Opportunity For Unity Collaborative

No community is immune to the devastating effects of youth violence, although some are disproportionately affected— particularly 10 to 24 year old males of African-American and Hispanic descent. This study examines one community’s effort to reduce youth violence by hiring influential young adults and coordinating the work of community-based organizations that address the underpinnings of community violence (e.g., domestic violence, substance abuse, environmental injustice). The grassroots collaborative project targeted young adults with andwithout criminal histories to work with these agencies for positive social change. Results demonstrate that those tarnished with criminal records demonstrated significant gains in social capital and sense of empowerment, thus creating the potential for reduced future criminal behavior and strengthened communities

Youth empowerment in oppressive systems

Empowerment of youth, particularly in urban settings, is critical to addressing issues of social injustice. Programs that support the development of empowerment, or action taken by an individual to facilitate his or her own ability to act in the face of oppression, have demonstrated great promise in dimensions such as creating stronger group bonding and improved mental health and school performance (Bemak, 2005; Bemak, Chi-Ying, & Siroskey-Sabdo, 2005; Wallerstein, 2006). Yet, there are challenges inherent to implementing, supporting, and sustaining empowerment programs in many school settings given the hierarchical structure and contextual norms of these environments (Yowell & Gordon, 1996). This article reviews the Teen Empowerment program and offers strategies for consultants as they support programs and encourage socially just practices in the school setting. The use of Participatory Action Research methods, and its application to creating positive social change and the empowerment of community members, is also reviewed

Social capital: Similarities and differences between future educators and urban youth leaders.

This study examines differences in social capital between two demographically disparate groups: future education professionals and youth leaders living in urban communities. This is important because there is growing scholarly evidence of a positive relationship between social capital and student achievement. Social capital, defined as a constellation of privileges, is parallel to “the concepts of financial capital, physical capital, and human capital—but embodied in relations among persons” (Coleman, 1988). The impact of the varying access to social capital and its attendant resources may have profound implications on the interactions within the classroom; thus, this study measured this construct in a sample of students in education preparation programs (n = 145) and a sample of youth leaders living in urban communities (n = 119). There were significant differences between groups in: community participation, value of life, and feelings of trust and safety. Educational and consultative strategies to develop cultural competence and diversity sensitivity are discussed, with a particular focus on training future school professionals

Personal epistemology of urban elementary teachers

Personal epistemology, originating from social construction theory, provides a framework for researchers to understand how individuals view their world. The Attitudes About Reality (AAR) scale is one survey method that qualitatively assesses personal epistemology along the logical positivist and social constructionist continuum; however, the literature primarily reflects women working in a mental health facility and undergraduate students. This study uses the AAR to examine the personal epistemology of 73 elementary school teachers, the large majority of whom were female, working in an urban and highly diverse public school system in the Northeast, and compares the AAR score to demographic data. The results suggest a more logical positivist orientation than has been observed with other populations although demographic information did not assist in understanding the findings. Implications for the urban elementary school environment, classroom interventions, and collaboration with other support professionals are offered

Critical Examination of an Urban-Based Youth Empowerment Program: Teen Empowerment

Youths from marginalized and disenfranchised communities can be empowered to advocate for social justice through civic engagement and sociopolitical action. Examining youth empowerment programs, using critical social theory, builds upon our understanding of sociopolitical systems and oppression and provides a lens to examine mechanisms of change while applying theory to practice. Jennings, Parra-Medina, Messias, and McLoughlin (2006) have identified six dimensions of critical youth empowerment programs, which provide a framework for examining youth empowerment programs. This article presents the Teen Empowerment program, as implemented with high-risk youths in urban communities, and examines it along these six dimensions and provides a model for how to critically examine youth empowerment programs using this framework