Positive Youth Development (PYD) is both a philosophy and a programmatic approach, across all sectors, to support healthy, productive, and engaged youth as they grow into adulthood.
How do I apply a positive youth development approach?
- Access the most popular and useful resources to learn about PYD
- Find tools to assess your context and design a project incorporating PYD
- Engage youth intentionally and support their leadership using different models
- Find tools to examine and improve how your program supports equitable outcomes for all youth
This Positive Youth Development Starter Toolkit connects you to key resources for assessment and design, measurement, and learning. It also highlights ways that projects oftentimes foster youth engagement and different resources to help ensure your project is mindful of youth alongside other aspects of gender and social inclusion.
If you have any questions on resources presented or feedback on this toolkit, email info@youthpower.org.
New to PYD? Start here
Access the most popular and useful resources to learn about positive youth development:
- PYD Systematic Review - Learn about evidence about PYD in low- and middle-income countries, and access these two PYD online courses to build your knowledge and skills.
- PYD Measurement Toolkit - Learn about integrating PYD in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems, as well as how to measure PYD outputs and outcomes.
- PYD Learning Agenda - Define priority knowledge gaps in PYD to inform MEL planning
Project Design and Assessment
Find tools to assess your context and design a project incorporating PYD:
- Global LEAD Toolkit - Find consolidated resources across sectors to support youth leadership through program assessment, design, measurement, and communication efforts.
- Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessments and Youth Assessments 101 brief - Review youth assessments, including methods and tools, or the brief for lessons in running youth assessments.
- Youth Programming Assessment Tool - Use this tool to self-assess PYD practices and areas to improve in programming and your organization
Youth Leadership and Engagement
Engage youth intentionally and support their leadership using different models:
- Youth Advisory Councils Brief - Understand frameworks and key questions in setting up a Youth Advisory Council or Advisory Group.
- Youth Center Toolkit - Access resources and examples to construct safe spaces for youth, including after-school programs and youth centers.
Gender and Social Inclusion
Find tools to examine and improve how your program supports equitable outcomes for all youth:
- Does your program reflect gender-transformative or PYD practices? - An easy-to-use checklist for advancing gender inclusion and PYD.
- Social Inclusion in PYD Programs - Use this brief to understand inclusion in PYD programs and how to measure results.