Community youth workers are young people and adults who are engaged in education, empowerment, activism, or other activities focused on adolescents in community-based settings, including churches, schools, or community centers. As a distinct field, community youth work, (often just called youth work), has been established in the United States since the early 20th century. Youth organizations including the YMCA, Boy Scouts, and 4-H set the early standard for youth work. Many believe they were simply following the lead of organizations in the United Kingdom. Since that time a plethora of groups have become active, leading advocacy, research, and education about community youth work around the world.
Famous quotes containing the words community, youth and/or workers:
“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”
—Marian Wright Edelman (20th century)
“Women stand related to beautiful nature around us, and the enamoured youth mixes their form with moon and stars, with woods and waters, and the pomp of summer. They heal us of awkwardness by their words and looks. We observe their intellectual influence on the most serious student. They refine and clear his mind: teach him to put a pleasing method into what is dry and difficult.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Prosperous farmers mean more employment, more prosperity for the workers and the business men of ... every industrial area in the whole country.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)