Middle School Youth Lead the Way: Creating "Pathways to Leadership" in After-School Programs

A special to CFK, this article is the third in a series from the Youth Development Institute (YDI) that focuses on reaching and enrolling young people in quality out-of-school programs and boosting their leadership. To learn more, visit the YDI website.

Images courtesy of Good Shepherd Services

What practices are effective for retaining and engaging middle school youth as they age in out-of-school time (OST) programs? What programs are helping them to transition to higher levels of responsibility within the program?

Programs like Good Shepherd Services Beacon's "Pathways to Leadership"—in which young people work with younger children, learn about youthwork strategies, and reflect on their work with adult staff—help youth to develop new competencies, feel valued and build strong bonds with adults and youth. In addition, young people provide a valuable service to their program, community and the youth development field by joining a new generation of youth development professionals providing school-age childcare.

After-School Time: a Chance to Lead

Middle school is a critical period, full of vulnerability and opportunity. The intellectual, physical and emotional growth as young people progress from ages 9 through 14 enables them to contribute both to the after-school program and in the wider community. Programs need to capitalize on this by providing leadership opportunities along with adult support.

In March 2009, staff from nine New York City Beacons (click here for a definition of Beacons) came together at New York City's Youth Development Institute to discuss the Pathways to Leadership program at Good Shepherd Services Beacon. The result was an exciting conversation on how to engage young people, develop their skills and encourage long-term participation in after-school programs through leadership opportunities. This work also casts a light on how to help young people prepare for high school, where they must take more responsibility for their own success than in middle school.

Here are some highlights:

Good Shepherd Beacon
Good Shepherd Services Beacon at Public School 15 in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, New York, says it has increased retention and engagement by instituting The Pathways to Leadership program. Pathways to Leadership helps young people (ages 9 to 21) develop skills that are critical for success in college, at work, in peer relationships, family relationships, and in meeting challenges in their community and society. Throughout their involvement, youth both receive services and are of service to others in their communities.

As participants grow in their roles as child care workers and mentors, relationships with staff and peers help them tap into their strengths and overcome challenges. This system of support, with increasingly higher levels of skill building and responsibility, keeps students actively participating and engaged in Beacon activities as they make their transition from childhood to adulthood.

Key Action Steps:

• The Challengers (ages 9 to 11, mainly 5th graders) engage in individual activities and once per month engage in collaborative community building projects. At this stage, they are just beginning to get a feel for contributing to their communities.
• Pathfinders (ages 11 to 14) take on larger community building projects and participate in weekly discussions designed to develop skills such as problem solving, behavioral consistency, and group cohesion. They attend extensive job preparation and career readiness workshops. Pathfinders also serve as Youth Ambassadors providing tours when guests visit the Beacon, and conduct outreach and orientation for new members.
• Leaders in Training (LITs) are young people ages 13 to 16 who earn stipends and work with 6- to 10-year-olds. For three days a week, the LITs serve as interns who help Beacon group leaders supervise younger after-school groups. Here, they get to practice what they have learned and have a variety of input from adult staff. For two days a week, they participate in trainings focused on work habits, public speaking, team-building skills, and child development. For this work they receive stipends of $40 every two weeks.
• Program Aids (who range in age from 14 to 21) are Good Shepherd paid positions, starting at $13.65 per hour. Program Aides assist group leaders in monitoring the younger groups five days a week.  The Program Aides receive hands-on mentoring and supervision in weekly meetings with their Group Leaders and in larger staff meetings with the Program Directors. They also participate in two intensive training institutes per year.

  These four-day trainings are conducted by veteran Beacon staff and provide the Program Aides with workshops on topics including the stages of youth development, student safety, group management, conflict resolution, building positive relationships, how to run a successful activity, travel safety, swim safety, child abuse awareness and group development.

Key Ideas to Remember:

• Youngsters in Pathways to Leadership Programs should have an opportunity to transition gradually from program participants to becoming an emerging professional.
• Young people don't like work that is not real. Find ways to promote mastery and create a professional experience for young people in which they can make a difference to others.
• Supervision is key! Having a staff (of youth and adults) that feels taken care of and supported, leads to better quality practitioners and programming. At the Good Shepherd Beacon, an After School Institute & Summer Institute are offered to all levels of staff (including young people) and staff receive at least two hours paid time for individual supervision and staff meetings per week.

Why it Matters:

• Pathways to Leadership creates a new generation of youth development workers; this model builds the field from within.
• Young people build their competence: including social competencies, employment skills and increased personal self-efficacy.
• A genuine career path for young people is opened up.
• The program provides an extended family and sense of belonging for young people during key life transitions.
• Young people provide a very important resource to the community: school-age child care that allows parents in the neighborhood to work without worrying about their children's well-being.

Tracking Results

The Good Shepherd Services annual report has some data on the results of the Pathways to Leadership program.

Connect for Kids and YDI will follow up in early 2010, as well, and bring you the data.

More in this series:

• Part 1: Boosting Your Recruitment and Enrollment, Lessons from a New York Beacon Center.
• Part 2: Engaging Families to Boost Teens' After-School Enrollment: Practical Tips from the Beacons Experience