Possibility Development, The Psychological Core of Adolescence: Comparative International Perspectives

• In Event: Possibility Development: A Model for Theorizing and Catalyzing Youth Development

Proposal

This presentation will be by Author 1, and outline the theory and application of possibility development, beginning with its origins in the early 1990s through its evolution into multiple contexts across ages and geographic locations. The presentation will explicitly address the applications of the concept of possibility development to youth mentoring and counseling college; one example, to be discussed in an additional proposed panel, is career readiness beginning in the middle school grades and extending through the high school and college years. Emphasized is the fundamental role of self-reflection and decision-making in the context of adolescent development, and articulate how the possibility development model draws on and enhances these developmental phenomena. The presentation also will emphasize the transition from middle school to high school and how possibility development theory and practice are utilized to help middle and high school students navigate critical life decisions, including their use of technology to support the pursuit of their life possibilities. The presentation will conclude by providing the groundwork for framing the practical applications and challenges addressed in subsequent presentations.

Author

• Michael Nakkula, University of Pennsylvania