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LIFE IN PROGRESS Developing Better Strategies to Work with Adolescents

LIFE IN PROGRESS Developing Better Strategies to Work with Adolescents

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LIFE IN PROGRESSDeveloping Better Strategies

to Work with Adolescents

Adolescence to Adulthood

• Developing Identity

• Developing Self-Efficacy

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Characteristics of Adults

• Accepts responsibility for him/herself

• Makes independent decisions

• Becomes financially independent

(Arnett)

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Adolescents & Emerging Adults(13-18 & 18-25)

• Develop intimate relationships (adolescents: testing

the water, short-term relationships; emerging adults:

asking themselves who they may want to spend their

life with)

• Develop relationship with world of work (adolescents:

learn good work habits, earn spending money;

emerging adults: what kind of work am I good at, what

work would I find satisfying in the long-run, what are my

chances of finding work in a field that suits me?)

(Arnett)

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Exploration, Risk-Taking,Resilience

• Developing strategies to address risky situations,

including peer pressure

• Adolescents: importance of family

• Emerging adults: obtaining a broad range of life experiences

• Emerging adults: making decisions on their own, facing failure, lonely, optimistic about the future

(Arnett)

Self-Efficacy

• Cultivating interests• Enabling beliefs• Developing competencies:• Intentionality (intentions with plans, strategies)• Projection into the future (visualizing the future)• Self-regulation (personal standards, monitoring

& regulating one's actions)• Self-examination (reflecting on personal efficacy

& making adjustments)

(Bandura)

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Efficacy Beliefs

Determine how one views opportunities and challenges:• Low efficacy belief leads to pessimism, giving up

easily• High efficacy belief allows one to stay the course,

handle adversity

(Bandura)

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Paths to Efficacy

• Personal Agency (personal influence on oneself & circumstances)

• Proxy Agency (ability to call on assistance from people with influence)

• Collective Agency (pooling resources & skills to work together to effect change - the power of teamwork: raises possibilities, commitment, enhances group achievement, strengthens resiliency)

(Bandura)8

Developmental Skills Needed byAdolescents & Emerging Adults

• Personal commitment to something worth doing• Vision of desired future• Self-regulated learning (selection of appropriate strategies,

testing one's competence & correcting one's deficiencies)• Self-regulated emotional skills (discerning emotions, effect

of expression of emotions, management of emotional state - especially under duress)

• Information management (access, process, evaluate)

(Bandura)

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Gender Stereotyping

In exploring the world of work, adolescents & emerging adults fall into gender stereotypes.

To counter these stereotypes:• Use assessment results to explore youth's confidence in gender-typed

occupations• Ask: "Is there any career that you would find fun among boys/girls

careers?"• Present adults in non-traditional jobs• UNISEX ACT Interest Inventory• Work with parents (adolescents) so they better understand types of careers

available to their children & develop confidence in their child's ability to master tasks

(Turner)

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Characteristics of EffectiveDevelopmental Approaches

• Attract & hold youth's interests• Effective means for achieving developmental

goals• Works for a variety of youths

(Gabone)

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Factors for EffectiveDevelopmental Approaches

• Sense of safety• Challenging & interesting activities• Sense of belonging• Social support from adults• Input & decision-making• Leadership (formal & informal)

(Gabone)12

Developmental Approaches'Effect on Self-Efficacy

• Increase youth's ability to successfully navigate adolescence and emerging adulthood

• Do not stigmatize low-income participants

(Gabone)

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A Regional Workforce Board's Experience

• Determining critical needs

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A Regional Workforce Board's Experience

• Researching best practices

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A Regional Workforce Board's Experience

• Evaluating results

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A Regional Workforce Board's Experience

Critical elements:• Engagement• Outstanding youth provider• Program outcomes

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A Regional Workforce Board's Experience

• Entrepreneurial Training

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A Youth Provider's Experience

• Committed staff that develops relationships with youth (Facebook friends, one on one intake, cheerleader role)

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A Youth Provider's Experience

• Regular and varied activities• Youth input into activities

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A Youth Provider's Experience

• Youth feel taken care of (incentives, food)

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A Youth Provider's Experience

• Outside partners (FSU School of Business, UF Extension Division, business sponsors)

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A Youth Provider's Experience

• Exit strategy for program outcomes

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A Youth Provider's Experience

• Dynamic Workshops

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CONTACTS

Isabelle Potts (850) 921-3148

[email protected]

Dorcas Washington (850) 464-3985

[email protected]

Danica Mamby (954) 202-3830

[email protected]

Patina Fuller (850) 617-4515

[email protected]

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arnett, Jeffrey Jansen, "A Theory of Development from the Late

Teens through the Twenties" American Psychologist, May 2000.

Bandura, Albert, "Adolescent Development from an Agentic

Perspective" Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Adolescents, 2005 (Information

Age Publishing)

Gambone, Michelle Alberti & Amy J.A. Arbreton, Safe Havens--The

Contributions of Youth Organizations to Healthy Adolescent

Development, 1997 (Public/Private Ventures).

Turner, Sherri & Richard T. Lapan, "Career Self-Efficacy and

Perceptions of Parent Support in Adolescent Career Development"

The Career Development Quarterly, 2002.

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