Youth Development Services

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 a 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.

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 youth 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 potentially continue this work in the future.

These student action groups 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.

Youth Development hosts and promotes local, regional and statewide conferences for students, school and district staff, partner agencies and community members.

To see a complete list of all training, conferences, and presentations offered or sponsored by Youth Development click HERE.

YDS use 3 surveys to evaluate our programs, events and activities to ensure they are effective, beneficial and productive. To learn more about the surveys or to see the data click the learn more buttons below.