What is Youth Development to you?  Research shows that there are actually two components to what Youth Development is:

The CONCEPTUAL definition describes Youth Development as:

• A Process by which all young people seek ways to meet their basic physical & social needs to build necessary competencies.

The PRACTICAL definition describes Youth Development as:

• An approach to working with youth that defines goals based on the capacities, strengths and developmental needs of youth.

These definitions describe what young people go through on their way to adult hood.  A young person will NOT be able to BUILD ESSENTIAL SKILLS if they don't feel safe, cared for, valued or grounded unless their family  and community provide the necessary supports along the way.

That's what the Federation and its 15 member agencies do, that's what we take pride in; helping today's young people.

Our Certificate programs help Youth Workers help young people become strong, contributing law abiding citizens.

If you're interested in working with young people and would like to learn more about our Certificate Programs, click on the below links.