K/L/M of YDEV

 Having been in the YDEV community for some time, I was already aware that community-based work has come a very long way. I still get the questions "what's that?" or "what kind of jobs can you get with that?" when I tell family members that I decided to get my degree in Youth Development. I always tell them that I can do whatever I want. When thinking about the kids I have worked with in various spaces over the years, I always wonder if I made an impact on any of them or if they talk about me the way I talk about my favorite teachers. Even now, reading the second text resonates more with me since I'm working with the youth that Rhode Islanders view as "disposable" or "hopeless" and it makes me so upset when they say that. It used to just bother me before but now, it makes me physically angry because these kids are so smart. They have goals and interests just like everyone else but because they are constantly dismissed, it's chipping away at that. As long as there are humans, there will always be one class that looks down on another. As youth workers, we have the opportunity to give those kids a space to fill their cup and thrive into the best versions of themselves.

Comments

  1. Victoria RestlerSeptember 12, 2023 at 11:47 AM

    Thanks for your post Meaghan. I am curious to know more about how you connect the text to the young folks that you are currently working with. How are they marked as "disposable" or "hopeless" and how does that connect to what Katie Johnston-Goodstar writes about "youth development?" If you can share an example or two, that might help bring us as readers into your insights.

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