Youth Development

Testing for the Sports Gene?

2008-12-02T17:21:46Z

An outfit in Colorado is offering tests for genetic markers that are related to endurance and speed sports. The program was featured in the New York Times Sports page this past weekend, and draws attention to the controversies surrounding the test. I have yet to read the scientific evidence, but my initial read on all of this is that the absence or presence of these genetic markers do not adequately account for success in one of these two types of sport. Absent from these simple tests are the measures of social supports needed to see success in sport, and the desire and motivation of the individual in question. I don't know, it seems like a waste of $150 if you ask me.

Read the piece here.

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Nature and Youth Involvement

2008-09-26T13:45:44Z

Nature

I was reading last Sunday's News & Observer, and was happy to see a piece in the Health & Fitness section about Triangle area park and museum programs that expose children to the outdoors. You can read that article here.

The article made me want to seek out recent news about programs of this type and here is what I found:

A piece from the Aquarium & Zoo Visitor site about the Oregon Zoo's Urban Nature Overnight program.

A feature in The Doings Clarendon Hills site that discusses an early childhood education program at the College of DuPage in Illinois.

A story about how the city of Cresswell, Oregon received a $50,000 grant to enhance a local park through the addition of a nature pavilion and signage that orient users to the twenty trails on site.

Another piece on early childhood education programs in Newburyport, Massachusetts that focus on early exposure to nature.

All of these articles were written this past week and took me about five minutes to find through Googlenews. It's great to see that these programs are happening all over the country. Hopefully, the movement to get kids outdoors will continue to grow through efforts like these.

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Adolescence: What to do?

2008-09-17T13:11:47Z

I am not promoting Newt Gingrich's political agenda or pushing you to buy his book, however, I found this take on adolescence and how to meet the needs of our teenage population fairly interesting:

Adolescence as a failed cultural model

I guess Mr. Gingrich would tell me to buy his book to answer my questions about what we do with those not ready to make the leap to college. Can they continue school? Does this model assume that school will remain a place for those who wish to stay engaged? What do we do with those who deem that "school is not for them?" There are plenty of other questions.

I believe Mr. Gingrich is a historian, and I find it a bit perplexing to hear someone reference a bygone era as inspiration for new educational policy. The one thing that I will agree with him is that we do not challenge our adolescents to be engaged. If anything, his ideas have some developmental merit.

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Transition to East Carolina University

2008-09-02T12:44:07Z

I am now at East Carolina University after a four year stint with Texas A&M University. While I will miss my colleagues and students at Texas A&M, I am very excited to join the faculty at East Carolina. I've been afforded an opportunity to carve out a niche in Youth Development here, and I am joining a college that aligns better with my interests.

That stated, I have deleted all past material (I wasn't very good about updating it anyway) with the idea that I will use this blog as it was originally intended--a resource and launch point for sharing academic and popular media on the subject of youth development, particularly as it pertains to out-of-school time. So, if you've just stumbled onto this site or used it in the past, welcome back and please check back often. Thanks.

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