Something To Say "Yes" To! (Careers in Youth Development) · PDF fileIntroducing the Youth...
Transcript of Something To Say "Yes" To! (Careers in Youth Development) · PDF fileIntroducing the Youth...
9
SOMETHING T o SAY
"YES" To!
£
l S P
Youth £ ,:
The Nat i l
......... ~i!R!!!~!!~ii~i~$~%~!:~ii~i~:~i!i~!)~<{~!%%~!~!~!~ii~iii~ii~%i!~£y ¸ i ~i%21% i
ili,!iiii!!ii~
Z
Mission Statement
The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY) is an affinity group of the National Assembly of National Voluntary Health and Social Welfare Organizations. Leading youth development organizations work together to provide a united voice as advocates for youth, to improve the condi- tions o f y o u n g p e o p l e in A m e r i c a , a n d to h e l p y o u n g p e o p l e r e a c h t h e i r
full potential.
Members of the National Collaboration for Youth
American Red Cross Association of Junior Leagues International Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Boy Scouts of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America Camp Fire Boys and Girls Child Welfare League of America Civil Air Patrol Families, 4-H & Nutrition Girl Scouts of the USA Girls Incorporated Hosteling International, American Youth Hostels Joint Action in Community Service National Association of Homes and Services for Children National Network for Youth One-to-One Partnership The Salvation Army Volunteers of America WAVE, Inc. YMCA of the USA
~i ..... i ~ . . . . ~ i ~ii~ii I~ : !~ ~O ~ i~i~7~iqi~ii,iiiiii~[il ~ q i~ ~
YWCA of the USA
i~i~ ~ ~ ~/ii~
© 1996 The National Assembly
of National Voluntary Heal th and Social Welfare Organizations 1319 F Street, N W Suite 601 • Washington, D C 20004 (202) 347-2080 • www.nassembly.org
Introducing the Youth Development Field
W hen President Bill Clinton asserted in his first State: of the
Union address, "We have' got to stop pointing our fingers at kids who have no future and reach our hands out to them," he described the work of youth development. When he suggested that his audi- ence "remember that even as we say no to crime, we must give our young people something to say yes to," his words echoed the promise of youth development careers.
I f you are a person who cares about kids, and is looking for a profession that makes a differ- ence, a career in youth develop- ment may be for you. This publi- cation will give you a feel for the wide variety of opportunities and individuals in the field. You will join them on a day in their lives, read how they got there, and learn about their vision for devel- oping young people. You will share their enthusiasm and sense of satisfaction knowing their work has meaning. Whether sit- ting at a desk, interacting directly with young people, supervising, or lobbying in the hails of Congress and state legislatures, each in his or her own way is extending a hand to youth. We hope their stories will encourage you to say, "Yes!" to a career in the youth development field.
Youth development is about
nurturing young lives. For young people it means spending time, learning, and having fun in a safe environment with adults who care. It is work that strives to develop all our nation's children into productive adults. It is about time well spent in a supportive environment, engaging in an activity, when too often, by unfortunate necessity, too many children spend too many hours alone and unsupervised.
Youth development programs are led by agencies like the mem- bers of the National Collaboration for Youth. They are trusted orga- nizations so part of the American scene that they are icons. At the same time, they are contemporary in their visions. The National Collaboration for Youth is just the tip of the iceberg: More than 17,000 nonprofit agencies serve as youth development organiza- tions in the United States, rank- ing second only to public schools in the time spent with young people.
There are unlimited careers "to say yes to" in the youth devel- opment field. Whether your interest is social work, psycholo- gy, human service administration, business, ministr}; education, recreation, juvenile justice or health, there may be a job for you. Youth development jobs include everything from design- ing and implementing programs,
training, and fund raising to directly working with young peo- ple as counselors, educators, social workers, camp directors, or after-school program directors, to name a few.
The qualifications required range widely across professions and skills. There are people like Guillermo Flores, who built on
his love for coaching and obtained a degree in recreational management and public adminis- tration. As program director for Boys & Girls Club of Scottsdale, Arizona, he now has a direct hand in developing and running activities for hundreds of kids. He is supervised by Sandy Stevens, who graduated with a degree in biochemistry but found her call- ing during college while volun- teering as a volleyball coach at the Tucson Boys & Girls Club. Laura Heaney, director of child care services for the YMCA in Portland, Oregon, found herself restless after teaching in an ele- mentary school and was able to catapult her skills and dedication to children into a powerful man- agement role in designing and implementing after-school child care programs. Angela Key found her niche in an unanticipated set- ting. Angela feels her job as case
manager in an independent living program for unwed teen mothers brought new life to her social work career. Some find a second
career, like Howard Northrup, a retired career Naxw officer and
former helicopter pilot and base comptroller. He uncovered new
What ties individuals
in the field together is a
commitment to providing
productive and healthy
environments for young
people to grow and develop.
meaning in his fiscal budget
crunching as associate executive
director of administrative services for San Diego Youth and C o m m u n i t y Services " I f I save $1,000 now," he says, "I know it means this agency can do more in
a kid's life." Whether a career in the youth
development field is studied for, stumbled upon by chance, or dis- covered as a second career, once on
the job, there are opportunities for vertical and lateral movement within agencies and agency to agency. W h a t ties individuals in
the field together is a commitment
to providing productive and
heMthv environments for young people to grow and develop. It is interesting and meaningful work, vitally important in today's world, and that is precisely why the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation funded this publication: to get the word out. "It gave us a chance to provide infbr- mation about real opportunities," says Kellogg Program Director Robert Long. "It comes out of a
strong belief that youth develop- ment work is really about ensuring the fhture of our country."
2
r 1 • r_Jr cifi " r jri iVici.riciy~r', ~ 0 7 ~ muo~" ~v~clcilm, ~\:['jz, oirir_i,
cii'lci
~i~; 7i ~ i ¸¸
iiiiiii iiTi
A Day in the Life of Sandy Stevens...
B right and early Monday morning, in the already hot Arizona sunshine, Sandy
Stevens drives up to her parking space just after 7:00 a.m., country music booming from the radio of her sassy 1986 red Toyota truck. She hops out, tosses her long black hair off her shoulders, grabs her
purse and papers and, full of ener- gy and enthusiasm, greets the sleepy children already lining up at the doors of the Boys and Girls Club, a modest one-story building on a downtown street.
The youngsters, ages 6 to 15, follow Sandy like the Pied Piper and come alive under the irre- sistible pull of her warmth and humor. She has a personal greeting for everyone, a joke, a focused attention that instantly makes those in her presence feel special. As she socializes, she is checking her center, making sure everything and everybody are in place for the program which serves 200 young people on an average day. The trickle of kids coming in swells to a rush.
As parents drop them off,
Sandy double-checks permission forms, collects fees for swimming and special activities, and breaks up skirmishes among children
wing for games and position in the big game room. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a shy child entering for her first day. Sandy makes a beeline for her,
crouches down and talks to her quietly. They walk to the child's new group, hand in hand.
The groggy adolescents who are "leaders in training" tease Sandy as she whisks from place to place. "Why are you happy ali the time?" one boy asks as he roils his eyes. "It's depressing!" She laughs heartily and within moments gets him to laugh, too. She could not be more pleased at this effort to engage young adolescents in the program by giving them responsi- bilities as helpers.
By 9:00 a.m. the kids are lined up in groups in the gymnasium. She has already had countless interactions with her charges. Even though she is the manager, Sandy draws energy from the pop- ulation she serves and maintains a
work rhythm that allows her to keep in touch with their needs. "The most important thing to me is being out on the floor mingling with kids," she says. "Even in a manager position, you can't lose sight of that."
On the gymnasium floor, she is the head counselor--clowning, exhorting, getting the kids to sing and compete in spirit yells. Groups with names such as the Freaks, Cougars, Erasers, Destroyers, even amazingly, the all-too-cool oldest group, the Hippies, yell at the top of their lungs. And the Hippies win!
Once the groups go off to their morning activities, Sandy set- tles into her office. Her door has a formal sign that reads: Sandy Stevens, Branch Manager. The
14
more appropriate sign is taped below in big bright polka dot let- ters on an orange background. Made by one of the kids, it says
simply, "Sandy." That 's what the kids call her.
Sandy leaves her door open. At 24, she is definitely a member
"The most important thing to
me is being out on the floor
interacting with kids, even in
a manager position, you can't
lose sight of that."
of the M T V generation: the noise and energy of the place stokes her,
and she can do five things at once. She pays bills, works on the center
budget, assesses the stock of sup- plies, sets up a board meeting, and
makes sure all is in order for the field trip to a video arcade. She
presides over the prize chest beside
her desk as several kids come in for special rewards for good attitudes and cooperation. She helps one
youngster calm down from a tem-
per tantrum, acts as center princi- pal by disciplining two others, approves a request to bring a bug condo with a spider in it for show
and tell, types a report, and makes
several phone calls to suppliers.
The day whizzes by. There are afternoon announcements in the
gymnasium, activities, and a major snafu with the air conditioning failing in the 107-degree heat. No
problem. After trying switches and fuses, Sandy decides to climb on to
the roof and tinker with the equip- ment. She somehow gets it run-
ning again, and nobody is sur- prised that she can do it!
Sandy loves herjob. "I can be four different people in one day,"
she says. "In the morning I can be at a board meeting in professional dress; in the afternoon I can be getting drenched with a Super Soaker. It is the best of both
worlds."
5
Stepping into a Career
W hile in college, Sandy Stevens was uncertain about her career. She
had always thought about teaching because she loved kids but was being pressured toward a career as a scientist because she was natural- ly gifted in science and math.
Her life changed when she volunteered to coach volleyball at the Boys & Girls Club and fell in love with the youth development field. "The girls really took a liking to me and me to them. I was a good volleyball player and I would try mv best to teach them and be a positive role model. We spent time talking about life, dating, and friendships, and they wanted to
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
hear my experiences. I thought, 'This is awesome. It's helping kids out.'" She remembers thinking it was the most difficult thing she had ever done but loved the chal- lenge and the emotional appeal.
The executive director of the Tucson Boys & Girls Club became her mentor and hired her. He helped her understand the impor- tance of her connection with the kids she worked with and how that could positively affect their lives. She started part time and moved to full time while completing her college degree. She was totally taken with the work: "I thought, 'This is wonderful. I can do some- thing that I love and get paid for it!'"
Sandy went on to become program supervisor in Tucson and then moved to Scottsdale for her present job as branch manager at the Boys & Girls Club. In addi- tion, she has become a trainer for
the national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where she is known affectionately as "The Kid."
Looking back from her pre- sent position, she recalls, "I was really headed toward medical school, maybe as a pediatrician. I had these battles with myself over what I wanted to do. I f I wanted to pursue a master's degree in youth development or something, I fig- ured I could do it later. This is why I have a bachelor's degree in mole- cular and cellular biology with a minor in physics and chemistry."
Her work, Sandy says, "is something I love absolutely. I can't imagine leaving, but maybe someday I'll go to medical school. I f I do, I know I will always be tied in somehow. Maybe I'll be a volunteer on the Board of Directors, raising money for youth programs. I can't see ever detaching completely."
6
Youth Deve lopment - In Her Own Words
S andy seems so at ease in her role as she interacts with the
kids at her center, so fun-
loving, that it is easy to assume her
talent is related to her own youth-
fulness. But from the moment she
comes to work until she leaves at
the end of the day, she never for-
"That is youth development:
How am I going to
make a positive impact on
this kid today?
What am I going to do to
make that person fee1 good?"
gets the underlying intent of everything she does.
"My profession is youth devel- opment. W h e n I work with a kid,
it is not just, 'How are you? How
was your day?' It is constantly
thinking about how am I going to
make this kid special. How am I
going to change this kid's life
today? That is youth development:
How am I going to make a posi- tive impact on this kid today?
W h a t am I going to do to make
that person feel good? It is an ongoing process.
"My first impression was that
the Boys & Girls Club was just a
recreation agency. This idea was
dispelled in my first staff meeting
when the executive director said,
'We are not a recreational facility;
we are a youth development
agency.' His whole presentation
focused on how the agency helps to
develop young people by teaching
life skills, citizenship, leadership,
and to me it was like, 'Wow! This is
so cool! I always wanted to make a
difference in this world!'
"The thing that sold me was
when I finally stepped into a Club and saw I made a difference. The girls I coached in volleyball will
never forget me, and I will never forget them. W h e n you walk into a Club, the way the kids cling to
your legs, it makes you feel want-
ed. You have to be able to be the
center of attention and use that to
make a positive effect on the kids."
_~J~J LJJ b rnur}i~y ~rv]c~,
Z /
idea a~,.d
job :'J!o".';
^ ,
u 5
:̧ ,̧̧ ̧
A Day in the Life of Paul Watson...
D uring the rare moments
when Paul Watson sits at
his desk in his cheerful, unpretentious office, he looks out
on a courtyard in the converted
garden apartment complex that
houses San Diego Youth and
Community Services. The laughter of young people who are part of a
program punctuates his work.
His desk is piled high with papers. He already collected his
voice-mail messages on his cellular
phone while driving in to work. He has a stack of calls to return,
contractors to meet regarding
office remodeling, a new computer
system to consider, potential fund
raisers to contact, and reports to
write. The monthly calendar opened on his desk is pracfcally
colored in with meetings and
obligations. But Paul is charged with ener-
gy. His eyes are ablaze with the
mission of his work: to transform
society to a more just and equitable
place, harnessing the power of youth as the primary social change
agents. The passion of his commit-
ment suffuses the room. It can be heard in his voice as he gently pres-
sures a colleague on the phone to
work with him by running for vice
chairman of the National Network
for Youth's National Council on
Youth Policy. It is presented on the large blackboard on one wall that
has a clear list of priorities for the
agency in the 1996-97 fiscal year.
It is seen in the art that adorns his walls: two African prints portray a circle of elders, reminding him of his position as a role model to young people.
The busy details of his work go far beyond the particulars of administering a large social service agency. His office is like a satellite
center for members of national and international organizations that deal with social change, communi-
ties, and youth. Yet at the same time, Paul strives to make connec- tions with the same people his agency serves. He makes time to attend a barbecue in the courtyard given by the kids to raise money
for their program. He stops to pay his compliments to the young chefs at the grill.
Since Paul travels so much
for his many commitments, all day long he tries to catch up, and everyone seems to want a piece of his time. He patiently tries to accommodate. There are matters of donor development, fiscal and
human resources, supervision of programs and writing grants. He administers a staff of more than 150 paid employees and 400 vol- unteers, oversees an annual bud- get of $5 million, and delivers ser- vices that touch the lives of more than 60,000 young people each year.
A workaholic by nature, he
works from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., six days a week on average, with very few of hours spent at his desk. He is administrator, power broker, wheeler-dealer, fund raiser, and visionary. He iuggles circles of
influence to sustain his vision. He thrives in such an environment. He moves easily from making pre- sentations at a City Council or board meeting to standing with his staff holding fund raising buckets at a Bonnie Raitt concert and col- lecting clothing donations.
His dedication to a partner- ship with youth is absolute. At an emergency lobbying effort with state legislators in Sacramento the
He moves easily from
making presentations at a
City Council or board meeting
to standing with his staff
holding fund-raising buckets
at a Bonnie Raitt concert.
night before, he took a "youth partner" with him to speak out against a bill intended to lock up youth status offenders. Paul wants legislators to hear the voices of young people their laws affect. He also wants young people to under- stand how they can influence the power structure. Everything he does comes down to involving and empowering youth.
The day ends with a labor of love, a Youth Congress meeting. The Youth Congress was founded by Paul in 1994 to bring together young people and adults from other youth-serving agencies in San Diego. The Youth Congress is a partnership to strengthen and create real political clout among young people ages 18 to 24. Paul joins the circle of chairs. He explains about the anti-youth measures being debated by federal
and state policy-makers that include trying young people as adults for certain offenses, manda- tory sentencing, and other puni- tive proposals. He speaks to the group as equals, telling them about last night's session in Sacramento. He opens a discus- sion on the underlying issues that create a climate for such bills.
A heated discussion ensues. They are all still talking as Paul leaves for his agency's Board of Directors meeting. His parting words are about how young people and adults need to work together to develop a strategy to counter the anti-youth mood in the country. As he walks out, the dis- cussion that was dominated by complaints has become forceful and proactive. The group begins to make a plan. He smiles because his vision is happening.
11
Stepping into a Career
p aul was a child of the '60s,
changed irrevocably by the power of youth in the Civil
Rights movement. Born to a reli- gious family and raised in a quiet
community on Long Island, New York, his life took a detour for sev- eral years after his father diedand his mom remarried. At 16, he ran away and got absorbed in the street culture, eventually becoming
a gang leader. His story may have stopped
there, just another kid lost to the streets, if it were not for a youth worker assigned to his neighbor- hood. "He said, 'Paul, I watch you
every day risking your life. I always wonder, what benefit do you get from it? Have you ever looked at the conditions in this community? You can really do something about it. I f you are going to risk your life, you
might as well risk it for something beneficial.'" Paul recalls, "I didn't
"know what he was talking about, but it captured my attention."
They established a partner- ship, Paul and the street worker.
They worked on improving recre-
ation and housing in the commu- nity. Paul learned to be an organiz- er and became aware of his power to transform things.
He learned that he needed more tools. Paul got his G E D and went on to earn a bachelor's of sci- ence in human service administra- tion. "School gave me a whole new theoretical framework to look at
what was happening in communi- ties. I realized issues of race rela- tions were only a small part of the bigger issues in the community," he says.
At 21, he moved to Connecticut and became a youth counselor in a group home treatment program for adjudicated youth. His work with families, police, and community marked the first time he had stepped inside the system. He real-
ized he wanted to be in charge: "I always said to myself, ' I f I were running this program, I would do it a little better and maybe make a
broader impact!'" He moved toward leadership
positions, first as program director
of the group home, then at a girls' f~icility for several years. Eventually
he became executive director of the agency. Along the way, he learned new skills: theories, modalities of treatments, and organizational structures. He became more and more touched by the situations of the young people and families. "I always tied my experiences back to the larger issues: Why is it that we
have whole communities where young people are growing up under these conditions?"
Paul found himself stepping beyond his office to affect public
policies and the flow of funding. He began meeting with policy- makers and participated in interest groups, task forces, and congres- sional advisory boards.
When he went to San Diego in the late '80s he continued his work
at the helm of several treatment facilities before finally going to San
Diego Youth and Community Services in 1989. He became execu-
tive director in 1995.
12
Youth Deve lopment - In His Own Words
E ven when Paul Watson sits still, there is a sense that the wheels are turn-
ing in his head. Nothing he does is unrelated to his vision of adults and youth working together for community change. Such partnerships are the only way, he believes, for change to occur. "There are many community
My passion is to create equal
partnerships, so together
young people and adults can
strengthen communities.
development projects around the country, but youth are usually an afterthought," he says. "They are not involved with the planning, designing, and implementation of programs. Many times they are looked at as major problems in the equation. But you cannot design programs for young people without asking them whether or not they make sense.
"I believe that you have to get people to share a vision for what their community really could be. In order to come up with solutions, you have to have the energy and the impatience of youth and start to push things in a different way. You also have to
have the benefit of experience and the knowledge and wisdom of the adults. My passion is to create equal partnerships so together, they can strengthen communities.
"The more the community can acknowledge young people in positive, healthy ways, the more powerful the possibilities. I have spent time thinking and learning about rites of passage. It is sad that we have lost a lot of those things that helped young men and young women understand, in positive and reaffirming ways, how to be responsible adults and meaningful players in our communities."
13
. , . ,
.7..a j'.rj J5.rJ
JrJdiarJapgli.s, JrJdiarJa.
~%i~!~ii~iiii~i~ ¸̧ ̧~h : ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !ili]!
[ . . . . FT[ ~,,
. . . . [
~ , ~ ~ ~ & ~ ~ ~ ;~ : ,~ ~ ~ , ~ m ~ 7 ~ ¸̧ ¸̧ 7 ,̧ ~ ; ~ 7 ~ , ~ ~ ~ i i i ~ ; , ~ ! i ~ i i ~ ! ~ ~ i ~ i ~ ! ! i ~ i ~ i i ! i i ! ~ ! ~ i ~ ii~iii~i!i!~ii~i~i%ii=~! ¸ ~[[~ ~
~,~i~ ,i~i~'~iii~ii~i/!~i ¸¸ ' ~ii~ilU!~i!iiiJ~!i!i~i~'itlt;q ¸ i ~ :~,~:,~iilt ¸̧ ~:,~i!i .... ~ ; ~ 4 ! ~ b ~ i i ~ ! i ~ i ~ ¸̧ !̧ ̧. . . . i~7!~!iiiiii;ii!~i~!iiiii!~?]/¸ ! - ~ ~ ; ~ ; i ~ , ~ ~ i
il ~ Jiii~ili~i~!!!i!!!~iiiii!~i~i~iiiiiiiiii~!!!~ili~i~i~i ~ ~i!il;: ~il;~
15
A Day in the Life of Joi Smith...
T here are no children in
sight in the offices of Big
Sisters of Central Indiana, yet they are the entire focus of the
staff in this mentoring program.
Their presence suffuses the pleas-
ant suite of offices in downtown
Indianapolis. Two life-size soft sculptures of little girls greet visi- tors. A bright sea of smiling faces
adorn a huge bulletin board dis-
playing many of the little sisters
and the adults matched with them
through the Big Sister program.
They are affectionately called the
"Bigs" and the "Littles." The adult
volunteers make a commitment to
meet with their charges for several
hours two to four times a month
for at least a year, although the relationships often last much
longer.
Joi sits at her desk. Her crisp, minimally decorated office conveys
a sense of order and calm. Her
space is immaculate, uncluttered
and organized. She is centered and
focused. A list of the day's demands
is ready to check off and the agen-
da for her first meeting of the
morning is on top of the pile of
things to do.
When her new assistant
enters somewhat shyly, Joi makes her feel immediately at ease.
Though she is the supervisor, her
deep belief in the importance of
every member of the team comes
through. With the skill and
patience of a teacher and the preci-
sion of a manager, she works through each facet of the job with her new staff member. The first topic is how to answer phone calls.
Joi makes it clear that "customer service" is central to the operation of the agency, whether those cus- tomers are parents, clients, volun- teers, patrons or funders. How these calls are handled when the phone is answered is crucial. She goes over not only the specifics of
the assistant's job, but also the overall operation and organization of the agency.
"In this job, I have developed the skills to coach staff and help
people reach their potential, here at this agency and in their career in social services. With case managers who have as much and even more experience than I have, I feel I can
offer a management perspective." She believes that staff need to understand how decisions are made and how what they do fits
and is connected to the mission of the agency. "Staff need to under- stand that there is more than what is happening at their desk."
The next meeting is a "match- ing session" with her staff of four case managers. During these ses- sions, they set up new couplings of
volunteers and children. Joi avoids the head of the table, sitting instead among her workers and gets right down to business. Each case man-
ager takes a turn describing the girls in their caseload and the oth- ers offer potential matches. It is a deeply personal, probing process. The case histories, needs and inter- ests of kids, preferences of the
C
adults, geographical location and travel time all must be considered.
The meeting is lively, intelli- gent, probing, warm, and impas- sioned. Joi keeps it targeted and moving. It is everyday stuff to them, but in fact, the mission of the agency, is a remarkable state- ment of American generosity: The work of the agency rests on the good will of volunteers making a
Joi has molded her passion
for helping children and her
organizational and business
skills into a career.
difference in the lives of young people.
Joi finds teaching, sorting and explaining complex problems a big turn-on. She has molded her pas- sion for helping children and her organizational and business skills into a career.
She also plays a public rela- tions role in enhancing public perception of the agency. "Social services need to get smart in demonstrating success. We need to be more sophisticated and savvy," she says. "It is not enough to say, 'We help children.' Funders and the rest of the world are asking, 'How do you help them? How do you know what you do makes a difference?'"
Many of her days are made up of meetings, both within the agency and outside in the community. Often she finds herself telling the Big Sister story - - the agency's history, track record and mission - - to staff, potential funders and volunteers. To her, all are linked: She calls it "The Big Picture."
Understanding The Big Picture is empowering, according to Joi. She finds each day filled with new demands, as well as interesting details. She also admits with a big smile that she has a small caseload herself because the agency believes that direct service keeps managers fresh. "I need t o see little faces," she says simply. "They remind me what my work is all about."
17
Stepping into a Career
J " oi Smith explains that her
work in the "trenches" was an invaluable experience for start-
ing her career. After she graduated from college with a bachelor of
arts in sociology, she got her first job working in the summer youth work program. She was responsi- ble for supervising youth workers ages 16 to 21 at an area hospital. He r next position required her to iive on site in a group home with
kids. "My experience was that of being a caretaker of kids who had had a history of abuse and neglect. Their spirits were bruised, and I had to deal with their anger and
rejection, to hold them when they were crying, to give them those hugs, basically doing what a parent would do." She worked at the group home for four years, eventu-
ally becoming the manager. I t was
emotionally draining work, and she decided she needed a respite.
She made a total change and
worked for Allstate Insurance for two years. "Going into sales helped to develop my presentation skills and helped me learn about the busi- ness world. I soon realized that money was not much of a motivator for me. It was not giving me that intrinsic feeling that I was making a difference, that I was impacting people."
Joi left Allstate and went to work for the State of Indiana
Division of Family and Children in Indianapolis. At first she was hired as a case manager for public assistance, then as a case manager for kids in residential child welfare settings.
In 1989, she came to Big Sisters as a case manager. She was excited by the opportunities for career advancement and by the transition from deficit-oriented to
positive youth development work. She has changed positions at the agency almost every two years. "The work has to stay challenging. I 'm always keeping my eyes open for new career opportunities," she says. " I f I think I have the skills to
be able to pursue the iob, I will." Joi is currently in graduate
school pursuing a master's degree in public affairs with a concentra- tion in not-for-profit manage-
ment. 'Tve been in this field long enough to see where my niche was developing," she explains. "I know whatever I do, it has to have a management component to it."
be a Sister to a
18
Youth D e v e l o p m e n t - In Her Own Words
ile "The Big Picture" about the business of rving kids, when it
comes down to the kids them-
selves, Joi Smith wants to make sure the Big Sister volunteers also understand "The Little P i c t u r e " - the small, subtle changes in young people that indicate that the pro- gram is working.
"We are giving young people the opportunity to participate in something that is good, positive and
fun. It's not complicated.
"We are giving young people
the opportunity to participate
in something that is good,
positive and fun."
"Sometimes our challenge can
be helping volunteer mentors know that taking time out of their lives to
see the kids on a regular basis does not mean spending money. They are impacting their lives by just caring
about them. They need to recognize the little successes - - a child talks about things she enjoys doing, over
time a child starts talking more, or comes up with suggestions for things to do with her Big Sister.
"We help volunteers see that
the goal is not to have all the kids
graduate high school and go on to college. W h a t we are trying to do is to provide those things we know touched our lives in some form to make us who we are. We begin our
training by getting volunteers to think back to when they were about 11 or 12 years old and remember
what they felt like and what con-
cerned them. We ask them to remember an adult who had an
influence on their life at that time.
We ask them to describe that per- son and what they remember about him or her. Often they recall that they were accepted unconditionally and they could talk to them about anything. Then we tell them that
they already have a role model of what a volunteer should be.
"We try helping volunteers
understand that what helps kids to
do better in school, stop fighting with their peers and improve their relationships with their families is feeling good about themselves. Tha t comes from somebody liking
them, spending time with them, talking to them, and making them feel special."
19
i~i~ ~!ii ̧ ~ i
.... ~iiii~i ¸¸ ,i
~i~i,i,iiiii~ ~,~i~i~iiiiiiiiiiii~iiiiii!~'~!~i! '~ ~!'"~ ~ '~ ~ ' ~ ~ili~ ~ii~!i~i~
!!~i~ ~'~~'~'~ ~'"'"~ ~i~ ~ ~~~ii ~'°~"~'~"~ ~ ~ i i ~ '~ , ~ ~ , , , ~ ..........
~i~iiiii ~ ~ii~iiii~ ........ ~ ~i!iii~ii~iiii~i!iii~
i i i i i i i i i ~ ! ¸ ~!ii~i~iiii~iiiiiiiii!ii~ i
\
~. ~ CIII~ ¸¸ i i i
i~ ̧
A Day in the Life of Christopher Egan...
I t is 7:50 a.m., flag-raising time on a glorious summer morn- ing. Camp Nawaka is coming
to life. Freshly washed, sleepy faces gather at the flagpole in a steady flow from cabins. The first to arrive, standing strategically to take it all in, is Camp Director, Christopher Egan. He has been a part of this ritual every summer for 13 years.
With the lake shimmering in the background, the campers swarm around Chris, hanging on his arms and legs, eager for his attention. He relishes the cama- raderie among members of this
special community and has a ready word, an attentive ear, and a warm smile for all of them.
Everyone gathers in the dining hall for breakfast, and the atmosphere of continued fellow- ship is present. Youngsters of all races, classes and ages treat each other with respect and friendship. There are "please and thank-yous"
around each table. It's a common sight in this camp environment where building a "community of mutual respect" is a goal. Chris sits among the campers, then comes to the front of the room for morning announcements. He leads a song that gets everybody stomping and clapping, tells a joke, and starts building the hype about the evening's special event: the Camp
Olympics! Soon everyone departs for the morning clean-up and
activities such as swimming, art, drama, creative writing, and fire building.
Chris takes some visitors on a tour of the camp site, discussing opportunities to rent the property as a retreat for abused and neglect- ed children this winter. Chris and the guests go in and out of the musty cabins. Wet towels and bathing suits hang from railings and decks of cards, books, games, and other staples of camp life are strewn around the camp beds. As they stroll along the wooded path- ways, they can see children happily engaged in activities.
Chris can't quite believe that he is in charge of the camp now. He is the first home-grown direc- tor of the camp, just making the minimum age required by the
American Camping Association by turning 25 at the end of June. He laughs at his memories of his mom telling him that, as a young- ster, he would come home from camp sad. He was supposed to be homesick at camp, not camp sick at home!
The visitors depart and Chris returns to his desk. Time to tackle the paperwork. "Much of what you do as director is hidden from the counseling staff. You spend a lot of mysterious hours in your office." He lists the many aspects of the job: public relations, crisis manage- ment, facility management and maintenance, negotiation, budget- ing, fund raising, and personnel evaluations. A lot of time is spent planning activities and special events. He keeps an idea book
2 2
handy to write down a sudden inspiration about a fun activity for the kids. When he hits his stride as director, he hopes to initiate more of them.
The day passes quickly, as does every day. It is time for dinner. The meal is reigned over by the coun- selors-in-training, who are dressed in togas. The whole camp, divided into teams representing different countries, can hardly wait to finish
Some people may wonder
why in the world a young
lawyer would want to run a
camp, but for Chris it is as
clear as the smiles he sees
on the faces of the campers.
eating to begin the Camp Olympics. They meet outside to watch Chris light the "Olympic" torch and par- ticipate in the parade of countries to the athletic fields. The torch bursts into an impressive flame and off they go.
Long after the mosquitoes attack and darkness falls, they continue the competition. There are some remarkable sights in this magical place: an overweight, learning-disabled boy from the inner city with poor social skills is supported by the cheering of his teammates and accompanied by his counselor as he struggles to run the race. An 8-year-old boy takes the hand of a little 6-year- old camper who is crying because she is homesick. He offers to tell her a story to cheer her up. The evening is orderly and fun, full of
enthusiasm and an infectious spir- it. It ends, as camp evenings always do, with a friendship circle and "Taps."
Back in the main house, some of the staff hang out for awhile. As former campers, they have grown up together and enjoy each other's company. Chris excuses himself and retreats to his office. He sits at his desk with his ritual Diet Cokes. For hours after the house is totally still, he will work. His heart and soul are in making this camp, which was always so special to him, the best camp it can be. Some people may wonder why in the world a young lawyer would want to run a camp, but for Chris it is as clear as the smiles he sees on the faces of the campers and his own memories of Nawaka.
23
Stepping into a Career
C hristopher Egan first came
to Camp Nawaka as an 11-
year-old camper in 1982. It took him about 12 hours to adjust,
and by the end of the summer he
was crazy about the place. In 1985,
camp provided a pivotal experience.
A shy, retiring child, he was cata-
pulted to the head of one of the Color War teams when a counselor
was suddenly called home. "I was terrified," he recalls, "but there was a
counselor-in-training who kept on encouraging me and pushing me
into the spotlight. Even though the
competition was low-key, I took it
very seriously. Something came over
me. I got up and made an impas-
sioned speech that got everyone excited, and we mounted this
incredible comeback. I was amazed
at what I had done!" He considers it
a "life-changing experience. I was only 14, but from that moment on, I
was not afraid to step up and take on a leadership role."
He moved through the ranks
from a counselor-in-training in
1987, to counselor from 1988-90, to head staffin 1991. By 1994, he was
program director. He thought his
camp employment days were over
when he enrolled in law school,
pursuing a double major in law and communications.
"I felt I had to get on with my life," he explains. "I had to figure
what to do with my future." In
1995, he took a job with New
England Cable News. But Camp
Nawaka called him back. The camp
director told him he was leaving and asked if Chris would consider the job. At first he said "no." He
remembers he thought, and ago- nized, and went back and forth. "Finally I realized that this had
always been a dream of mine, that if I didn't do this, I would wonder the rest of my life what it would have
been like. I thought there was a lot
that I could do for the camp." W h e n Chris applied for the job
of camp director, he wrote in his let-
ter of application, "Essentially, I've been in training for this job for
much of my life." He is not sure what his future holds, but for right now, being camp director is a dream come true.
2 4
Youth Development - - In His Own W o r d s
A t camp, success is imme- diately seen in the face of a child, in the laughter, in
the nurturing atmosphere that encourages participation in new activities just for fun, and in the
tears of those departing from new friends at the end of the summer. One of Chris' dreams is to write a
screenplay that captures the camp experiences so that more people would understand the depth of its
youth development potential. " W h e n most people think of
camping, they think of how kids get exposed to the natural envi-
"We make it safe for
kids to take risks and expand
their horizons."
ronment , maybe do some activi- ties they wouldn' t do at home like archery, camping, and boating. They don't see our mission. Everything we do is built around
the goal of helping kids to devel- op. We help kids develop self confidence and self-esteem, help
them understand that they are not defined by their environment, but they have the ability to strike out on their own. The fact that they grew up in the inner city or
they grew up in the suburbs has nothing to do with their individ- ual ability or what they can do
with their lives. "A big thing we do is to give
kids a chance to try something new. It seems that there is so much peer pressure against doing things - - like singing in the dining hall. It 's silly; something like that they
never, ever would consider doing at home because their friends would laugh at them. Here they are in a safe environment. They can go on stage, do a silly skit, or be in the
play. We make it safe for kids to take risks and expand their hori-
zons. Someone who has never been out in the woods before can
participate in a wilderness skills class and learn how to build a fire, learn how to use a map and com-
pass. "I feel very strongly that peo-
ple should consider camping as an important type of educational experience for kids and not simply
viewed as fun time. It should be seen as not simply something you do when you are young, as a lark,
or to just get out of the ciw. It should be seen as a legitimate teaching experience."
25
~liniu~_fl ~tlu~, lV]afltlgaI'j DtiiiKlfi-ll] Pr,ugr'am. ¢ ~ " £1 ~JI IU FlUfflbaFJ D r l"JJ£1Pyltlrld~ B~lJglfflOpr~,
ii:,~'e i~
A Day in the Life of Angela Key...
A ngela Key is clinical case manager for the Damamli Program in Baltimore, an
independent living program for
teen morns who have transitioned from foster homes and group
homes to their own apartments.
She pulls her car into a parking
space in front of her office, pops a
couple of quarters in the meter,
makes her regular stop at the neighborhood coffee shop, and
walks briskly to her office.
She stops to pick up tele-
phone messages at the front desk and steps inside her office. A large
master chart of her cases and
activities to do covers most of one wall. Her small space is neat,
bright, warm and organized. The
walls are decorated liberally with
children's art, many from her 10-
year-old son. Today is a field day, a
chance to visit teen moms on her caseload who live in their own
apartments. She is anxious to get
going, so she attends to only the
most urgent task at hand. She
makes an appointment with a
mental health therapist for one of
the girls on her caseload who is
seriously depressed. When she
begins to get a run-around over the phone, she cuts through the
red tape, and the appointment is
set up for the next week.
Angela leaves the office and
drives 15 minutes to her first stop,
a modest garden apartment on a
tree-lined street. Kovina is waiting
alone. Her two kids, a 4-year-old and an infant, are both at day care. The apartment is comfortably
messy, strewn with baby toys and
equipment. Angela tells the girls on her caseload not to try to be perfect for her, that her visit is not intended to be an inspection.
Angela follows Kovina into the kitchen, where they put away the groceries. She chats and laughs with Kovina, and Kovina begins to relax. While they are talking, Angela is mentally reviewing the groceries, noting they are well selected.
Kovina will be 21 years old in less than a year and she will "age out" of the child welfare system which has provided financial, med-
ical and day care assistance. Angela reminds her of all the supports she
has and the steps they are taking to ensure that she can survive on her own. It is hard for these girls who
have been abandoned by their own families to count on anyone but
themselves. Helping them to learn to trust is one of the biggest lessons Angela tries to teach in her relationship with them. "Kovina's
come a long way in believing in herself. Sometimes what it takes is for us to first believe in them," says Angela. "When I asked, 'Do you think I believe in you?' and Kovina said, 'Yes,' I knew that we were at a turning point. It is important to know that somebody believes they can rise above."
They sit on the couch and talk. Angela helps her pay bills and gives some advice about setting limits with friends, and they make
R8
a bed together. Angela helps Kovina fix her hair. She is friend,
mother, teacher, confidant and advocate, a godsend for these teen mothers who lack parenting them-
selves. They leave the house and go to
a medical center about 10 minutes away, where Angela deliberately hangs back and lets Kovina talk to a nurse about upcoming appoint- ments for herself and her children.
W h e n Kovina isn't sure what to do,
It is hard for these girls who
have been abandoned by
their own families to count on
anyone but themselves.
Helping them to learn to t rus t
is one of the biggest lessons
Angela tr ies to teach them...
she turns to Angela, who is there to provide some suggestions.
Angela brings Kovina home
around 12:30, grabs a bite for lunch, and then drives to her next
destination, the Florence Crittenden H o m e for unwed mothers. As she walks through the halls, she stops and admires several
babies of girls she knows and offers a kind word for each of the moms. She meets Christine and her baby in an office. Christine
wants to live in her own apart- ment, but the program requires that she transition to a foster home
first. As they drive the 45 minutes
out of the city to a comfortable,
middle-class suburb, Christine is sullen and unhappy. She has lived in so many foster homes in her life that the thought of another makes her miserable. I t is so hard, she tells Angela, to have to live witch
strangers and new rules each time:
She knows that if the foster place-
ment doesn't work, she'll be on her own and ultimately the baby may be taken away and placed in a sep-
arate foster home. Angela, always pragmatic, tells her, "You can do
anything for a season as long as there is a reason."
The visit with the new foster
mother goes as well as can be expected. Angela stays fbr close to an hour, trying to get the foster parent and teen parent off to a good start. She departs hoping it
works for Christine and her baby's sake. It is not a great situation, but it is a place where Christine and her baby will be safe.
Angela sees her job as trying
to build young women into adults. She haslearned to see value in even the smallest change. "Even if these girls have been dealt a tough hand, they will learn how to man- age their own lives and see hope in their futures," she says.
2 9
Stepping into a Career
W hen Angela was a child, she often tagged along with her mom, a
social worker, on site visits to clients. When she went with her
morn, she learned how to "deal with people, and not be afraid to take charge." It gave her a lot of confidence and a belief that young people can learn to be competent.
Angela began college with the goal of earning a social work degree, but she dropped out after two years. She got her first job at the Social Security Administration, then
worked at a state-run group home for delinquent young males. Her next job, as a community detention worker, persuaded her that working
with youth was her passion. "I was doing intake in community deten- tion. I liked the whole interaction
with the adolescents and their par- ents. I loved the way I was able to connect with them."
Angela came to realize that to move up in her position, particu-
larly to become a counselor, she needed credentials. "I saw people in positions I wished I had and making money I wished I was
making," she recalls. "The bottom line was I had to go back to finish college."
At 23, a single parent with a young baby, she was increasingly determined to go back to college to
pursue a bachelor's degree in social work. She returned in 1990 while working full time. One class on the
politics of social work greatly influenced her. She recalled how
she used to believe that "welfare morns ought to get off their butts and work. In this class I came to realize that one little check a month was not enough to do any- thing." She understood how peo- ple got trapped. "When you are stressed, frustrated, and the money you get is not going to pay for rent and day care, it is tough." She knew she never could have kept growing professionally if it hadn't been for her support system of
family members who pitched in to
care for her son. This is a lesson she brings to her work today.
Once she got her bachelor of arts in social work, Angela went straight on to graduate school. In
the summer of 1993, she was hired for her present job. She has received training in positive youth development principles and prac- tices from the Child Welfare League of America. "The training, more than anything, has given me a love for what I do. The youth development focus has brought new life to my social work back-
ground." Now when her days are long, she brings her 10-year-old
son along, carrying on a tradition her mother passed on to her.
Youth D e v e l o p m e n t - In Her Own Words
A ngela Key has a strong belief that the teen morns
she works with are capa- ble of successfully being in charge of their own lives if they are sup-
ported in learning basic life skills
such as parenting, budgeting, home management and job train- ing. These skills are essential in
"If a teen mom is able to
overcome her part icular
situation, then you have
helped the generat ion
behind her and maybe
every generat ion to come."
managing an independent life. "A positive youth develop-
ment perspective helps you to
move away from child rescuing and helping poor people with problems. Even as parents, we fall
into the mode of 'I have to help' without realizing that each child comes into this world with some- thing beautiful and special in them, and it is our job to help them actualize their potential. I used to want to make everybody better. Now it is much easier when
they make themselves better,
because then they become a part of and initiate their own development.
"I see so much hope, and not
only for the moms. You are work- ing with so many generations
here because you have the moth- er, and what affects the mother
will affect the child. I f the teen morn is able to overcome her par-
ticular situation, then you have helped the generation behind her
and maybe every generation to
come. "I think what I like most
about them is that they teach me, too. I have learned how to interact with them. They teach me to understand their needs, and each one of them is so different. All of
them have been successful. All of the girls I have worked with have made strides. They teach me to be patient. There is more than one thing that determines whether
they are a success or failure."
31
J~4i
~!!~i!~ ~i~iiii!iii~!7~ ̧̧
711 ~ ~!iiii'
r~
• / %
33
A Day in the Life of Laura Heaney...
O n her ride to work, Laura
, Heaney usually listens to
iazz as a way to get ready for another rip-roaring day of
activities. Today, however, she is
listening to a song from "The
Hunchback of Notre Dame" called "Someday." She plays the tape over
and over and over, memorizing it to use as a devotion for an upcom-
ing team-building conference for the executive cabinet of the
Portland YMCAs.
She arrives at work between
6:15 and 6:30 a.m., a choice she made so she could get home to her
kids in time for dinner. Morn ing is
her special time, quiet and focused. Her office assistant has already
prioritized her letters, calls, and
other matters into what needs immediate attention.
Since her promotion last year
to division director for child care
services, responsible for overseeing
all the child care and school-age
care programs for the Y M C A in a
four-county area, she has been swamped with work. She has taken
on a major reorganization of the
YMCA's child care and school-age care programs and rewritten all the
program curricula and policies, fee structures and lines of decision-
making. She has taken on the goal
of standardizing materials and
professionalizing child care and
school-age care staff. She has
developed baseline goals for each
Y M C A center in the region that
can serve as the foundation for all Y M C A programs nationwide.
At 9:00 a.m., she arrives at the Meadowlark Child Development Center, a sparkling, well-appointed facility in the state office building where the Y M C A child care pro- gram operates. Laura has come to pick up the director who will now also be heading a new Y M C A
program in the federal facility across the street. She wants the new arrangement to get off to a good start.
At the new center, Laura introduces the director to the cen- ter's employees. The two women stay an hour and a half, spending time answering questions of staff and parents. I t is clearly a success- ful meeting, and now Laura can step back and let the new manage-
ment take over.
Her next meeting is at noon to meet with the new coordinator for child care and school-age care programs at a Y M C A branch in
the city, the vice president of oper- ations and the business coordina- tor. I t is a working lunch, deliber- ately planned to "check in to see how things are going and to out- line some expectations."
Laura wants to discuss
guidelines for the operation of the center and some strategies for marketing the new site to the community and increasing enrollment. Laura loves these
opportunities to bring people together. She likes "playing with all the pieces of the puzzle and get- ting them to all work and cooperate to be successful."
Back in her office, Laura
catches up on office work. She
returns several phone calls: to a
Y M C A in Boise, Idaho, that is
inquiring about her child care pro-
gram reorganization as a model; to
a staff member of one of the
Y M C A centers who is having
some problems with a parent advi-
sory group; and to a parent trying
to get a refund for a half-month's tuition for child care. She spends
some time responding to a memo
on the status of one her programs
and works on a budget for one of
Laura loves her work. All
day long she troubleshoots,
mediates, comforts, teaches,
pushes and encourages.
the Y M C A child care centers.
Because it is Friday, she leaves
at 3:00 p.m. to pick up her kids
from school. She gets caught in a
horrendous traffic jam but hardly
notices because she can use the
time on the phone. She says her car
is like "my other office; some of my
most productive time is in my car."
She arrives at the school just
as her kids are dismissed, but now has no time to drop them at home.
No matter. They often join her on
her Friday afternoon site visits to
school-age care programs.
These visits give Laura some hands-on experience with the kids
in these centers and allow her to
see the programs while they are in
operation. That way she can trou-
ble-shoot and offer assistance to staff if it is necessary.
She likes to do a project with
the kids when she visits, today whe
will build a bubble, an amazing
structure made with rolled plastic,
duct tape and a fan that turns the
plastic bubble into an igloo big
enough for the whole group to sit
inside. Still dressed in her business
meeting clothes, Laura tosses off
her heels and gets down on her
knees, crawling around the con-
struction site to instruct the
youngsters how to create this pro- ject. W h e n it is done and the fan is
turned on and it fills the plastic
bubble with air, the kids are
awestruck. It is a magical experi- ence as they all, including Laura,
sit inside the bubble.
Laura loves her work. All day
long she trouble-shoots, mediates,
comforts, teaches, pushes and
encourages. Her presence is a ray of sunshine, an anchor, and a sup-
port to the staff, parents, and chil-
dren in the programs.
3 5
Stepping into a Career
L aura Heaney graduated from college with a bache- lor of science in elementary
education. She wanted to work with kids and didn't "know what else to do. She taught for five years but felt that it wasn't enough of a challenge.
After having her own children, she left elementary education and applied for a job at Kindercare as a
child care teacher so she could bring her children to work with her. Instead of teaching, she was hired as a trouble-shooter. When Kindercare centers were in trouble
financially or operationally, she was dispatched to turn them around.
After Kindercare, she went to work for the YMCA in St..Louis. A friend had suggested thSt.she come to the YMCA, and Laura said, "I don't know anything about swimming. Why would I work at the YMCA?"
She quickly learned how much raore the YMCA did, and was hired to start their school-age
child care program in St. Louis. That was just the beginning, she recalls. "If you do something well, the YMCA tendency is to give you two more things to do. I started directing a nursery and 23 school- age child care programs. By the time I left five years later, I had the nursery, the preschool, a full facili-
ty gymnastic center with the top team in the state, 36 child care centers in five school districts. I
also worked with the international program, a program for kids with
single parents, the tutoring pro- gram, and the summer camp
program." She had become senior
program director and began train- ing child care and school-age care professionals how to design and administer YMCA school-age child care programs throughout
the United States . . . . While traveling during her
training,. Laura found her present job. She had gone to a conference and met the chief operating offi-
cer in Portland during a work- shop. At the time they were look- ing for someone to reorganize all the child care school-age pro- grams in Portland.
Laura sees herself as creating her own career path. "We are a transitional society," she says. "As long as each job you have teaches you something and expands your knowledge base and you learn more about ),ourself, then it leads
you to the next thing. Find a job that fits so you can do what makes you happy, understanding that what makes you happy may
change over time."
3 8
Youth D e v e l o p m e n t - In Her Own Words
L aura Heaney sees child care and after-school programs
as essential in a society of latchkey kids. She is adamant about the need for these programs
to cater to the whole child and his or her individual needs. They need
to go beyond the more traditional recreational programs. She believes that the after-school hours in
"If you want to earn the
respect of kids and help
them, you have to step into
their world."
youth development are critical. "For such a long time we
looked at childhood as what hap- pens in the classroom, but that is not the biggest impact on that
child's life. The biggest impact are those things that happen in the
school yard and those things that happen after school, when parents
aren't around. We need overall guideiines for youth work that help staffto recognize and support each kid's unique development in
out-of-school hours. "That is where I step in.
Parents are spending less time with their kids, and quality time
may be the ride to and from work. I 'm in a prime position to make a
difference for those kids. There are millions of children in child care and school-age programs. I can teach the staffout there that this isn't a baby-sitting thing, this isn't
a walk-them-in-the-door, walk-
them-out-the-door thing. I need to teach them that these kids have emotions. You have to sit and lis-
ten to them. They will tell you
what they want and need to say. All the education in the world is
not going to tell you what that child wants. Kids will tell you what they need in a heartbeat if you take the time to listen. I f you want to earn the respect of kids and help
them, you have to step into their
world."
37
More Information on the Youth Development Field
Salaries for Selected Positions in the Youth Development Field*
Executive Director District/Division Director Branch Manager/Program Administrator Program Director Camp Director/Environmental
Education Director Clinical Case Manager/Casework Supervisor Counselor Before and After School Child Care Worker
Annual Salary Range
$33,982 $71,662 $25,000 $55,001 $20,675 $41,534 $20,000 $34,000
$20,737 $32,026 $21,565 $32,696 $19,500 $30,285 $12,463 $18,256
) ; ~ r r :
?
: ?
g
Nr2:~ , ? g 2
ii! ~ ~i ~i~Lil ~!i!!i ~:
* Source." Salaries andBene f i t s in Youth Devdopmen tAgenc ie s - 1996 can be obtained from the National Collaboration for Youth, 1319 F Street, NW, Suite 601, Washington, DC 20004 for $34.95 (includes shipping and handling). This report includes salary data for 57 benchmark positions in no~profit, community-based youth development agencies. All of the par-
~tion agencies were affiliated with national youth development organi- : ~ 0 n s , including Big Brother Big Sisters of America, Boys & Girls Clubs [, of~merica, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, Girls Incorporated, Girl Scouts of
~the USA, National Network for Youth, YMCA of the USA, and YWCA of the USA ~:~
i g
..... O n C e Directory of Internships in Youth Development : } http-//www.nassembly.org
:: i: Cl ick on the "Internships" bu t ton .
The on-line directory describes over 2,000 internship and career opportu- nities in youth development agencies across the U.S. Search by state, city, or type of internship that matches a particular interest or skill.
, Whether preparing for a career, looking for a first job, reentering the work ........ force, or considerip4 a career change, an internship will provide the on-the-
i~:; ~ :'il job experience do~o get started in a career working with or on behalf o f f i n g peop ~l?heir families.
i
319
For More Information on Jobs, Careers, and Volunteer Opportunities
American Red Cross 430 17th Street Washington, DC 20006 (202) 639-3144
Association for Junior Leagues International 660 First Avenue New York, NY 10016-3241 (212) 683-1515
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America 230 North 13th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107-1510 (215) 567-7000
Boy Scouts of America 1325 W. Walnut Hill Lane Irving, TX 75015-2079 (214) 580-2000
Boys & Girls Clubs of America 1230 W. Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30309 (404) 815-5700
Camp Fire Boys and Girls 4601 Madison Avenue Kansas City, MO 64112-1278 (816) 756-1950
Child Welfare League of America 440 First Street, NW #310 Washington, DC 20001 (202) 638-2952
Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters Maxwell, AFB, AL 36112-5572 (334) 953-7748
Families, 4-H and Nutrition Cooperative State, Research, Education, and Extension Service U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 14th & Independence Avenue, AG Box 0925 Washington, DC 20250 (202) 720-2908
Girl Scouts of the USA 420 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10018-8000 (212) 852-8000
Girls Incorporated 30 East 33rd Street New York, NY 10016 (212) 689-3700
Joint Action in Community Service 5225 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #404 Washington, DC 20004 (202) 537-0996
Hostelling International, American Youth Hostels 733 15th Street, NW #840 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 783-6161
National Network for Youth 1319 F Street, NW #401 Washington, DC 20004 (202) 783-7949
One to One Partnership, Inc. 2801 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 (202) 338-3844
The Salvation Army 615 S laters Lane Alexandria, VA 22313 (703) 684~5500
National Association of Homes and Services for Children 1701 K Street, N W #200 Washington. ~ 20006 (202) 223-3447
Volunteers of America 110 South Union Alexan&'ia, VA 22314 (703) 548-2288
WAVE, Inc. 501 SchooI Street, SW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20024-2754 (202) 484~0103
YMCA ofthe USA 101 N. Waeker Drive Chicago, IL 60606-7386 (312) 977-0031
YWCA of the USA 726 Broadway New York, NY 10003 (212) 614-2700
a o
{ ',,~{{
Graphi, Rock Creek Publishing Group, Inc.
Editing and Coordination Kirn Pawley Helfgott, The National Assembly of Natiol Health and Social Welfare Organizations, Inc.
_ he bc publisl: Kellogg Fou~ ' '"
i i ~ i i ~ i i ~ i ~ ! ~ ~'¸ ~ ......
~i~i . . . . ~ i i ~ i ~ i i i ! ~ c¸
.... ~ i ~ i i i i ~ i i ¸
There ~ unlimited careers "to say yes to" in the youth
deve nt field People who work in this field comej%m many b unds, ~ d i f f e r e n t skills and interests.
!4:?~ ; Whatprofessionals in thisfield have in common is a commitment for promoting the positive development
of young~eople.
..... ~ ~ ~ i ~ ! i i i i i ~ ¸
Collaboration for Youth ie National Assembly of
National Voluntary Health and Social Welfare Organizations