Advancing Youth Work: Current Trends, Critical Questions

In Introduction to Youth Work Practice , an international list of contributors come together to collectively articulate a vision for the field, sharing what they have learned from decades of experience in the training and education of youth workers.Carefully designed evaluation and research studies have legitimized the learning potential of youth programs and non-school organizations over the last 20 years, and recent attention has shifted towards the education, training and on-going professional development of youth workers. This edited textbook aims to bring clarity to field-building efforts and to define the essential features of quality education, training, and professional development of all those who work with youths. Contributors define youth work across domains of practice and address the disciplines of knowledge upon which sound practice is based, reviewing examples of youth practitioner development both in and outside of academia.Youth work is not defined by a setting but by a set of principles and practices. This pathbreaking textbook will help youth work practitioners develop a common language, articulate their field in one voice, and create a shared understanding of similarities and differences.