“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
The goals of the Youth Development program in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences (RPTS), are to: (1) educate and prepare students for careers in youth-serving organizations while (2) increasing research-based information about the out-of-school time experiences that contribute to the development of young people into fully functioning adults.
Faculty and students in the youth development program have unique expertise and ability to provide cutting-edge research at the community, state, national and international levels in the area of youth development. Funded research is being conducted for after-school programs offered through school districts, and park and recreation departments, collaborative efforts between extension programs and schools, prevention programs centered on childhood obesity, and evaluations of youth programs such as camps and grassroots programs. Results of these projects have been disseminated via publications and presented at professional and research conferences. Proposed efforts are focused on evaluating the effects of youth camps, outdoor education programs and faith-based programs, physical activity and health, and understanding the social-ecological processes that impact youth development.