Appropriate Structure Resources

Why is this important?

Resource 1: Understanding Youth Needs

Uncertainties and inconsistencies in youth's lives can limit their willingness to engage in problem solving or take on new challenges. Having a predictable environment with well-defined rules and expectations lays the foundation for a safe environment. Developmentally appropriate structures establish secure interpersonal relationships between youth and adults in the program.

This article highlights appropriate structure strategies identified by the Institute for Youth Success to support learning and youth's sense of belonging and mattering. The article also describes strategies to build appropriate structures and establish clear limits.

Staff and Managers could:

• Understand how young people can feel safer when program implements clear limits and structure
• Brainstorm innovative ways of re-creating program schedule, keeping structure and routine in consideration
• Draw parallels between parenting style and child outcomes from research and apply this information to their own program

Structure & Clear Limits: Strategies for Creating a Safe and Productive Learning Environment (Article, Education Northwest)

How can I help my staff in this area?

Resource 1: Guidelines for Boundary Training

Although most behavior between youth and staff may not violate laws or rules, some behaviors may cross personal boundaries. Appropriate staff behavior is important for promoting healthy youth-adult relationships and preventing possible misconduct.

This article provides a summary of the risk factors that can lead to unhealthy boundaries and offers suggestions on how to reduce those risks factors. Staff who establish healthy boundaries will help to create an environment that fosters positive youth development.

Managers could:

• Discuss issues related to power imbalance, poor boundary setting, role confusion, and accountability
• Brainstorm with youth program staff scenarios where boundaries may be unclear and ways to know what to do
• Discuss the program rules around unclear boundaries and why they are in place

Boundary Training: Promoting Healthy Adult-Student Relationships (Article, United Educators)

Resource 2: Hosting Effective Meetings

Meetings between staff and youth are an essential part of any youth program. Meetings aimed to engage youth in meaningful roles enable them to develop leadership qualities and a sense of civic responsibility.

This article offers useful tips for how staff can have more effective meetings with youth and ensure their active engagement in the program

Managers could:

• Develop 'practice' meetings to give staff an opportunity to practice meeting facilitation skills
• Ensure that staff and youth are aware of expected behavior during the meetings
• Model effective time management by setting meeting agendas beforehand

Ten tips for running effective meetings with youth (Article, MSU Extension)

Resource 3: Facilitate Social Inclusion

Youth programs' activities and structures designed to facilitate positive social interactions lead to improved relationships among the participants. Positive youth interactions become even more relevant if some group members are noticeably different than others. Promoting an environment where positive interactions and social inclusion are encouraged will not only benefit certain individuals, but all participants in the program.

The article discusses principles for structuring program activities for youth engagement to foster positive social interactions. For each of the principles, examples of activities are also provided that can easily be modified and adapted by youth programs.

Managers could:

• Educate staff on the definitions and impacts of bias and values
• Discuss how rules, system, and language support or do not support inclusion
• Ensure protocols are in place to seek and incorporate youth input, leadership, and direction for programs and activities

Structuring Recreation and Youth Programs to Facilitate Social Inclusion (Article, Institute on Community Integration)

Resource 4: Positive Youth Development: Inclusion - Program Structure

Clear, consistent, and age-appropriate activities and expectations for roles within the activities help to make sure activities run smoothly. Understanding how to prepare activities on various subjects and areas of interest while tailoring the program activities to be inclusive of all youth will help develop positive peer relationships and interactions which can act as a buffer to negative experiences and undesired youth outcomes.

These two workshops are part of a larger curriculum designed to help youth programs ensure their staff are prepared to support an inclusive program environment. They are intended to be used by program managers to introduce concepts to program staff and can be delivered over a series of lunch seminars or during a professional development workshop.

Managers could:

• Educate staff to help ensure youth program staff understand how to integrate inclusion and support for peer relationships into various activities
• Support staff development of program structure that blends existing groups of youth
• Develop an understanding of the importance of and techniques to support youth working in teams toward a common goal

Positive Youth Development: Inclusion - Program Structure (Workshop, REACH)

How can my staff help youth in this area?

Resource 1: Understanding Youth Growth and Development

An effective youth program ensures that the participants' experiences are developmentally appropriate. Learning objectives and youth activities that take youth developmental stages into account help to promote positive youth-staff interactions.This article provides a description of how physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development is characterized for each youth developmental stage. Furthermore, it describes how staff can apply that knowledge while setting goals and planning youth activities.

Staff could:

• Understand the developmentally appropriate milestones for different age groups
• Determine programming goals for physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development for youth
• Plan activities with the youth which challenge youth in each of the area of development

Understanding and Working With Youth (Article, NDSU Extension)

Resource 2: Maintaining Healthy Boundaries

Staff may try to improve youth outcomes by stretching the boundaries in ways staff think may be helpful (example: lending money to youth in financial need or interacting with youth on social media). This may seem especially true for the youth who have more needs or lack interpersonal skills. However, stretching healthy boundaries can impede youth's ability to follow appropriate limits and compromise with positive youth outcomes.

This article provides a description of how some at-risk youth might be unable to set appropriate limits. Identifying different types of boundaries, the article also provides signs of some unhealthy behaviors and tips on how healthy boundaries can be established and maintained.

Staff could:

• Distinguish between different types of unhealthy boundaries and identify the signs when someone has unhealthy boundaries
• Discuss appropriate and inappropriate behavior with the youth to redirect the youth towards appropriate behavior
• Set firm limits and reinforce healthy boundaries

Maintaining Healthy Boundaries When Working with At-Risk Audiences (Article, Journal of Extension)

Resource 3: Activities to address appropriate behavior

Youth should understand the appropriate behaviors expected from them in a youth program. They also should have a way to voice their opinions on what behavior they expect from the staff.

These activities are designed to facilitate a discussion of what are appropriate behaviors and promote an atmosphere of inclusion and mutual respect.

Staff could:

• Brainstorm with youth about the expectations staff and youth have from each other
• Help youth to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and obstacles they may come across to reach their goals
• Understand how staff can effectively establish mutually agreed upon ground rules with youth in the program

Establishing Classroom Rules (Web link, On Course)

Engaging Youth: Planning Activities (Handout, Act for Youth)