Youth Today

Youth Today Youth Today provides news, opinions and updates from and for people who believe that when youth thrive we all thrive.

Subscribe to Youth Today: https://youthtoday.org/subscribe/ Youth Today is a national, nonprofit, independent news source for people who care about and work with children and youth. For more than 35 years we’ve published in-depth reporting on issues including foster care and child welfare, juvenile justice, youth with disabilities, education, out-of-school time, youth development and more.

Every connection counts. Every experience matters.What if the secret to youth thriving isn't finding NEW mentors—but opt...
09/05/2025

Every connection counts. Every experience matters.

What if the secret to youth thriving isn't finding NEW mentors—but optimizing connections with ALL the people already in their lives?

𝙏𝙝𝙚 5𝙋𝙨 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬:

𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 - Create environments where youth feel safe & connected
𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 - Engage ALL staff, not just traditional roles
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 - Foster relationships beyond classrooms
𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 - Offer inclusive activities that build life skills
𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 - Make it systematic, not random
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 like TAPS Academy and NASP prove this works — turning unexpected adults like SROs and police officers into powerful mentors through structured relationship-building.

📖 Read the full article by Karen J. Pittman and Merita Irby, this latest Youth Today feature reminds us that: https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/unexpected-mentors-every-new-positive-connection-really-does-count/

Before looking outside your walls for partners, look within. That "non-educational" staff member? They might be exactly who a young person needs.

Roger Weissberg and Joe Durlak’s S.A.F.E. model, introduced 18 years ago, showed us that program quality matters. Sequen...
09/04/2025

Roger Weissberg and Joe Durlak’s S.A.F.E. model, introduced 18 years ago, showed us that program quality matters. Sequenced, Active, Focused and Explicit approaches deliver stronger outcomes for youth across academics, behaviors and life skills.

Today, America Succeeds' work on Durable Skills underscores the same truth: real-world capabilities like communication, problem-solving and collaboration are essential for career readiness.

Karen J Pittman reflects on Weissberg’s lasting legacy — and why these insights are more relevant than ever in addressing workforce challenges.

👉 Read the full “When Youth Thrive, We All Thrive” column in Youth Today: https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/weissberg-durlaks-18-year-old-s-a-f-e-model-sure-bet-current-workforce-challenges/

Highlights from the piece:
SAFE programs deliver better outcomes than non-SAFE programs (70% vs. 25%).
Durable Skills align closely with SEL frameworks like Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Quality environments create exponential impact on student confidence & competence.

America

✨ In San Antonio, youth development professionals are proving that together is better.The Excel Academy (EA) — a communi...
08/26/2025

✨ In San Antonio, youth development professionals are proving that together is better.

The Excel Academy (EA) — a community of practice led by UP Partnership — unites youth workers from across organizations to build stronger relationships with youth, center equity and share resources that expand opportunities.

💬 What makes EA special?
Relationship-building rooted in equity.
Shared resources and cross-program support.
Mentorship and peer coaching.
A culture of collaboration, not competition.

Written by:
✍️ Diane Hsieh – Search Institute
✍️ Shelby Payne-Drayton – UP Partnership
✍️ liz moseley – UP Partnership

💡 Together, they show how youth workers are creating a sustainable ecosystem where all youth can thrive.

https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/san-antonio-tx-youth-development-programs-work-together-toward-shared-vision-youth-thriving/?aiEnableCheckShortcode=true

✨ In San Antonio, youth development professionals are proving that together is better.The Excel Academy (EA) — a communi...
08/26/2025

✨ In San Antonio, youth development professionals are proving that together is better.

The Excel Academy (EA) — a community of practice led by UP Partnership — unites youth workers from across organizations to build stronger relationships with youth, center equity and share resources that expand opportunities.

💬 What makes EA special?
Relationship-building rooted in equity.
Shared resources and cross-program support.
Mentorship and peer coaching.
A culture of collaboration, not competition.

Written by:
✍️ Diane Hsieh – Search Institute
✍️ Shelby Payne-Drayton – UP Partnership
✍️ liz moseley – collective liberation

💡 Together, they show how youth workers are creating a sustainable ecosystem where all youth can thrive.

https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/san-antonio-tx-youth-development-programs-work-together-toward-shared-vision-youth-thriving/?aiEnableCheckShortcode=true

Children in foster care experience at more than twice the rate of combat veterans. Healing requires more than therapy ...
08/19/2025

Children in foster care experience at more than twice the rate of combat veterans. Healing requires more than therapy — it requires connection, belonging and safe spaces.

Tayler Wiese shares how this summer, Raise the Future partnered with the RennerVation Foundation to host trauma-informed summer camps for youth in foster care, grounded in Trust-Based Relational Intervention practices. The camps provided joy, community and safety for young people who often feel unseen.

Key Takeaways

🟡 Trauma-informed camps can transform lives.
🟡 Belonging + safety are as important as fun.
🟡 TBRI® practices help adults respond with compassion.
🟡 Collaboration is key to supporting youth in foster care.

👉 When we invest in trauma-informed practices, we don’t just change programs — we change lives.

Read full article here: https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/healing-power-camp-trauma-informed-adventures-kids-foster-care/?aiEnableCheckShortcode=true

Coaches have the power to shape more than athletic performance—they can be catalysts for healing, trust, and community c...
08/14/2025

Coaches have the power to shape more than athletic performance—they can be catalysts for healing, trust, and community change. The Million Coaches Challenge is working toward this vision by mobilizing organizations nationwide to train and retain coaches.

In this week’s From the Field article Dawn Anderson-Butcher, OSULifesports and the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute (The Ohio State University College of Social Work); Megan Bartlett, The Center for Healing and Justice through Sport; Peter Feldman, Laureus Sport for Good USA ; and Katlin Okamoto, U.S. Soccer Foundation highlight:

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝-𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙚(U.S. Soccer Foundation) that trains coaches to lead with empathy and connection.

The 𝘾𝒆𝙣𝒕𝙚𝒓 𝒇𝙤𝒓 𝑯𝙚𝒂𝙡𝒊𝙣𝒈 𝒂𝙣𝒅 𝑱𝙪𝒔𝙩𝒊𝙘𝒆 𝑻𝙝𝒓𝙤𝒖𝙜𝒉 𝑺𝙥𝒐𝙧𝒕 which brings trauma-informed practices to youth sports.

The 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 (Laureus Sport for Good USA) that creates local coalitions for coaches to collaborate and drive systemic change.

The 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 (LiFEsports at Ohio State University) that teaches coaches to support athlete well-being beyond traditional technical skills.


📖 Read more https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/shifting-culture-youth-sport-supporting-coaches/

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🏅 Sport is more than a game — it’s a place to grow. Sports foster:✅ Belonging & inclusion✅ Life skills beyond the field ...
08/13/2025

🏅 Sport is more than a game — it’s a place to grow. Sports foster:

✅ Belonging & inclusion
✅ Life skills beyond the field

Jessy Newman of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) shares and explains why positive youth development (PYD) should be the foundation for youth sport and how support for coaches can help guide youth growth

When sport is done right, it’s more than a game — it’s a life-shaping experience where every young person can thrive.

📖 Read more https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/reimagining-youth-sport-putting-positive-youth-development-first/

Too much pressure. Too little fun. Too expensive.Competitive culture, burnout, and financial barriers are driving youth ...
08/12/2025

Too much pressure. Too little fun. Too expensive.

Competitive culture, burnout, and financial barriers are driving youth out of the sports programs designed to keep them healthy and engaged.

👟 70% of youth quit sports by age 13

💸 Families spend over $1,000 a year—just for one sport

🥇 Young people want less pressure and more fun

A new article from Youthcast Media Group student journalists, Rossy Soto, Grace Wang and Amaya Manzano, share real stories from teens across the country — exploring why youth are burning out — and what makes them stay.

📖 Read more https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/competitive-youth-sports-culture-leads-burnout-quitting/

📊 New research shows: Mentoring changes lives.In a 4-year study of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's Community-Based...
08/07/2025

📊 New research shows: Mentoring changes lives.

In a 4-year study of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's Community-Based Mentoring program:

💥 Less violence-related behavior

🏚️ Fewer property offenses

🚫 Reduced substance use

While arrest rates stayed about the same, these modest wins mean major impact when scaled. 💡

Mentorship isn’t just feel-good—it’s evidence-based progress.

📖 Full story https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/effects-big-brothers-big-sisters-community-based-mentoring-program-crime-delinquency-four-year-findings/

Youth Today + University of Illinois Chicago

🚨 Did you Know? ❗ 1 in 3 girls in juvenile detention has been pregnant❗ Most have never received basic menstrual or repr...
08/06/2025

🚨 Did you Know?

❗ 1 in 3 girls in juvenile detention has been pregnant
❗ Most have never received basic menstrual or reproductive health education
❗ Their menstrual health issues often go unrecognized and untreated
❗ The lack of supplies and knowledge for detained young women keeps them out of school — and deeper in the system

Mentraul health education provided in juvenile detention facilities may be the first chance young women get to understand and care for their bodies.

It’s not just about periods—it’s about power, health and a chance at a future.

➡️ Read more in the latest Youth Today piece by Kathryn Tapp.

🔗https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/detained-and-in-the-dark-girls-in-juvenile-detention-need-menstrual-health-education-now/

💥 California is about to spend $31.5M not on helping foster youth — but on helping foster agencies buy insurance after a...
08/05/2025

💥 California is about to spend $31.5M not on helping foster youth — but on helping foster agencies buy insurance after abuse lawsuits.

In a must-read op-ed Richard Wexler says what many won’t:

👉🏽 Most foster removals aren’t about abuse — they’re about poverty.
👉🏽 Institutional care = highest risk of harm.
👉🏽 The “insurance crisis” is proof the system is broken.

Instead of propping up agencies that failed children, let’s:
✨ Reunite families with the right support
✨ End harmful group placements
✨ Invest in real solutions like in-home care

🔗 Read the full op-ed — https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/seize-foster-care-insurance-crisis-opportunity-curb-foster-care/link in bio


National Coalition for Child Protection Reform

"Service learning isn't just about volunteering — it's about purpose, leadership, and academic growth."Karen Pittman tal...
07/31/2025

"Service learning isn't just about volunteering — it's about purpose, leadership, and academic growth."

Karen Pittman talks with Scott Ganske, vice president of education at Youth Service America (YSA), exploring how high-quality service learning transforms classrooms and communities.

Unlike traditional classroom learning or even project-based learning, service learning integrates academic objectives with real-world issues, allowing students to investigate, plan, act, reflect, and demonstrate their knowledge while making meaningful change in their communities.

Scott shares how service learning helped his own students outperform state growth metrics, and why this method still faces roadblocks in many schools. From training tools and summer programs to afterschool resources, he highlights ways educators can bridge the purpose gap for students starting as early as elementary school.

👉Learn how service learning helps kids lead, grow, and thrive.

📖 Read full story here. https://youthtoday.org/2025/07/qa-how-service-learning-done-well-changes-lives/

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