{"id":65872,"date":"2023-03-06T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T19:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=65872"},"modified":"2023-08-24T15:58:10","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T19:58:10","slug":"covid-19-impact-drives-interest-in-positive-youth-development","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/articles\/2023\/covid-19-impact-drives-interest-in-positive-youth-development\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Impact Drives Interest in Positive Youth Development"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin news-block-editorial-leadin is-style-emphasis-on-text has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-tertiary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1080\" height=\"567\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Positive-Youth-Development-e1681911408508.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"Shows five teenagers talking\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Positive-Youth-Development-e1681911408508.png 1080w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Positive-Youth-Development-e1681911408508-900x473.png 900w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Positive-Youth-Development-e1681911408508-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Positive-Youth-Development-e1681911408508-500x263.png 500w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Positive-Youth-Development-e1681911408508-992x521.png 992w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Positive-Youth-Development-e1681911408508-1000x525.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Applied human development<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCOVID-19 Impact Drives Interest in Positive Youth Development\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar news-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">March 6, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/authors\/finn-gardiner\/\">Finn Gardiner<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>As pandemic social-distancing rules relax, young people are returning to school, summer camp, daycare, and other in-person activities. Teachers, counselors, program directors, social workers, and other supporters are helping them adjust to post-pandemic life\u2014and it\u2019s far from easy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKids are feeling the effects of more than two years of staying in their houses and not talking to other people,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/profile\/rebecca-shangraw\/\">Rebecca Shangraw<\/a>, a BU Wheelock senior lecturer in applied human development. \u201cPlay, recess, and just whispering to your friends when you\u2019re waiting in the lunch line are really important activities. Losing those connections had an impact on kids\u2019 development.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After years of isolation, distancing, and confinement, how do young people regain the skills they need to build healthy relationships with themselves and others, and how do adults help them along the way? Shangraw says that for professionals who support children and youth, these questions seem to have sparked a new interest in the field of positive youth development (PYD).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what is \u201cpositive youth development\u201d? According to <a href=\"https:\/\/youth.gov\/youth-topics\/positive-youth-development\">youth.gov<\/a>, it\u2019s an \u201cintentional, prosocial approach that engages youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive.\u201d PYD draws on young people\u2019s strengths and resilience to promote their long-term well-being.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-21959 size-thumbnail\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/06\/Shangraw-Cropped-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21959\" width=\"138\" height=\"138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/06\/Shangraw-Cropped-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/06\/Shangraw-Cropped.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 138px) 100vw, 138px\" \/><figcaption>Rebecca Shangraw<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Shangraw, who is the director of BU Wheelock\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/z-old-website-structure\/academics\/graduate\/edm\/applied-human-development\/\">Applied Human Development master\u2019s program<\/a> (which has a concentration in PYD), the pandemic and its effects have led more people to apply to the program, which has doubled its numbers in recent years. Students\u2019 career paths to seeking a degree in PYD vary\u2014some are teachers, while others are school therapists, human service professionals, athletic trainers and coaches, nonprofit workers, or research assistants in developmental labs. But all of them want to \u201cuse the PYD framework to better serve the youth and adolescents in their communities,\u201d Shangraw says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Supporting Youth and Families<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-65509 size-thumbnail\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Shows Kamilah Freeman\" class=\"wp-image-65509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/03\/Kamilah-Freeman-scaled-e1677810888724-710x710.jpg 710w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption>Kamilah Freeman<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Kamilah Freeman, one of Shangraw\u2019s students, is one of those professionals. Originally from Atlanta, she worked at educational nonprofits as a youth instructor and curriculum designer before moving to Boston in 2022 to start her master\u2019s degree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freeman plans to use her degree to develop programs that support families. \u201cMy goals are to be a source of support for youth to help them adjust to each developmental stage in their life,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s important to have social circles to bring resources to youth.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the PYD concentration, students like Freeman learn about the impact of families, friends, teachers, coaches, counselors, and others on a young person\u2019s development. When COVID-19 closures prevented youth from playing sports with their peers, sitting next to friends in classrooms, and having conversations with school counselors, their social and emotional worlds collapsed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom the school closures, we saw how important schools are in children\u2019s ecosystems,\u201d Shangraw says. \u201cMillions of kids across the US all of a sudden lost access to reliable sources of meals, healthcare, psychological or social\u2013emotional services from school counselors, and access to trusted adults.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the US continues to recover from the pandemic\u2019s lasting effects, teachers and other youth-serving professionals are noting the challenge of repairing these broken social\u2013emotional connections. The PYD program provides these professionals with tools they can use to help youth recover from pandemic-related challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPositive youth development professionals can play a large role in helping kids right now,\u201d Shangraw says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As pandemic social-distancing rules relax, young people are returning to school, summer camp, daycare, and other in-person activities. Teachers, counselors, program directors, social workers, and other supporters are helping them adjust to post-pandemic life\u2014and it\u2019s far from easy.&nbsp; \u201cKids are feeling the effects of more than two years of staying in their houses and not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9274,"featured_media":65510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Applied human development","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[5595,4074],"bu-publication":[6614],"magazine-article-category":[],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[6727,6744,6743,6732,6647],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/65872"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9274"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65872"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/65872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70441,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/65872\/revisions\/70441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65872"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=65872"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=65872"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=65872"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=65872"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=65872"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=65872"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=65872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}