New NDYD Journal Now Available

NAA's special edition of New Directions for Youth Development: Theory, Practice, Research, titled Exceptional Learning Experiences for Early Adolescents: Where High Quality Programs Meet Basic Youth Needs, is now available to purchase. The cost is $10 for NAA members and $12 for nonmembers.

The issue-edited by Dr. Dale A. Blyth and Joyce Walker, both from the University of Minnesota-focuses on what it looks like when youth needs and high quality out-of-school time programs collide in creative and powerful ways for pre- and early adolescents. Many people in the field are familiar with various listings of the basic developmental needs of early adolescents (e.g., Konopka, 1973; Pittman, 1998) and many have seen the features of good developmental settings (e.g., Eccles and Gottman, National Research Council, 2002). In real life, it is at the "point of service" where a young person encounters a high quality program and it is there where one can begin to fully understand the power of quality learning experiences in the positive development of a young person.

From how to frame a larger understanding of these experiences and increasing the intentionality of their design to enhancing their developmental fit and the preparation of practitioners, the issue explores pre- and early adolescents' learning and development as they journey into community through national youth organizations as well as afterschool programs.

To learn more about the issue or to purchase a copy, please click here