Youth Development

Positive youth development (PYD) programs are designed to optimize youth developmental progress. PYD differs from other approaches to youth in that it rejects an emphasis on trying to correct what is "wrong" with children's behavior or development. Programs and practitioners seek to empathize with, educate, and engage children in productive activities. While not particularly common in use yet, PYD has been used across the world to address social divisions, such as gender and ethnic differences.