Funding for Youth Development

Positive Experiences + Positive Relationships + Positive Environments = Positive Youth Development

Based on the literature, the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, a collaboration of 19 federal departments and agencies that support youth, has created the following definition of positive youth development (PYD):

PYD is an intentional, prosocial approach that engages youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances young people's strengths; and promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths.

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs developed a research agenda focused on positive youth development. Through a collaborative consensus-building process, representatives from federal agencies identified three research domains (conceptual issues, data sources and indicators, and program implementation and effectiveness) and key research questions that could benefit from future research.

PYD has its origins in the field of prevention. In the past, prevention efforts typically focused on single problems before they surfaced in youth, such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency.

Over time, practitioners, policymakers, funders, and researchers determined that promoting positive asset building and considering young people as resources were critical strategies. As a result, the youth development field began examining the role of resiliency - the protective factors in a young person's environment - and how these factors could influence one's ability to overcome adversity. Those factors included, but were not limited to, family support and monitoring; caring adults; positive peer groups; strong sense of self, self-esteem, and future aspirations; and engagement in school and community activities.

Researchers and practitioners began to report that young people who possess a diverse set of protective factors can, in fact, experience more positive outcomes. These findings encouraged the development of interventions and programs that reduce risks and strengthen protective factors. The programs and interventions are strengthened when they involve and engage youth as equal partners, ultimately providing benefits for both for the program and the involved youth.

Source: youth.gov

Foundation and philanthropic support for youth development from around the Web.



Funders for Youth Nutrition: A Growing Trend in the Quest for Food Equity
Foundation: General Mills Foundation, Johnson Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The government estimates that by 2030 42% of Americans will be obese, loosing $1 trillion dollars to medical care and lowered productivity. In light of this, funding youth nutrition is a growing...more

Gannett Foundation Announces Available Grants For Bromsgrove Charities

Gannett Co Inc.'s charitable legacy, the Gannett Foundation, is inviting registered charities in Bromsgrove to apply for a grant. The foundation awards funding to charities with projects that take...more

Applications for Grants Available in Central Victoria

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has announced its applications for grants of up to $10,000 for charitable projects in the wider Goulburn Valley, in central Victoria. The...more

Health Department Gets $213,000 Grants from AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation

The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation\'s Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM program awarded a $213,000 grant to the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department to support its Appalachian Partnership...more

PSEG Foundation Now Accepting Grant Applications to Further STEM Education
Foundation: PSEG Foundation

The PSEG Foundation, a nonprofit that invests in programs that support education, is now accepting applications from afterschool, summer and youth development programs. The grants to be awarded...more

Yuma Community Foundation to Accept Grant Requests for Its 2013 Grant Cycle
Foundation: Yuma Community Foundation

The Yuma Community Foundation, an organization that acquires, oversees and allocates donor gifts for charitable purposes in Yuma County, will soon begin accepting grant applications from local...more

Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Awards More Than $66,000 Grants
Foundation: Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation

Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, the independent private foundation of Troy Savings Bank, awards $66,834 to community and youth development organization across New York\'s Capital...more

Hills Bank and Trust Company Awards 2013 Scholarship Grants

The Iowa 4-H Foundation, a financial resources provider for youth development, has recently released 18 scholarships which were awarded by Hills Bank and Trust Co. The community bank awarded...more

ABHF Accepts Proposals for African-American Communities
Foundation: Arkansas Community Foundation

The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame (ABHF) Foundation welcomes grant proposals for its annual grant program. In collaboration with the Arkansas Community Foundation, ABHF will award grants to approved...more

Osceola County Gain Support from An Improvement Project Grant
Foundation: Community Foundation of Osceola County

Five areas of Osceola County will receive its share of $82,781.67 from the Community Foundation of Osceola County. The areas are home to 27 nonprofit organizations that cater to human services,...more



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