California Afterschool

Network

Understanding
Today’s
“Youth Culture”
 “Youth Influencing Forces”
Comparison Study
Univ. of Minn. – MEE Corp. –
1950’s 2000
1. Home 1. Peers

2. School 2. Music

3. Church 3. Television
California Afterschool
Network

Youth
Cultural
Competence
 Youth Cultural
Competence
What is YCC?
Plain and simple, YCC is the ability to understand the
social, emotional & mental dynamics of adolescent
youth and their development.

For example; during the adolescent years youth

become more aware and conscious of self-image; the
way they dress, the way they talk, who they hang out
with, etc. The understanding of these dynamics paired
with how we engage and interact w/ them – can
significantly increase our ability to motivate and
inspire them.
Youth Cultural
Competence

Youth Development
and
Research Fund
(YDRF)

www.ydrf.com
 Youth Cultural
Competence
“Rhodes Scholar, Jay Macleod
suggests that teachers/youth workers
need not have a black belt in karate,
place a premium on machismo, swear
in class, or have working-class roots
like most students, however, they must
be prepared to validate the identities
that their students have taken on as
part of growing up”
- Countering the Urban Influence
Youth Cultural
Competence
Why YCC?
“The Business Model”
ASP = Business
Services = Product
Students = Consumers
Funding = Profit

Consumer x Product = Profit

Or
Student x Services = Funding
 Youth Cultural
Competence
Why YCC?
According to Business Weekly –
3 Keys to Business Success…
1. Know what you do (and what you don’t do)
* Broaden the vision, narrow the focus

2. Manage your cash flow (very closely)

3. Know who it is you serve (and focus on them intensely)

 Youth Cultural
Competence
Why YCC?
In Afterschool Programs…
1. Their interests drive our attendance!

2. Their attendance drives our funding!

3. Our funding drives our jobs!

4. Our jobs…drive the future!

Who am I?
 Youth Cultural
Competence
Teen Smart
Name the current music artist/s who perform the
following songs:

1. Hip Hop Category: “Empire State of Mind”

2. Pop Category: “Sexy Chick”

3. Alternative Category: “Use Somebody”

4. R&B Category: “Hard”

 Youth Cultural
Competence
Teen Smart
Please define the following “teen” expressions:

1.“Breezy”

2.“Scrap”

3.“Jerkin’”

4.“Ghost Ridin”
 What’s Going on in There;
Understanding Adolescent Brain Development
Presented by:
Lori A. Hoffner
Speaker~Trainer~Consultant
Supporting CommUnity, Inc.
www.SupportingCommUnity.com
Lori@SupportingCommUnity.com
720-353-2863
Why Do They Act That Way?
A Survival Guide to the
Adolescent Brain for you and
Your Teen.
David Walsh, Ph.D.
 The Adolescent Brain
1.Relies greatly on the early childhood experience/development
2.Is dealing w/ fastest point of “human growth”
3.Working hard to make the shift from “concrete” to “abstract”
thinking
4.Is blossoming…but needs to lots of pruning
5.Experiencing “windows of opportunity”
6.Experiencing “windows of sensitivity”
7.Myelination (insulating of nerve cells)
8.Major Hormonal Surges
 The Adolescent Brain (con’t)
1.Major Mood Swings

2.Major Energy Swings

3.Teenage “laziness”

4.Sleep Rhythms
Non-Productive Things to Say
to an Adolescent

“What were you thinking”

“Act your age”

“Grow up”
 It is normal for an adolescent to…

 Argue for the sake of arguing

 Jump to conclusions
 Be self-centered
 Constantly find fault in the adult’s position
 Be overly dramatic
 Youth Cultural
Competence
YOUTH CULTURAL COMPETENCE
• Youth Involvement
• Positive Peer Influence
• Youth Popular Culture
A system-wide set of principles and practices that
promote an increased understanding and appreciation
of youth involvement, youth popular culture, and
positive peer influence; and utilizes these mechanisms
to promote academic & personal achievement.
 Youth
Involvement
 Positive Peer
Influence
Columbia University researchers Peter Bearman and
Hannah Bruckner identify five levels of adolescent peer
relationships:

1:single best friends

2:immediate friendship circle
3:larger peer group (sub-cultures)
4:leading school crowd
5:the entire school/community
Utilizing the Power of Peer Influence

Peer Leaders: STEP 4:

STEP 1: Create an on-going
Ricky, Veronica & Martin structure of “feeling”
Engage heavily,
build rapport, that works to
establish trust and Peer Followers: continuously “validate”
mutual respect their participation
Johnny, Sally, Lawrence
Deanna, Tanya
STEP 2: & Felix STEP 3:
Offer “desirable” Utilize their
opportunity to lead influence on their
positive/productive peers strategically
initiative or act to recruit the
(may require an interest of others
incentive)
 Youth Popular
Culture

If Corporate America is
doing it…why aren’t we?
(Skippy Commercial)
 Youth Popular
Culture
 Research has shown when adults
devalue the cultural interests/identity
of a young person, they are in fact
devaluing that young person
him/herself.
 So in a society where so many young
people are willing to die for the
ambiguous concept of “respect,” why
would we think they would take their
educational opportunities serious when
they are “disrespected” by adults in the
educational environment constantly??
 The Youth
Engagement Initiative

“8-Track”
Programs in
a MP3 World