Wyman Alumni Support Teens as “Near Peers”

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

After a number of years as a participant in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP® ) in the Near South Side Neighborhood in St. Louis, Chuck (on left) joined the Wyman staff as a program facilitator.

Demarco ‘Chuck’ Dickerson graduated from Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) three years ago and since then, has joined the Wyman staff, as a TOP® facilitator. “I [wanted] to give back the knowledge I learned. A lot of them are like my little cousins or brothers who saw me in the program and wanted to do it,” Dickerson said.

These are the types of relationships Wyman strives to achieve by employing “Near Peers.” The Near Peers initiative hires Wyman alumni to work as staff during the summer and school year. Wyman has successfully employed Near Peers for the past four years and continues to see the number of alumni applying remain robust each year. In 2012, 13 alumni were employed with the Teen Outreach and Teen Leadership Programs.

Alumni enhance their resume, professional skills and network while giving teens role models with a common experience and perspective. The relationships that alumni are able to cultivate with the teens are significant. “There wasn’t a [large] male presence when I was there, and I feel like I make it easier for the boys if they want to talk about certain topics like relationships,” Dickerson said.

The candidates are matriculated through the hiring process like any other job – interviews, background screenings and drug testing. Once hired, they participate in rigorous ten-day training and receive an orientation that helps the transition from program participant to staff. In addition, the Near Peers participate in roundtable discussions with alumni staff and a goal setting session on what they hope to accomplish during this experience.

Research today indicates that many young adults are inadequately prepared to be successful in the workplace. The Near Peer initiative continues the skill building and guidance of Wyman programs in a professional setting. Alumni staff members obtain professional and life skills they need to successfully obtain and retain long-term employment in any field.

“It’s a great program, it helped me out a lot and it’s still helping out younger guys,” Dickerson said.

Wyman would like to extend its gratitude to the Daughters of Charity Foundation for their generous support of the Near Peers program.

Demand a Plan to End Gun Violence and Build a Civil Society

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Dave Hilliard

Today – 100 days after the Sandy Hook tragedy – citizens, coalitions, organizations and government officials are participating in a National Day to Demand Action to end gun violence in our country.

While many of these conversations are around how to specifically and literally keep our young people safe from gun violence – a very critical part of the conversation must also be our ability to create opportunities and environments that support and prepare our young people to lead healthy, productive lives. The discernment we need to make rises from a single question: what steps can we take now and into the future to re-establish and sustain a safe and civil society in the United States?

I have spent the past 47 years working with and on behalf of tens of thousands of teens from low-resource environments in St Louis and through our partners across the country. I personally know of too many youth who have lost their lives in incidences of gun violence. In not one of those cases I could personally chronicle would we find automatic weapons as the instruments of violence nor would we be likely to find severe, untreated mental illness or fixation on violent media as primary causative factors.

Causes of crime are complicated: concentrated, isolating poverty; educational deficits; low expectations; inadequate developmental supports in families, institutions and community. Prominent researchers in criminology, sociology, human development and economics help us understand that behavior has a biological basis and is linked to key developmental experiences. Experience impacts individual character and individual characters impact community.

At Wyman, we believe the vast majority of violence we encounter and deaths we suffer are preventable if we take a public health approach to addressing the complex causes of violence in our society and create a movement around developing the positive potential of our youth.

By helping young people develop fundamental and essential social and emotional skills, and build resilience, positive youth development programs enable teens to grow into healthy, productive, and contributing citizens – and in turn, reduce risky and violent behavior.

Instead of drastic and counterproductive short-term solutions, we advocate for the long view. Let’s offer a sustained, collective community approach of stability, opportunities and better alternatives to equip young people for success.

This is the nation that eradicated polio, sent men and women to explore space and ocean depths and has connected the world with universal access to knowledge and data. We can do this.

Let the tried, but not true, approaches go. As articulated by Karen Pittman of the Forum for Youth Investment, it’s time for broader partnerships, bigger goals, better use of data and bolder actions to produce the young people and communities we want.

President of Wyman since 1975, Dave works with the Board of Trustees to define and achieve the agency vision, mission and strategic goals, which has resulted in establishing the agency as a recognized national expert in teen leadership and development.

Community Solutions to Curb Youth Violence

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Allison Williams

The presence of youth violence in the St. Louis area is difficult to ignore. Headlines regularly point to the senseless violence that tragically takes the lives of young people too soon. We know many teens live in unpredictable and often times dangerous circumstances, and as youth program providers, schools, teachers, role models and mentors, our work is to provide stability, opportunities, and better alternatives so they can rise above what would otherwise bring them down.

Last week, Washington University’s Institute for Public Health hosted an energizing conversation around the role of public health professionals in preventing violence in St. Louis; which included important reminders for all professionals and community members.

Violence is not just a problem for certain neighborhoods. Anytime a young person is taken by violence – someone who will never even make it to high school graduation – this is a loss for our entire community.

We do know key elements and experiences that support young people on a healthy developmental path – and make them less likely to engage in violence. These experiences include:

access to a physically and emotionally safe environment;
structure and clearly defined acceptable behaviors;
a sense of belonging and ownership;
opportunities for growth and expectations that they can achieve goals; and finally
meaningful, supportive relationships.

Young people are best served when their communities – parents and caregivers, neighbors, schools, youth serving organizations, and policy makers – apply these consistently and over time.

While the issue of violence can feel daunting – it is not too complex or too big for us to address as a community, but it does require a community-wide response. It requires us to think through innovative policy solutions as well as practice.

Social and emotional skill development for children and youth was noted as a public health opportunity identified by the Centers for Disease Control. Imagine if we embraced a cross-sector, research-based approach to intentional supports and development to teach young people communication, goal-setting, self-control, discipline and grit, so they can navigate difficult situations and make tough decisions.

If we, as a community, do not change the way we perceive and support youth from at-risk circumstances we are only perpetuating a cycle of poverty and violence. Research is quite clear that holding and supporting teens to high expectations is a powerful and necessary contributor to their positive development. So let’s continue to offer stability, opportunities and better alternatives to equip young people for success. Because as long as we say “that’s just the way it is,” nothing will ever change.

Thanks to the Institute for Public Health for hosting the conference. The voices of Melissa Johnson-Reid, PhD, from The Brown School, Bridget McDermott Flood from the Incarnate Word Foundation, Flint Fowler, PhD, from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, Norman White, PhD, from Saint Louis University, and James Marks, MD, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation brought broad and informed perspectives to this important conversation.

Tips for the New Employee – Job Skills for Teens

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Saras Chung

Congratulations! You’ve landed your first job as a paid (or possibly unpaid) employee! You’re one of the few. The proud. The useful. Whether you’re babysitting or filling lunch orders, here are some helpful tips to keep your job and become a highly regarded worker by your employer (think references!)

1. Be on time. On time doesn’t mean, ‘on time’. On time means 5 minutes before you’re supposed to be there. Employees who are dependable are looked upon favorably by employers and being punctual is one of the best ways to prove you care about your job.

2. Don’t talk/text/browse on your cell phone while working. Steer clear of the temptation to chat by leaving your phone in the car or at home. Your employer is not paying you to socialize with your family/friends. They’re paying you for your work. This is one of the biggest pet peeves employers and customers have about staff.

3. Work as if everyone’s watching. It’s easy to slack off when it seems that no one is paying attention. Your hard work, regardless if people are watching, will set you apart from those around you.

4. Smile. Check your attitude. Enthusiasm about your work cannot only help you get through the day, but improve your relations with customers, co-workers and your boss. It’s simple, but if you look as if you have better things to do, you might just get the opportunity, whether you like it or not.

5. Dress appropriately and be clean. Present yourself well! People appreciate neatness. Especially if you’re serving or making their food.

6. Don’t spend excessive time socializing with co-workers or visitors. People may want to come visit you while you work, but taking time to talk excessively with them or to give them ‘free’ things is not in your job description.

7. Think ahead. Do tasks that you haven’t been told to do yet. As a wise man once said, “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

8. Be ready to take criticism. Listen, ask questions and adjust as necessary. It might be hard to take, but criticism can help you improve.

Work is a great way to build up to what you ultimately want to ‘be’. Use each opportunity as a stepping stone for the next. Having a positive job experience can lead to strong references and support for the next position you’d like to hold. As a last rule of thumb, be the worker that you’d want to manage.

Any others we might have missed? Comment below!

The Problem with “Disadvantaged Teens”

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Saras Chung

The most jarring practices in the field of social services surround the way we describe or talk about the young people we serve. Disadvantaged? Poor? Socioeconomically depressed? Though utilizing sensitive language to describe the factual state of communities from which our teens originate is important, one must take caution when transferring those labels directly to individual teens.

One of Wyman’s own teens said it best, “Just because I’m poor, doesn’t mean I’m lacking. Just because my family does not have much money, doesn’t mean that I’m ‘disadvantaged’. I may be ‘disadvantaged’ monetarily, but I am ‘advantaged’ in so many other ways.” Most teens would agree that though they may live in a tough community, they do not want to be pigeonholed into broad categories for charity.

As those who work with youth, we must accentuate the positive. The framework for this type of strategy is based on the ‘strengths perspective,’ a theoretical approach that emphasizes an individual’s talents, competencies, possibilities and hopes. Key concepts include empowerment, resilience and membership to a viable group or community (Saleeby, 1996). In a strengths-based approach, our choice of wording and concepts are very important. In order to utilize this effectively, one must acknowledge the factual state of a teen’s situation, alongside an individual strength that you see can help them mitigate the difficulty. (i.e., “It must be hard having a parent who works long hours, but your hard work ethic is definitely paying off in school.”)

Similarly, the concept of the ‘self-fulfilling’ prophecy is one that can work against our efforts, if not deliberately addressed. On the flipside, one strategy that can work to our advantage is the Pygmalion effect. It refers to the phenomenon where the higher the expectation that is placed upon people causes them to perform better. Rosenthal, the researcher who discovered this effect said it best, “When we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur” (Rosenthal and Babad, 1985). This demonstrates that perhaps it is not only for teens that we should expect high performance, but as practitioners, we are more likely to help them and assist them in reaching those high standards as well.

Though labels like ‘disadvantaged’ or ‘poor’ may be indicative of the factual state of the places where they young people we serve reside, we must take care to not use those labels to describe the people themselves. Forecast realistic success for teens, no matter their circumstances – they will surely meet your realistic expectations.

Practical Tips:

Never talk poorly about your students. As those who work on the frontline with teens, it’s natural to get upset and disappointed with your group, especially if they did not do as you expected. Though participating in gripe-sessions with fellow staff can seem like a stress-reliever for you, it may intrinsically change your expectation for your teens which can then, according to the Pygmalion effect, change your interactions with them in a negative way.
Set the bar high. Establishing realistic and high expectations for your teens and helping them to achieve these standards sets teens up for positive self-esteem and the internal belief that they in fact, can, meet your expectations.
Work with each teen, individually, to understand their abilities and strengths. Send them notes of encouragement that highlight their abilities and your support.

Have any other thoughts or strategies that might help? Feel free to comment below!

References

Rosenthal, R., and E. Y. Babad. 1985. Pygmalion in the gymnasium. Educational Leadership 43 (1): 36–39.

Saleeby, D. (1996). The strengths perspective in social work practice: Extensions and cautions. Social Work, 41, 296-305.

The Pygmalion Effect. (2012). Duquesne University. Retrieved on April 30, 2012 from: http://www.duq.edu/cte/teaching/pygmalion.cfm

Don’t Fix your Teen’s Mistakes

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Saras Chung

We live in a culture where photos are airbrushed and perfection reigns supreme. Models and celebrities parade around with flawless skin, the most fashionable clothing and pay publicists to provide damage control in not-so-flattering situations. Our culture provides role models that are seemingly perfect—a great detriment to our young people. In actuality, mistakes are a pathway to excellence.

According to Charles Kettering, a great American inventor who contributed to the development of the automobile, “An inventor fails 999 times, and if he succeeds once, he’s in. He treats his failures simply as practice shots.” Unfortunately for teens today, quotes like, “failure is not an option,” is a mentality that is woven into their being. The quote, however, is missing one important clause.

“Failure is not an option—it’s a requirement.”

Teens best understand the breadth of their resourcefulness and resilience through unfavorable conditions. As adults, it is our job to let them fully experience these times to grow, mature and learn qualities such as hardiness and optimism. It is to their detriment when we try to ‘fix’ the situation for them.

Hovering parents (aka “helicopter parents”) will call a teacher when their son/daughter makes a poor grade. Instead of allowing the teen to make that mistake, they argue with the teacher or ask for opportunities to complete extra credit. Not only are these parents protecting their children from failure in the classroom, but they are continuing to shield them in college and careers, as well. NPR recently highlighted helicopter parents that are contacting human resource managers to advocate on their child’s behalf, negotiating benefits and compensation for their adult-aged children! This is the manifestation of this problem – adults who are unprepared for real life.

Though it requires great restraint to watch your teen go through difficulties or potential hardship, your optimistic support can help them understand that these experiences are a part of life. By ‘being there’ for your teen, you send the message that you believe they can handle the situation. Parents that provide a listening ear as support nurture their teen’s independence into adulthood. Simply intervening on their behalf sends the message that they are not able to deal with their mistakes.

Reflect:

Do you cover for your teen’s mistakes? (Examples of such behavior include parents who complete their child’s late homework assignments, allowing them to stay home when they did not finish an assignment and those who cover for their teens when things go awry with friendships, etc.)

Though the motive of such actions comes from deep care and love for your child, these are not the types of reactions that will help them grow and learn from their difficulties.

Instead of providing damage control for your teen, think about ways that you can help them use these experiences to grow. We are all human. We all make mistakes. The difference between a mistake from which one can grow or become impaired is the process of how one recovers from it. Failure should not be scrutinized under a microscope, but rather by taking 50 steps away from it and examining it in context.

Consider the following questions as a framework to calmly and nonjudgmentally discuss topics of failure with your teen:

Why do you think this happened?
Why did you react the way you did? (Encourage them to use “I” statements such as, “I felt _____, when _________”)
What do you think would have helped?
What support do you need from me?

These are questions that can help foster critical thinking about such mishaps and provide an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Five Ways to Help Teens Make the Most of Their Summer

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Saras Chung

The lazy days of summer are right around the corner, and for any of us who work with teens – or parent them – we know that their months off can be a great way to get in the experience, skills and development they need to mold their own futures and aspirations. Check out our list of things you can encourage teens to do while also enjoying time with friends and family.

1. Plan to take your teen on a college visit

Teens are much more likely to envision themselves on a campus and thereby set goals for themselves when they see what college is really like (versus what they hear from their peers and television). Coordinate with your teen to visit schools of interest. Most Admissions Departments are designed to give tours for students at any time. Sometimes all it takes for teens to obtain the motivation and inspiration to set academic and career goals is actually seeing what the end result might look like and picturing themselves in that arena.

2. Encourage your teen to spend their time doing something meaningful

Utilize sites like www.volunteennation.org or www.dosomething.org to encourage your teen to work on a project of their own interest. Whether it’s tending to a community garden or helping build houses through Habitat for Humanity, there are many things to do that can foster a greater sense of community, work skills and empathy for your teen. Try not to dictate the activity your teen will engage in but help facilitate the conversation of their interests and what they’d like to do. If you get their friends involved, even better! Teens do better with peers and doing something positive together can only be beneficial for their friendship. Also check out: www.idealist.org, www.volunteermatch.org.

3. Setup career-shadowing opportunities

A great way to help teens get a realistic sense of what it means to grow up and become a doctor, stylist, engineer, ice-cream taste tester, etc. is to have them live a week in the life of their career of choice. If your personal networks do not include any of the above careers, try calling a local professional association of whatever career path they are considering to get ideas.

4. Encourage teens to take a summer job

Earning one’s first paycheck is one of the most memorable and meaningful events for a young teen. The correlation between hard work and wages is one that can provide life lessons that go beyond high school. Encourage teens to take on summer work as a way to keep them engaged, responsible and honing their skills and resume. Not only does working build up their potential for future success, with the right support, it also allows them to learn responsibility with finances. Everyone starts somewhere. Some of our nation’s most accomplished individuals learned the basics of hard work while bagging groceries, selling clothing, flipping burgers or lifeguarding. Check out www.snagajob.com for resources specifically tailored to high school students.

5. Find opportunities to help them build their semi-resume

One of the biggest leaps that teens have to take from high school to college is gaining experience that is meaningful to their future aspirations. Though few expect teens to have a full-blown resume by the time they graduate, suggesting the documentation of pertinent activities takes them one step closer to their career goals. All of the activities mentioned above are legitimate experiences that colleges want to see. Compiling a preliminary resume is also a moment to look back and reflect on their work. You can utilize this process to help facilitate a discussion on whether or not they are heading in the trajectory they want to go and what support can help them get there. This is a great goal-setting process that sets the stage for a future career and lifetime of success.

Whatever you encourage your teen to do this summer; remember that your support and guidance is of the greatest importance. It’s not about WHAT they do, but how they go through the process. Being there for them will create lasting impressions beyond today and tomorrow. Have any others you’d like to add? Comment below!

Youth Magnets: A Profile of Effective Youth Workers

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Wyman

Article by Natalie Arduini – Natalie is obtaining her Master’s in Social Work at Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work and is currently a practicum student with Wyman.

It is often assumed that people working in youth development, teaching, or any other job that involves working with teens, are naturally “youth magnets.” Youth magnets have the ability to connect with and nurture the learning experience of young people. They are often the first person a teen calls when they need advice or assistance in making little to major life decisions. It takes a certain level of intentionality to effectively develop healthy behaviors and mindsets in youth. However innate these qualities may seem, they can also be developed. Here are some personality traits and practices of people who attract and work well with teens:

Respectful
Flexible
Sense of Humor
Empathetic
Patient
Trustworthy
Open-minded
Inspiring
Positive

Things that Youth Magnets do:

Build a relationship – Check in with your teens. Call them. Send notes of appreciation. As a teen, it can be intimidating to talk to adults. Many may feel like adults don’t have the time or interest in spending time to get to know them. When adults reach out to them first, it sends the message that there is an open door of communication that they can reciprocate. Whether it be through Facebook, email, text or a simple phone call, reaching out to a teen is a simple way to help them open up. Show genuine interest in their lives and watch the relationship flourish.
Meet teens where they are at – then help them get to where you want them to go. “Meeting teens where they are at” requires an understanding of their current situation and past.
Affirm and recognize – A little praise goes a long way. Give feedback on their work and acknowledge their strengths, both formally and informally. Though overpraising sounds patronizing, a few notes of recognition build up the confidence of teens.
Instill a sense of responsibility – There is a fine line between being friends with the youth you work with, and being a successful youth ally. I have been told by several administrators in youth engagement that “it’s not your job to be their friend.” Instead it is your job to mentor them. It is necessary to maintain a level of professionalism to work with youth. Roles and expectations should be established to ensure productivity.
Learn their culture- Do not learn their culture in order to act like them. Instead, show that you took the time to understand their life experience. Do not be afraid to ask if you do not understand something and on the flipside, do not assume you know what they have experienced. Teens have their own language, and it’s okay to be honest if you don’t understand what they are talking about, furthermore, be curious to find out.
Inquire about teen’s lives and aspirations: Sincerely asking teens questions about their daily lives, future hopes and dreams is a great way to show that you care. Teens love dreaming about what they want to be or what they do NOT want to be. Having a caring adult who facilitates these conversations sends teens the message that you care about their interests and want to know more about them as a person. Examples of questions you could ask:

What do you want to do when you get older?
If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
What kind of person do you hope to be?

Share your own life: Though this may be a difficult boundary to keep in place, sharing pieces of your own experiences helps teens to understand the many different paths there are in life. This may depend on the setting where you work with teens, but helping them understand your own life path helps them feel better connected and thereby more willing to share their own personal struggles.
Encourage and Mentor: You can be the biggest cheerleader for a teen by encouraging them in positive and healthy behaviors. When teens obtain encouragement, they also build confidence and hope.

What are some traits or practices that have helped you become a youth magnet?