Embedding a Racial Equity Perspective in the Positive Youth Development Approach

Positive youth development (PYD) is a strengths-based approach used by programs to support the development of young people’s skills, nurture their interests and values, seek and incorporate their input, and connect them to positive adults and useful resources. Appreciation for the value of youth development has grown in recent years—both because its positive approach is attractive to staff in programs that serve young people, and because an increasing evidence base from research and evaluation studies demonstrates its benefits. As a result, interest in PYD has expanded beyond more traditional youth development programs to different types of programs, including employment readiness, risk behavior prevention programs, and summer programs.