The BEST Way to Work with Youth: Building Exemplary Systems for Training Youth Workers
Lessons from a National Initiative

A Forum — July 21, 2000

The National BEST (Building Exemplary Systems for Training Youth Workers) is a network that provides staff development to youth workers in 15 communities. BEST sites offer youth workers opportunities for networking, newsletters, college credit for training, opportunities to become trainers, and citywide celebrations that recognize the important work of youth workers and organizations that serve youth. The National BEST Initiative is led by the National Training Institute for Community Youth Work (NTI) of the Academy for Educational Development (AED) and funded by the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds.

Elaine Johnson, Director of the National Training Institute for Community Youth Work and Vice President of the Academy for Educational Development, provided an overview of why BEST was started and some of the policy issues that have surfaced from local experience with BEST. Ms. Johnson indicated that stand-alone training, unconnected to a system of professional development for youth workers was not very successful. NTI administers Advancing Youth Development: A Curriculum for Training Youth Workers (AYD) as a way to deliver high quality training to youth workers. With over 3000 youth workers already trained in AYD, NTI is seeking ways to bring BEST (with AYD training at its core) to new communities, including those with federally-supported programs, such as DOE’s 21st Century Learning Centers, DOL’s Youth Opportunities Movement, and HHS’s Youth Development Collaboration Grants. Johnson said BEST uses the same youth development language and principles in training across various community agencies so these principles resonate with youth workers, wherever they work. NTI is conducting a two-year impact study of the National BEST Initiative.

One issue that has surfaced from NTI’s experience with BEST is determining who in a community is best positioned to provide training to all the youth workers and to keep a focus on the needs of the youth work community. Johnson indicated that often, intermediary organizations, rather than direct service providers, can lead comprehensive and coordinated efforts to build a local system of professional development. Johnson also said the training provides an opportunity at the local level to discuss what works for youth, leading to quality standards for youth programs. Lastly, Johnson emphasized that youth development outcomes include academic achievement outcomes and therefore the academic and youth work fields must work together to contribute to the success of all youth.

Three representatives from local BEST sites shared their experiences and the impact that BEST has had on their work with youth. Deborah Craig, President of YouthNet in Kansas City, MO, an intermediary organization, said that more and more, parents need support to help guide their adolescents, and communities must become involved with youth development. To be effective, youth workers must have the skills to help adolescents succeed, but most youth workers are not exposed to an overall theoretical approach to programming. This often results in a scattered development of programs, based on whatever free resources are available in the community. BEST allows youth works to see how to build youth development into all their activities in a more supportive and integrated manner. Craig also indicated that in Kansas City, many youth workers are employed by agencies where they had participated as teens. Although most youth workers do not have a college degree, a significant number have taken some college courses. They are eager to participate in the 12-hour college credit program, developed by YouthNet, focused on the principles of youth development, from which 25 people have already graduated. The credential program has a practicum component, in addition to the courses. YouthNet is now working to develop a database of Kansas City youth workers to continue to inform them of additional professional development opportunities. Craig said it is critical for funders who support youth development programs to review their grantees’ plans for staff training in youth development.

Mo Barbosa, Project Coordinator of Boston BEST, suggested that the best way to use limited funds is to help programs strengthen the capacity of youth workers to help youth. Boston BEST is building the professional competency of youth workers so they can meet the needs of youth, whether they are participating in after-school, juvenile justice, or faith-based programs. But Barbosa said, "Training isn’t enough. We need a system or a network to share information on best practices. We need a collaborative among agencies that employ youth workers to help youth workers document all of their other professional development activities." Youth workers need a common language and framework so they can share their work and discuss the competencies they want to develop. In Boston, agencies collaborate and network more because of the BEST training. BEST has raised the standards of the staff and that means the programs are raising the standards for youth. Barbosa said funding for training and professional development for youth workers is critical and should be mandatory.

Mustafaa Madyun, Director of the Community Prevention Partnership’s Youth Challenge, Washington, DC, graduated from the DC BEST training program. He said he has been in youth work for 25 years and had training in HIV prevention, drug abuse, and many individual issues, but that the BEST training had the greatest impact on his work. Madyun said that many of the youth workers at his organization had completed the AYD course, which has created a common language for youth workers that allows them to say "we work on youth development" not just "we do drug prevention" with our kids. Madyun said, "Instead of planning activities for youth, we now ask them to develop programs, and youth are more involved in the leadership and decision-making of the organization." Madyun indicated that it is also important for supervisors and executive directors to take the course so they can incorporate the youth development approach throughout their organization.

Several questions were asked about recruitment and career paths for youth workers. There are few career paths or required courses to enter youth work. With training, more youth workers are moving across agencies, allowing cross-fertilization, but career paths within most agencies do not exist because they tend to be fairly small organizations. Discussion also focused on whether or not youth workers should have college degrees. The panel agreed that although many competent youth workers do not have college degrees, college graduates are important because they serve as role models for the youth. The last topic of discussion related to the connections between BEST’s youth development approach and traditional education. Issues about how BEST can play a role in the professional development of classroom teachers, how BEST can partner with education in a respectful, mutually beneficial way, and what BEST can learn from the educators were all discussed.

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