Community Youth Development - Major

The Bachelor of Arts in Community Youth Development rigorously prepares students to provide services to children and youth and/or to enter graduate studies in a comparable field. The program fosters high quality “on the spot” and “in the moment” critical thinking that demonstrates a deep appreciation of the risk and protective factors which impact the social, psychological, cognitive, and spiritual lives of young people. This unique program develops students’ sense of social and civic responsiveness, which are vital for effective youth services.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Increase the CYD graduates’ sense of confidence, competency, competitiveness, and credentialed status for employment, professional advancement, and graduate studies in youth services.
2. Enrich students’ ability to integrate knowledge gained from their liberal arts and sciences education with an intentional application to their pre-professional experiences to evolve their ethos of learning, working, and serving youth.
3. Facilitate students’ exploration of their civic responsibilities as a citizen of the local and regional communities through active participation in youth development experiences within the local community.
4. Enhance students competencies to be responsive to critical community and youth issues to address youth needs by moving beyond deficit and problem-based interventions toward personal and professional beliefs, principles and practices that will honor the resiliencies, strengths, and leadership capabilities of youth.
5. Guide students in the enhancement of introspection and reflective skills as they explore personal values, ethics, and subjective understandings related to service delivery with diverse populations of youth.