Professional Learning in Youth Development That Empowers Educators and Produces Positive Youth Outcomes

• In Event: Child Development Across Varied Contexts

Abstract

This paper examines how intentional, research-based professional learning opportunities in youth development settings empower educators and produce positive outcomes for adolescents. Drawing on three mixed-methods studies from diverse out-of-school time (OST) programs across three states, the research demonstrates that culturally relevant pedagogy and critical youth development frameworks foster increased youth engagement, identity development, and educator cultural competence. By foregrounding past inequities and imagining more equitable futures, the study offers actionable strategies for adolescent empowerment and instructional transformation in OST. Scholarly significance highlights the need for systemic, equity-focused professional learning to support positive youth development and sustained impact.

Authors

• Sirocus Barnes, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Charmaine Davis-Grant, Department of Education and Workforce (DEW)

• Edlyn Lauren Thompson-Mettle, Stevens Institute of Technology