: Evaluating the effectiveness of the “GPS to Success” tools to promote positive development and intentional self regulation in youth. Journal of Youth Development, 8(3) 4 – 31.

Bowers, E. P., Wang, J., Tirrell, J. M., & Lerner, R. M. (2016). A cross-lagged model of the development of mentor-mentee relationships and intentional self regulation in adolescence. Journal of Community Psychology, 44(1), 118 – 138.

Gestsdóttir, S., Bowers, E. P., von Eye, A., Napolitano, C., & Lerner, R. M. (2010). Intentional self regulation in middle adolescence: The emerging role of loss-based selection in positive youth development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 764-782.

Liu, F., Bowers, E. P., Gai, X., & Ren, W. (2020). Enhancing the intentional self-regulation skills of Chinese adolescents living in orphanages: A school-based intervention. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 23(3), 339-348. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12407

Napolitano, C. M., Bowers, E. P., Arbeit, M. R., Chase, P., Geldhof, G. J., Lerner, J. V., Lerner, R. M. (2014). The GPS to Success growth grids: Measurement properties of a tool to promote intentional self regulation in mentoring programs. Applied Developmental Science, 18(1), 46 – 58.

During the holidays, homeless charities experience an increase in donations, and while charitable generosity in any capacity is valuable, homelessness is a pervasive issue that cannot be resolved with donations alone. Additionally, research is needed to find long-term solutions to promote meaningful societal change.

Research suggests that 40% of the U.S. homeless population is under 18 years of age (Rawhide Youth Services, 2019). Additionally, over a 12-month period, a study found 1-in-30 youth between the age of 13-17 experienced a form of homelessness; this figure was 1-in-10 for 18–25-year-olds (Morton et al., 2018). Many young people experiencing homelessness fall under the category of hidden homeless, that is, people who are not street homeless (what most of us think when we hear homelessness) but are experiencing insecure living conditions (i.e., sofa surfing) or are housed in sheltered accommodation (i.e., youth housing services).

The Issues Are Apparent, But What Are the Solutions?

At present, there are no definitive guidelines for best practice when working with young people experiencing homelessness. However, evidence from peer-reviewed studies suggests that programs that are psychologically informed, strengths-based, and provide opportunities for life skills development can promote resilience, well-being, reduction in substance use, and social inclusion benefits (Bani-Fatemi et al., 2020; Cronley et al., 2017; Cooley et al., 2020; Krabbenborg et al., 2017a, 2017b; Parry et al., 2020; Quinton et al., 2021).

Findings from the existing evidence base suggest strong similarities between program features and outcomes reported in youth homelessness with those commonly seen in the field of Positive Youth Development (PYD). For example, Lerner and colleagues’ (2011) conceptual model of PYD includes personal growth (i.e., reflected through the five Cs) and reductions in risk behavior (see Figure 1).

Moreover, interventions for young people experiencing homelessness also capture social inclusion outcomes, such as successful integration into employment, education, or training programs (Homeless Link, 2018). Facilitating social inclusion changes in youth reflect positive changes in contribution, which is sometimes referred to as the sixth C of PYD.

Figure 1: Conceptual model of PYD from Lerner et al., 2011

This blog post outlines two interventions targeting young people experiencing homelessness that demonstrate similarities with core principles of PYD. These interventions are My Strengths Training for Life™ (MST4Life™) and The Houvast Intervention.

MST4Life™

MST4Life™ is a program that I (Dr. Ben Parry) worked on and studied while completing my PhD at the University of Birmingham, UK. The program was designed in collaboration with a housing organization that supports young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness between 16-24 years of age.

The purpose of MST4Life™ was to engage young people who were not engaged in education, employment, and training through a program grounded in strengths-based principles of sport psychology and promoted transferable skills applicable for personal growth and social engagement (https://www.sprintproject.org/projects).

Below is a figure reflecting MST4Life™’s delivery model and underpinning theories and approaches. You can read more about MST4Life™ on their website (sprintproject.org) and in peer-reviewed publications listed at the end of this post (e.g., Parry et al., 2020).

Figure 2: Delivery model and underpinning approaches included in MST4Life™

A PYD lense was adopted for MST4Life™ when evaluating the program’s mechanisms and impact, with findings suggesting participants experienced growth in five Cs of PYD and a range of transferable life skills. Subsequently, PYD became a core theory when training housing organization staff to deliver and evaluate strengths-based programs through my research and ongoing program evaluations.

The Houvast Intervention

The Houvast intervention is a strengths-based approach to service delivery in Dutch housing services supporting young adults (17-26 years; Krabbenborg et al., 2017a, 2017b). Research suggests that homeless service users receiving care according to Houvast guidelines experienced positive changes in outcomes, such as quality of life, family relations, resilience, competence, autonomy, depression, financial situation, and health (Krabbenborg et al.,2017a). The Houvast intervention has also been found to promote basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, relatedness, competence) (Krabbenborg et al., 2017b).

The Houvast intervention’s strengths-based philosophy of the program aligns with the core tenets of PYD. For instance, when outlining the Houvast approach, Krabbenborg and colleagues (2013) emphasize using strengths-based assessment tools and recognizing service users’ personal qualities. Houvast’s approach to service provision resonates with Damon’s (2004) view that PYD aims to, “manifest potentialities rather than the supposed incapacities of young people – including young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and those with the most troubled histories” (p. 17).

The Houvast intervention is an example of how incorporating strengths-based practices into service provision can make youth housing services more than just a ‘roof over their heads’. By taking a psychologically informed approach, youth housing services can be a setting that nurtures young people’s well-being, support their growth, and help them make meaningful and sustainable changes in their transition out of homelessness. Indeed, a psychologically-informed approach was adopted in the housing service that implemented MST4Life™ (Cumming et al., 2017).

What Can We Take From the Interventions Discussed?

• Compared to youth housing services in the U.S. – for young people experiencing homelessness in the U.S., research suggests that the majority of interventions take place within housing services, akin to those included in Houvast and MST4Life™ (Morton et al., 2020). This suggests adopting a systems approach, that is, implementing change at an individual, program, and organizational level could be a viable method to incorporating PYD in youth housing services.
• Older adolescence and early adulthood – PYD may look different for older groups experiencing homelessness; for example, adult-youth relationships may benefit from a trauma-informed approach. Additionally, there may be a need to adapt life skills curricula to focus on employment and independent living.
• Applied practice – MST4Life™ researchers have used findings from the program to develop free guides for developing, implementing, and evaluating strengths-based approaches in collaboration with youth housing services (sprintproject.org/toolkits).

Conclusion

There is a need for researchers and practitioners in youth development to mobilize their skills and expertise towards addressing youth homelessness. Specifically, PYD can be an organizing framework to inform evidence-based practices and programs that nurture developmental growth by recognizing skills and strengths.

Finally, if this blog has sparked your curiosity to study youth development in higher education, Clemson University offers an online Master of Science degree in Youth Development Leadership (36 credit hours, 12 courses, 2 years) as well as a Graduate Certificate in Youth Development Leadership (15 credit hours, 5 courses). These programs are uniquely designed for professionals working in youth development settings. For more information, visit https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/departments/prtm/degrees/graduate-degrees/youth-development-leadership.html or email youthdev@clemson.edu.

References

Bani-Fatemi, A., Malta, M., Noble, A., Wang, W., Rajakulendran, T., Kahan, D., & Stergiopoulos, V.  (2020). Supporting Female Survivors of Gender-Based Violence Experiencing Homelessness: Outcomes of a Health Promotion Psychoeducation Group Intervention. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.601540

Cooley, S. J., Quinton, M. L., Holland, M. J. G., Parry, B. J., & Cumming, J. (2019). The Experiences of Homeless Youth When Using Strengths Profiling to Identify Their Character Strengths. Frontiers in Psychology. Advanced online publication: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02036

Cronley, C., & Evans, R. (2017). Studies of resilience among youth experiencing homelessness: A systematic review. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 27(4), 291–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2017.1282912

Cumming, J., Skeate, A., Giles, A. (2017). Case Study 130: St Basils Psychologically Informed Environments – meeting the emotional and psychological needs of young homeless people. Housing Learning and Improvement Network. https://stbasils.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/1_PIEHLIN_CaseStudy_130_StBasilsPIE_v01.pdf

Damon, W. (2004). What Is Positive Youth Development? Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591(January), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716203260092

Homeless Link Research Team (2018). Young & Homeless 2018. https://doi.org/10.3171/2016.4.JNS152896

Krabbenborg, M. A., Boersma, S. N., Beijersbergen, M. D., Goscha, R. J., & Wolf, J. R. (2015). Fidelity of a strengths-based intervention used by dutch shelters for homeless young adults. Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.), 66(5), 470–476. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201300425

Krabbenborg, M. A. M., Boersma, S. N., van der Veld, W. M., Vollebergh, W. A. M., & Wolf, J. R. L. M. (2017a). Self-determination in relation to quality of life in homeless young adults: Direct and indirect effects through psychological distress and social support. Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(2), 130–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1163404

Krabbenborg, M. A. M., Boersma, S. N., van der Veld, W. M., van Hulst, B., Vollebergh, W. A. M., & Wolf, J. R. L. M. (2017). A cluster randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of Houvast: A Strengths-based intervention for homeless young adults. Research on Social Work Practice, 27(6), 639–652.https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731515622263

Krabbenborg, M. A. M., Boersma, S. N., & Wolf, J. R. L. M. (2013). A strengths based method for homeless youth: Effectiveness and fidelity of Houvast. BMC Public Health, 13, 359–369. https://doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-359

Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Lewin-Bizan, S., Bowers, E. P., Boyd, M. J., Mueller, M. K., … Napolitano, C. M. (2011). Positive Youth Development: Processes, Programs, and Problematics. Journal of Youth Development, 6(3), 38–62. https://doi.org/10.5195/JYD.2011.174

Morton, M. H., Dworsky, A., Matjasko, J. L., Curry, S. R., Schlueter, D., Chávez, R., & Farrell, A. F. (2018). Prevalence and Correlates of Youth Homelessness in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62(1), 14–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.10.006

Morton, M. H., Kugley, K., Epstein, R., & Farrell, A. (2020) Interventions for youth homelessness: A systematic review of effectiveness studies. Children and Youth Services Review, (116), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105096

Parry, B. J., Thompson. J. L., Holland, M. J. G., Quinton, M. L. & Cumming, J. (2020). Improving Outcomes in Young People Experiencing Homelessness with My Strengths Training for Life™ (MST4Life™): A Qualitative Realist Evaluation. Children and Youth Services Review. 121, 105793https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105793

Rawhide Youth Services (2019). Homeless Youth: America’s Hidden Population. https://www.rawhide.org/blog/infographics/homeless-youth-americas-hidden-population/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqbyNBhC2ARIsALDwAsDsUeOcCuFw4bcEGFwo8CEFvMvMMJowcOfiw0JwnBkN25Z9hSff0XcaArc4EALw_wcB

November is Academic Writing Month, a month that encourages academics to be more intentional about dedicating time and effort to their writing pursuits. However, this task can be easier said than done, and there can be a whole host of barriers when trying to commit to our academic writing pursuits.

More often than not, the biggest barriers we face are the ones we create for ourselves. For example, we might be hesitant about starting (cue procrastination), or perhaps we find we don’t have the time (cue literally any other task!). We might also find ourselves starting with the best intentions and goals, but by the end of the day, we’ve only managed to write (and rewrite) the same paragraph multiple times to the point of perfect imperfection (aka, we’re chasing the elusive goal of a perfect first draft).

If you find any of these barriers apply to you or want to learn some new tips for making your academic writing process more productive, this blog post is for you! Below are some strategies and recommendations suggested by our Youth Development Leadership (YDL) team and other resources that can help you thrive with your academic writing.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

We all experience writer’s block, including our esteemed colleagues in the YDL team. Dr. Lauren Stephens has been a part of 8 peer-reviewed articles, including a recent publication with Dr. Ed Bowers (also a part of our YDL team) that was the most cited research article of the past three years in the Department of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Management at Clemson University (https://news.clemson.edu/cbshs-recognizes-research-publication-and-scholarship/).

However, Dr. Stephens also experiences the effects of writer’s block. Below, she reflects on how she navigates the feeling of being stuck when writing:

When I’m feeling “stuck” writing (think major writer’s block), it’s often because I’m staring at a blank Word doc and thinking through just how far I have to go to get to the final product. When this happens, I close the Word doc and open up the Notes application on my Mac and begin jotting down ideas there. Sometimes, I start with the introduction. Other times, I’ll pull together some ideas from what I’ve been reading that will eventually become the literature review. In this process, the task doesn’t change (I’m still drafting the paper); however, the mindset does. No longer do I have an ominous, blank, white page staring back at me – with the eventual high stakes of other scholars critiquing my work looming in the dark corners of my brain. Now, instead, I have a lower stake, a more casual forum to start jotting down my ideas. The pressure is gone. Writing seems less about the audience and more about telling my story. Others can’t read what I haven’t yet written, and so, the task becomes simply that – to let the words flow. To write.

So, what can we take from Dr. Stephens and her approach to overcoming writer’s block?

• “How far I have to go” – break down an overwhelming writing goal into smaller chunks
• “Lower the stakes” – there are other ways of writing that aren’t on a Word doc; why not lower the stakes and switch to notes instead?
• “Telling my story” – your piece will have a narrative; taking time to understand what this is will enhance the quality of your writing and make the process feel more intrinsically valuable.

Dr. Stephens’ writing success is also due to her ability to be intentional with her time. Knowing how to use your time effectively is an important skill to develop when becoming a more proficient writer.

Being Intentional with Your Time

As we suggested earlier in the blog post, we often feel like we don’t have the time to write; this feeling can be because we either (a) feel like writing has to be a long, drawn-out process or (b) we do not manage our time effectively (or both!). Below are some tips for making our writing process more efficient.

1. The Pomodoro method

The Pomodoro method is an approach to time management that helps you intentionally dedicate time to your writing and taking a well-earned break.

The Pomodoro method proposes that you set a timer for 25 minutes; this period is your work time. After the 25 minutes, you set another timer for 5 minutes, this period is your break time. After completing between 3 to 5 Pomodoros (including work and break time), you take a 15 to 25-minute break to refresh your mind and body.

The method is simple but effective, and it can help you remain more focused by breaking up your time into more manageable chunks. It can also help break down your writing goals; for example, you may want to dedicate 3-5 Pomodoros to focus on a particular section of your essay, manuscript, or report.

2. The ‘writing brain’ vs the ‘editing brain’

Another trap we can fall into when trying to write is editing our writing at the same time.

Our writing brain is creative and likes room to explore possibilities, but it can be more introverted and need a bit of encouragement. On the other hand, our editing brain is critical and provides pretty clear feedback on what is right or wrong with our writing; it is also typically the louder voice and, if not harnessed correctly, can be linked to negative self-talk while trying to write.

If we try to edit while we write, we’re effectively trying to multitask two separate cognitive processes. Not only does research suggest we cannot multitask (Rosen, 2008), but when we attempt to, multitasking hinders our progress, effectiveness, and enjoyment of the tasks we’re attempting. Unfortunately, the edit-while-you-write approach is common and probably why most of us find academic writing a drawn-out and painful pastime.

So, what can you do to stop (or at least minimize) the edit-while-you-write strategy? Daphanie Gray-Grant, also known as the publication coach, suggests some of the following tips:

• Turn the monitor off – while this may seem like a drastic strategy, the rationale behind it is that your editing brain cannot be active if it has nothing to look at and, therefore, have nothing to critize. However, touch typing proficiency is recommended for this; otherwise, your sentences may not make sense when your turn the screen back on!
• New day new Word doc – the idea behind this strategy is to resist the urge to go back and edit work you’ve already done by starting on a new document each day. However, you don’t necessarily want this to be a blank page (as Dr. Stephens suggests). So, Ms. Gray-Grant proposes that before you finish off a writing day, you should copy and paste the last bit you wrote in a new document to follow on from the next day.

You can see the rest of Daphanie Gray-Grant’s tips on her blog post – https://www.publicationcoach.com/7-ways-to-stop-editing-while-you-write/

Academic Writing in YDL

In addition to the tips and strategies we’ve shared, we also strongly believe in the motivating force of having a passion for the topic you’re writing about. As our very own Dr. William Quinn puts it, “the writer should want to shout their message to world!”

Our YDL team believes in conducting research that have an applied impact in the lives of young people, youth professionals, families and communities, and inform positive changes in in youth organizations and at policy level. Therefore, what drives our motivation when writing is the thought of producing output that closes the gap between research and practice in the field of YDL.

So, when you undoubtedly face some barriers during your academic writing, think about what is driving you to write, what are you passionate about, and what you hope the impact of your writing might be? We often aim to write an aspirational and inspirational conclusion in our academic writing; however, our aspirations and inspirations can also be the perfect starting point too.

Finally

If you’re interested in pursuing academic writing in higher education, Clemson University offers an online Master of Science degree in Youth Development Leadership (36 credit hours, 12 courses, 2 years) as well as a Graduate Certificate in Youth Development Leadership (15 credit hours, 5 courses). These programs are uniquely designed for professionals working in youth development settings.

For more information, visit https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/departments/prtm/degrees/graduate-degrees/youth-development-leadership.html or email youthdev@clemson.edu.

References

Belcher, W. L. (2019). Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: a guide to academic publishing success. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks. Chicago Press.

Mewburn, I. Firth, K. & Lehmann, S. (2018). How to fix your academic writing, by Inger Mewburn (Author), Katherine Firth (Author), & Shaun Lehmann (Author). Open University Press.

Rosen, C. (2008). The myth of multitasking. The New Atlantis, (20), 105-110. https://bit.ly/3qQOTgP 

Website

https://thoughtco.com/can-people-really-multitask-1206398

https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique

https://storygrid.com/writers-vs-editors-brains/

Introduction

As the Tigers prepare to face Connecticut this weekend, the game is dedicated to military servicemen and servicewomen to show gratitude for their service to the United States of America. Recognized as Military Appreciation Day, the event is a great opportunity to highlight research by the Youth Development Leadership (YDL) faculty and students targeting military youth and their families.

This month’s blog post focuses on the research conducted by experts in the Youth Development Leadership (YDL) field, working in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University (see author details at the end of this piece).

The YDL research team worked collaboratively with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to evaluate the impact of a Military Teen Ambassadors (MTA) program. The study evaluated participants’ knowledge of resiliency and family reintegration following deployment. The full text of article can be found here, https://tinyurl.com/sxwfzjs. This blog post outlines some of the study details and key findings, discusses practical implications, and suggests possible next steps to build upon the research.

A Little about the Study and the Context

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“Nearly one million youth (ages 20 and under, or 21–22 if enrolled as full-time students) have parents serving on active duty across all four branches of the U.S. military (Department of Defense, 2018)”, from Weston et al., 2021.

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The BGCA is an organization that offers targeted support through trained staff, developmental resources, and evidence-based practices that aims to enhance young people’s sense of resilience and promote awareness and skills to manage reintegration processes. BGCA’s logic model is provided below.

The BGCA’s MTA program invites participants from exemplary sites across the globe to take part in a three-day youth leadership development program held in the in the United States. The MTA program is a youth-led, hands-on experience where the participants learn about resiliency, reintegration, and personal development skills from trained peers and adult advisers (known as the Steering Committee). You can learn more about the MTA program and the BGCA more generally over at their website: https://www.bgca.org/.

Resilience

Resilience for young people is a reflection of their ability to persevere through and withstand stressors and challenges in life by using adaptive coping mechanisms, such as personal attributes and the support of those around them. In other words, resilience is considered one’s ability to bounce back. The BGCA teaches resilience to young people using the 7 Cs of resilience model (Ginsburg & Jablow, 2005).

Family Reintegration Following Deployment

In military families, a process of reintegration is when a parent comes back to the family home following a sustained period of deployment (Marek et al., 2014). This can be a difficult process for families to manage as they try to balance feelings of excitement with a return to pre-deployment routines and lifestyles. Reintegration can also be a particularly difficult transition for young people to manage; for example, young people are likely to experience development changes while their parent is away on duty, and if these changes are not recognized by the parent, the child can feel disappointed (Huebner et al., 2007).

Study Purpose and Methodology

Main Findings

• The 7 Cs of resiliency was a helpful framework for enhancing participants’ knowledge of resilience, with the majority of participants being able to successfully describe the 7 Cs. Additionally, participation in the program was associated with growth in developmental outcomes associated with resilience, such as competence and confidence.
• Participation in MTA was associated with significant increases in knowledge of reintegration. Additionally, most participants correctly defined reintegration. The study’s findings point to a unique approach to preparing for reintegration through a leadership program centered specifically on military youth.
• Participants reported increases in self-perceived personal growth, reflected through improvements in confidence, competence, responsibility, leadership, and public speaking. There were also improvements in perceptions of leadership skills.
• Results from follow-up measures highlight how participants made positive contributions to their communities, such as program participation and collaboration with community leaders. Additionally, participants demonstrated a greater understanding of fellow youths’ needs.

Overall, findings from the study identified how the BGCA as an organization, and the MTA program more specifically, provides a service to young people that enhances knowledge of resilience and reintegration and nurtures feelings of personal growth.

Practical implications

In sum, resilience and reintegration knowledge can strengthen military youths’ resolve and promote experiences of personal growth. Programs aiming to promote knowledge of resilience and reintegration would be well advised to include leadership opportunities, youth-led content and delivery, asset-based learning, and the 7 Cs of resilience. It is possible that similar recommendations could be applied to other groups of young people experiencing separation from significant care givers (e.g., incarcerated parents); however, additional research is required.

It should be noted that the findings from research with military youth may not be applicable in different settings. Additionally, our recommendations should be interpreted with caution considering potential limitations of the research (e.g., difficulties to determine exact cause and effect).

What’s Next?

The YDL team at Clemson University continues to partner with the BGCA to evaluate the MTA program and other core components of the organization. Currently, an exciting research project is being conducted to understand the nuances of how the MTA program influences the future trajectories of young people and advisors that take part.

More broadly, we believe future research that explores the benefits of asset- and leadership-based programs for youth who are vulnerable to sustained parental detachment, like military youth, would provide valuable contributions to the field of youth development and produce research that can have a positive applied, social impact.

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We would also love to hear what you think future research could do to further our understanding. Feel free to use the comment box provided for this post to share your thoughts!

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Like What You’ve Read?

If you’ve got a passion for working with young people and want to further your expertise in youth development through an advanced credential, take note of the points and resources below:

Clemson University offers an online Master of Science degree in youth development leadership (36 credit hours, 12 courses, 2 years) as well as a Graduate Certificate in youth development leadership (15 credit hours, 5 courses). These programs are uniquely designed for professionals working in youth development settings. For more information, visit https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/departments/prtm/degrees/graduate-degrees/youth-development-leadership.html or email youthdev@clemson.edu.

To connect with or learn about the authors of this research, see the links below:

• Dr Kayla Weston
  • https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kayla-Weston-5
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-weston-71a8408a/
• Dr Barry Garst
  • https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barry-Garst
  • https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/about/profiles/index.html?userid=bgarst
• Dr Ed Bowers
  • https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Edmond-Bowers
  • https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/about/profiles/index.html?userid=edmondb
• Dr William Quinn
  • https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/about/profiles/index.html?userid=wquinn

References

Department of Defense. (2018). 2018 demographics – Profile of the military community. Retrieved from http://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports /2018-demographics-report.pdf.

Ginsburg, K. R., & Jablow, M. M. (2005). Building resilience in children and teens: Giving kids roots and wings. American Academy of Pediatrics.

Huebner, A. J., Mancini, J. A., Wilcox, R. M., Grass, S. R., & Grass, G. A. (2007). Parental deployment and youth in military families: Exploring uncertainty and ambiguous loss. Family Relations, 56(2), 112–122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00445.x

Marek, L., Hollingsworth, W. G., D’Aniello, C., O’Rourke, K., Brock, D., Moore, L., & Wiles, B. (2014). Returning home: What we know about the reintegration of deployed service members into their families and communities. NCFR Report Magazine.