Springer Mobilizing Adults for Positive Youth Development: Strategies for Closing the Gap between Beliefs and Behaviors: 4 (The Search Institute Series on Developmentally Attentive Community and Society, 4)

In today’s fast-paced, often-dehumanizing world, this book brings together the advice and expertise of leading scholars dedicated to affecting positive youth development. Providing a multifaceted, multidisciplinary blueprint for social change the book promotes individual adult involvement in adolescents’ lives to ensure positive youth development. It aims to mobilize a society of adults, through volunteer and other programs, and will interest anyone involved in working toward achieving positive youth development. Review From the reviews: “The volume provides a number of insightful perspectives on positive youth development. … The authors' focus on social solidarity with youths and adults working together is excellent and refreshing. … Mobilizing Adults effectively uses developmental assumptions and theories … for positive youth development. … three broad groups would likely find the book to be a useful reference: (a) Those who do research on youth programs, (b) individuals who work with youths and organize programs to serve them, and (c) policy makers … .” -(Michelle E. Schmidt, PsycCRITIQUES, 52:8, 2007) "The edited volume … is a collection of applied essays that attempt to draw volunteer recruitment strategies from the research literature in a range of fields. The book is divided into ecological strata that reveal potential sources of volunteers for youth development programs. … This book is rich in examples, and it steers readers towards key research literatures and the strategies they reveal. The book is as much about who volunteers are as it is about how and where to find them." (Michael J. Karcher, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 37, 2008) From the Back Cover When highly successful people from all walks of life are asked how they were able to attain such lofty achievements, they inevitably pay tribute to the influential role played by a variety of adults throughout their young lives. Whether it’s a valedictorian delivering the commencement speech, a team captain receiving an MVP award, or an actor accepting an award, the underlying message each sends is clear: Throughout childhood and adolescence, they had consistent, meaningful interaction with adults. In today’s fast-paced, often-dehumanizing world, increasing positive adult involvement and influence is particularly vital. To further that goal, Mobilizing Adults for Positive Youth Development: Strategies for Closing the Gap between Beliefs and Behaviors brings together, in one concise volume, the advice and expertise of leading scholars dedicated to affecting positive youth development. Taken together, the chapters in this book provide a multifaceted, multidisciplinary blueprint for social change. The volume includes much-needed information on: Understanding the current state of youth development work; the world in which adolescents live; and the world in which adults function, as well as the context in which adults can establish adult-youth relationships and use community resources to ensure a successful youth development outcome. Promoting individual adult involvement in adolescents’ lives to ensure positive youth development. Mobilizing individual adults through a variety of outlets, including neighborhood and community coalitions, religious institutions, and university outreach programs. Mobilizing a society of adults, through volunteer and other programs. Mobilizing Adults for Positive Youth Development: Strategies for Closing the Gap between Beliefs and Behaviors is a must-have volume for both practitioners and researchers – in fact, for anyone interested and involved in working toward achieving positive youth development. About the Author E. Gil Clary, Ph.D., is chair of the department of psychology at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. He teaches General Psychology, Experimental Social Psychology, and Personality Theories. Furthermore, he has taught, in colla