What do the Cortland Area Communities That Care and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Cortland County have in common? A passion for positive youth development in our community. In fact, I recently returned from a National 4-H Youth Development Conference held in Rochester, NY, where folks from across the country were discussing creative and impactful ways of making a positive difference in the lives of children. At this event, I learned of an informative resource I would like to share with others - the Journal of Youth Development.

Journal of Youth Development ~ Bridging Research and Practice was created by the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) as a way to pull together cross disciplinary research focusing on positive youth development. The multidisciplinary journal articles focus on applied research and best practices in the development of school aged youth ages 6 through 22. It is a refereed publication that strives to add to the body of knowledge regarding what we know about the topic of healthy youth development.

For example, the première issue published in May 2006 featured an article assessing the potential protective effect of community involvement on adolescent risk taking behaviors. In the study by researchers Sharon Rodine, Roy F. Oman, Sara K. Vesely, Cheryl B. Aspy,  Eleni Tolma, LaDonna Marshall, and Janene Fluhr, entitled Potential Protective Effect of the Community Involvement Asset on Adolescent Risk Behavior, the researchers found that “youth with the Community Involvement asset were significantly more likely to: never have had sexual intercourse; not use tobacco or drugs; not use alcohol if living in a one-parent family; not carry a weapon, or never have been arrested.” Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that getting youth involved in community volunteering may be one way to reduce teenage risk taking behavior.

The Cortland Area Communities That Care Coalition (CACTC) was organized in 2001 to address risk taking behavior by local youth, including alcohol and drug use. One way that the organization accomplishes this goal is to look for opportunities to partner with prevention programs to strengthen protective factors like the one referenced above. 

For nearly 100 years, the 4-H Youth Development program (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health) has been providing opportunities for youth to connect to their communities, experience generosity by giving back to others, and gain a sense of mastery and belonging by providing opportunities for youth to meet their needs in positive ways. 

Goals such as these are the common denominator for healthy, happy, well-adjusted kids.

Shawn Smith works with 4-H at Cornell Cooperative Extension.