Youth Development Program
About
About
About
Youth Development Services (YDS) coordinates several countywide and regional programs and events for students, educators, and community partners. We provide opportunities to engage youth as active members of their community through safe and healthy programs that enhance self-esteem, achieve academic excellence, and learn teamwork and good citizenship. YDS events are resources to encourage and motivate student learning, schools participate to build school spirit and spotlight the achievements of their students. YDS provides leadership, assistance, and coordination to support opportunities for students and educators in furthering their education in prevention, advocacy, and student support. All programs undergo annual evaluations and reviews to ensure they are effective, engaging and meaningful for all participants.
Positive Youth Engagement
Meaningful youth engagement views youth as equal partners with adults in the decision making process. Programs and activities are developed with youth, rather than for youth. For this equal partnership to be successful, both adults and young people need to be fully engaged, open to change and how things are done, and share a unified vision for partnership.
Programs that are developed in partnership with you are more likely to be effective at engaging the population and, therefore, have a greater impact. Additionally, empowering youth to identify and respond to community needs help them become empathetic, reflective individuals and sets them on a course to potentiality continue this work in the future.
Friday Night Live Programs
Solano Friday Night Live Chapters/Clubs create projects and develop campaigns to help negate the risk factors students face in their lives. Risk factors are conditions which increase the likelihood of an individual engaging in destructive behaviors. The conditions underlying the problems of alcohol and other drug use, teen pregnancy, delinquency, violence, depression, school attendance and school drop-outs are addressed using research-based programs in prevention education.
Conferences, Trainings, and Presentations
YDS hosts and promotes local, regional, and statewide conferences and trainings tailored for youth, school and district staff, partner agencies, and community members. These events focus on critical topics such as alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention, mental health and wellness, violence prevention, and allyship. Participants gain valuable insights, practical tools, and effective strategies to foster healthier and safer communities. These trainings also provide networking opportunities, enabling attendees to connect with peers and experts in the field, and to strength collaborative efforts.
Evaluations & Surveys
YDS utilizes three comprehensive surveys to evaluate the effectiveness, benefits, and productivity of our programs, events, and activities. These surveys are essential tools in ensuring that our initiatives meet the needs of our participants and achieve their intended outcomes. To learn more about the surveys or to view the data visit our data page.
CalSCHLS: California School Climate, Health and Learning Survey consists of three surveys:
- California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS)
- California School Staff Survey (CSSS)
- California School Parent Survey (CCPS)
All surveys were created by WestEd, with input from Duerr Evaluation Resources and a team of educators, researchers, and experts. The surveys for staff and parents were introduced to help schools better understand important issues like working conditions and parent involvement, as well as to compare the views of staff and parents with the experiences of students.
These surveys are designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing them to address a wide range of community needs. Schools can customize the surveys by adding different sections or questions, making them a valuable tool for gathering information on local priorities as part of a broader improvement plan (including district LCAPs).
CYTS: California Youth Tobacco Survey
The survey was created to understand how young people use and feel about different tobacco products, such as cigarettes, vapes, little cigars, cigars, hookah, smokeless tobacco, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches. It also looked at how often young people are exposed to tobacco in their environment and through social interactions. Since it's common for tobacco to be used along with marijuana and alcohol, the survey included questions about these topics as well. The survey is administered to 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.
YDS: Youth Development Survey
This survey was designed exclusively for Friday Night Live Programs, and administered to active chapters. YDS provides information about the supports, opportunities, and experiences of of youth in Friday Night Live Programs throughout the state.
