Youth Development Professionals

Lynne M. Borden

Youth development is a dynamic field focused on promoting the positive development of all young people. The role of youth development professionals in creating high-quality youth development programs is an important aspect of current efforts to ensure the continual improvement of programs available to young people. The following sections will outline the scope of work done by youth development professionals, some features of effective programs, and the roles youth development professionals play in providing effective programming. Currently, there are approximately 17,000 local youth-serving organizations affiliated with 25 national organizations (e.g., 4-H, YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, and Boy Scouts) that serve more than 30 million young people (Hahn & Raley, 1998). In addition, “As many as 300,000 fulland part-time staff work for private, nonprofit, nationally affiliated youth organizations” (Hahn & Raley, 1998, p. 391). Youth development organizations once labeled “fun and recreation” now embrace a larger mission of creating intentional ...

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