Capacity-building for youth workers through community-based partnerships.

Although positive youth development (PYD) is increasingly influential in the field of youth programming, core knowledge and competencies for youth workers continue to be defined. Youth serving agencies throughout the United States face serious obstacles in the creation of a stable and well-trained workforce, despite the presence of many talented and resourceful individuals who work with youth in the community. One strategy for organizational and staff development is through PYD-oriented, community-based partnerships designed to enhance youth worker knowledge and competence. Two different partnerships are described in this report. The first brought together experts in youth work, health, and trauma, and focused on improving youth worker response to psychologic trauma commonly experienced by urban youth. This partnership used an iterative reflective practice approach to describe best practices in youth work. The second partnership strategically taught evaluation skills to youth program consumers, AmeriCorps service members, and adult youth workers to advance youth-adult partnerships. These exemplars demonstrate that partnerships can drive systems for improving competencies in youth workers and the capacities of youth services.