Trekkers Youth Programming Principles
TTI leverages the evidence-based best practices and principles embodied by Trekkers for over 25 years. While implementation may vary based on location, we believe that all of these principles are replicable in other communities and organizations.
DESIGNING INTENTIONAL PROGRAM DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT
Creating small, inclusive, purposeful learning communities and designing a multi-year, “step-ladder” program model that works with young people and their families over time. This long-term commitment to relationship building allows for the time and space needed to adapt to the ever-changing developmental needs, strengths, and interests of young people.
FOSTERING MUTUAL TRUST BETWEEN FAMILIES AND PROGRAM STAFF
Nurturing a caring, compassionate, and equitable relationship between program staff and the parents, caregivers, and extended family members responsible for raising the young people participating in the program.
DEVELOPING A SKILLED NETWORK OF CARING ADULTS AND PEER MENTORS
Recruiting and training a diverse group of adult and peer mentors who have an openness and willingness to learn about young people’s complex identities in order to play a critical role in meeting their relational needs and promoting their strengths over time.
APPLYING A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Building targeted holistic youth development methods into the overall program model to help young people find self-identified success and navigate challenges during adolescence – with a focus on proven promotion, prevention and intervention strategies that support the lived experiences of the students served.
CREATING A COMMUNITY SUPPORT NETWORK
Assembling diverse, culturally relevant & responsive support networks for young people by partnering with parents, caregivers, schools, key community stakeholders, health services and other youth advocate agencies to help meet the unique needs and strengths of each young person served.
PRIORITIZING INFORMAL RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Showing up and being present in the lives of youth and families outside of formal programming. Building into the program model a clear commitment to connect with young people in their world through intentional and strategic community outreach.
EXPANDING WORLDVIEWS
Creating experiential learning opportunities that connect youth with people, culture, places and natural resources that exist outside the reach of their everyday lives
EMBRACING VOICE AND CHOICE
Sharing power and giving young people input into the decision-making process.
ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO FOSTER PERSONAL AND SOCIETAL AWARENESS
Incorporating experiences that support young people in understanding themselves within the larger societal context – emphasizing how cultural norms, individual beliefs, institutions and systems all play in shaping their sense of identity and the world they’re growing up in.
RAISING OPTIMISM AND POSTSECONDARY ASPIRATIONS
Designing targeted experiences to help youth explore, identify, and cultivate their talents, sparks, and learning interests as they transition to and through high school.
USING VALIDATED ASSESSMENT TOOLS TO PROMOTE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH
Collecting social-emotional development and resiliency data to inform program practice and build strength-based strategies to support individual prevention and intervention strategies.
These principles were created by Trekkers’ founding executive director Don Carpenter and have been enhanced through continuous practice at Trekkers. For over 30 years, Don has been a pivotal figure in the field of youth development. Don specializes in cohort-based, relationship-centered program design, a skill refined while getting his master’s degree in environmental education from Lesley University and the Audubon Expedition Institute. From 1998 to 2016, he served as Trekkers’ founding executive director and developed its unique six-year mentoring model. Since leaving Trekkers, Don has spearheaded statewide initiatives to promote post-secondary aspirations for rural youth, including championing Trekkers’ Youth Programming Principles.