What is Youthhood.org? Youthhood.org
(also known as The Youthhood) is a free, dynamic Web-based curriculum
and tool to help youth set goals and plan for the future. Although
the site addresses youth directly, it is intended to be used in
classrooms, community programs, or any other settings where adults
work with youth. The Youthhood includes information, interactive
activities, and a wealth of other tools to help youth connect their
future goals to their academic learning. Grounded in the principals
of universal design, the site was launched April 11, 2005 by the
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition at the University
of Minnesota.
The concept of Youthhood,
as well as its content and activities, is based on current research
in positive youth development and transition planning and their
impact on post-high school success. Youthhood puts research into
practice through a unique and extensive blend of content, interactive
activities, links to related Web sites, and planning tools that
tie youths’ future goals to their current
academic work. In addition, the site provides a progressive learning
experience. When a specific topic is explored, more activities are
tried and more planning is done. In this way, the youth learn more
and are able to apply the information to their own lives.
Welcome to the Neighborhood!
The Youthhood is organized
like a neighborhood. Each section of the neighborhood provides tools
and information to help youth plan for the future. The High School
helps youth explore how their schoolwork can support their dreams
and plans for the future. It also helps youth understand and plan
for post-high school education, training, and employment opportunities.
The Job Center encourages youth to explore their interests, identify
their skills, and discover what they still need to learn in order
to achieve their employment goals. The Community Center focuses on
leadership, mentoring, and community involvement and how development
of skills and goals in these areas can lead to post-high school
success. The Hangout addresses belonging, friendships, and having
fun. Youth learn about themselves, their relationships with others,
and things they can do for fun in their free time. The Health
Clinic focuses on health issues including managing health care and
preventing health problems. It also addresses disabilities and chronic
illness, health insurance, relationships, and sexuality. The Government
Center outlines the rights of youth at school, at home, in employment
settings, and within the court system. This unit also addresses
legal rights gained at the age of majority. The Apartment helps
youth explore their independence. This unit provides information
on being safe, budgeting, using public transportation, finding
a place to live, and more.
My Youthhood: Interactive
Features
The Youthhood also includes
several exciting interactive tools that can be accessed through the ‘My Youthhood’ sidebar.
These can be used to enhance learning in content areas and youth
can save and store these to our online database. These include the:
Private Journal: Here, youth can log their thoughts, ideas, issues,
or anything else as they work their way through the Web site. This
journal is completely private, with access only to youth through
use of their password; Activities Folder: Each content area has corresponding
activities to reinforce what youth learn. These activities can be
saved in the Activities Folder for viewing, editing, or printing
at a later date; Life Map: The Life Map is a tool to help youth plan
for the future. Youth can write down their goals, steps they will
take to achieve their goals, and other important information related
to what they’re learning on the Web site. Teachers can also
use the Life Map for assignments. For youth with disabilities, the
Life Map parallels the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and
can be used by young adults and transition case managers in transition
planning meetings; Class Notebook: Teachers, mentors, and parents
can ask youth to write in their Class Notebook about what they have
learned on a certain topic, and then comment on and grade their work.
The Class Notebook is not private. Adults working with you have access
to both the Class Notebook and the Life Map. These two tools can
be utilized within the classroom or as homework assignments to emphasize
content area information. Both can be viewed, comments can be posted,
and grades can be assigned.
The Teachers’ Lounge
The
Teachers’ Lounge isn’t just for teachers — it’s
for all adults working with youth who use Youthhood.org. Here you
can read about how The Youthhood was developed, receive instructions
on how to use The Youthhood, create “classes” and give
feedback to the youth you are working with, and join listservs to
receive updates and support in using the site.
About Us
The Youthhood is a
project of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
(NCSET) at the Institute on Community Integration, University of
Minnesota, which is funded by a five-year, $9.5 million grant from
the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
NCSET provides coordinates
national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates
information related to secondary education and transition for youth
with disabilities to all 50 states and the U.S. Territories. NCSET
is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S.
Department of Education through a grant award. Go to www.ncset.org for more information.
As part of NCSET’s
sponsored grant activities, Youthhood is provided at no charge
as a resource and transition planning tool for teachers, community
service providers, parents, guardians, youth with and without disabilities,
and anyone else who may benefit from utilizing this site to help
youth plan for the transition from high school to adult life. For
more information on Youthhood, contact Pam Stenhjem at (612) 625-3863
or huntx010@umn.edu.
