Grading basis/credits: 3 credit(s)

Description: What does it mean to put community at the heart education and learning? Drawing on examples of education in the community from a wide range of perspectives including social settlements, indigenous communities, Talmudic scholarship, history, and philosophy, new ideas about education and community will be presented, and new approaches to educational practice will be explored.

Instructor: Stein, Jerome A

Grading basis/credits: 3 credit(s)

Description: The course will examine the history and philosophy of communities that support learning and inquiry as general processes of social living. Concepts of democracy, community, and learning will be examined drawing on a broad range of perspectives, including Native American and indigenous conceptions, Colonial American ideals, Transcendentalist thought, the tradition of progressivism in American education, and pragmatist and postmodern philosophies. Class discussions will explore education as a way of living that is at the heart of the democratic ideal while also reconsidering what that ideal might be.

Instructor: Stein, Jerome A

Grading basis/credits: 3 credit(s)

Description: Ask a local teenager where to find the nearest youth agency and you may, or may not, receive a helpful answer. It all depends on whether that young person has established a relationship with the local Y, Boys and Girls Club, community center or recreation programs at the park. Ask about programs for youth and you are likely to get better answers, but ask about school, the police, or the hospital and chances are your informant will have accurate answers. A quick Google search returns with over two hundred and sixty million hits for the word 'youth,' twenty million hits for the phrase 'youth development,' eight million for 'youth organization,' four and half million for 'youth agency.' What does all this tell us? There is a complex and busy world out there of policies, programs and organizations designed to impact the lives of young people, some would even say a youth development industry, but sometimes the very individuals the organizations target know little about them, or do not experience them as safe, constructive contributors to their everyday lives. Just because an agency, organization or service delivery system claims to help young people does not mean that it does in the eyes and experience of the youth it was designed to serve. We begin this course by discussing and analyzing our collective experience of working or participating in youth agencies, organizations or service systems. Over the course of the semester we bring these lived everyday understandings and experiences with youth agencies into conversation with theoretical ideas and concepts in youth and organizational studies and ask: *How do these theories and concepts frame and allow for deeper analysis and critical examination of experience and everyday knowledge of youth agencies, organizations, and service systems? *How do our understandings in youth studies inform and provide frameworks for analyzing and critically thinking about the shape, function, and activities supported by youth agencies and organizations? *What do both youth and organizational studies suggest as simple yet effective actions people who work with, for, or on the behalf of youth can take to create space inside of agencies, organizations, and service systems where good and meaningful work can begin and flourish?

Grading basis/credits: 3 credit(s)

Description: The course will provide participants with increased knowledge and practical skills to communicate sensitively and effectively with adolescents and their concerned persons about sexuality in everyday life. Participants will explore a variety of adolescent sexual issues with a focus on healthy adolescent sexual development and diversity. With this perspective as a base, other topics will include gender, body image, sexual values, sexual orientation, sex and cyberspace, laws effecting young people and their bodies, disease concerns, adolescent sexual victimology and offenderology, sexual harassment and professional and ethical boundaries in working with youth. Pertinent theory, research, strategies and experience will be reviewed using historical and contemporary readings, films, daily news media, guest speakers, and participant interaction in a safe, sensitive and even fun atmosphere. Note: This is not a course in human anatomy. It is a course examining the lived experience of young people as sexual beings. Nonetheless, every effort will be made to identify accurate anatomical and physiological language that complements the vernacular young people hear and use. Students will build a lexicon to facilitate talking about sexuality in a wide variety of cultural settings.

Grading basis/credits: 4 credit(s)

Description: The purpose of this course is to explore at a beginning level the topic of spirituality and young people and its importance to youthwork practice. Typically, the spiritual experiences of young people have been the province of religious instruction or faith-based youthwork. Faith and spirituality have been increasingly accepted as actual and necessary aspects of healthy youth development. Youth workers need not be employed by or volunteers in a faith based group or organization to bring increased awareness of spirituality to their youthwork. The range and extent of current research on adolescent spirituality has grown substantially over the past ten years. The popularity of the conversation across disciplines in the academy raises critical issues for practitioners. How will new research findings confirm or challenge their experience? How will new research impact everyday practice? This course enters the spaces of social, political, cultural, and religious institutions and practices, illuminating issues, topics, problems, and concerns for those who work with youth directly and or on their behalf. We will consider what youthwork practices are most respectful of, and best able to facilitate spiritual development of young people in their everyday lives. As an undergraduate writing intensive course, all undergraduate students will be expected to write frequently and use a variety of writing styles: autobiographical, journal/book critique, essay, field mapping/observation notes, and a synthesis project. This course is intended to build a foundation for further study about the spirituality of young people and youthwork in diverse settings.

Grading basis/credits: 2 credit(s)

Description: Humans are social creatures. Throughout the evolution of the human species, the 'group' has been instrumental in survival and the transmission of culture between generations. It is generally accepted that the 'group' is a key building block of the human experience and it has been argued that the 'individual' only knows itself in relation to the 'group'. Because of its fundamental nature in human existance, the group has been a popular topic of study. Until recently, attempts to chronicle the phenomena of groups have been hampered by a 'reductionistic' framework. This attempt to reduce complex phenomena into small measureable parts to be studied has inhibited the ability to capture the 'systemic' nature of groups. The power of the group is the dynamic interaction and interrelation of its component parts. Advances in general systems and chaos theory have increased our ability to fully grasp the essence of a group. There is a difference between group process and Group Work. Group processes are naturally occurring phenomena present when a collection of individuals form around a purpose. Group Work is the purposeful and intentional effort on the part of a practitioner to use group process to achieve a goal. This demands that the practitioner develop a working understanding of group process and develop the skills to effect group functioning. Numerous models have been developed to describe group process and subsequently prescribe the role of the practitioner as facilitator. Although Group Work's heritage is tied to the field of Social Work, the preponderance of these models are based upon a therapeutic framework. Currently, Youth Work (as a whole) is utilizing a solution-oriented perspective. This perspective is more in line with the early understanding of Group Work and is proving to be effective in helping youth develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes to be successful.

Grading basis/credits: 3 credit(s)

Grading basis/credits: A-F only, 3 credit(s)

Description: Comparative approach to study of public responses at global level to youth development and leadership issues. Focus on social systems (such as education, health, employment and recreation), role of individuals, communities, governments and international organizations which are directed to provide programs/services to young persons.

Instructor: Schneider, Byron J

Grading basis/credits: 3 credit(s)

Description: Youth in advanced societies and as a social entity; functions and roles in industrial society, family, education, politics and government, economy and work, welfare and religion; organizations, social movements, and subcultures; empirical research and cross-cultural perspectives.

Instructor: Schneider, Byron J

Grading basis/credits: A-F only, 4 credit(s)

Description: This course focuses on a family of approaches to education that has shown promise in moving societies in several parts of the world toward greater justice, democracy, peace-mindedness, self-understanding and environmental responsibility. This family of approaches is known by various names, including 'popular education', 'democratic education' and 'participatory education'. The course integrates a seminar, focusing on theory, with a practicum at various places in the Twin Cities, including the Jane Addams School for Democracy, the Southside Family Charter School, the Franklin Library, the Minneapolis Public Libraries Conversation Circles and other places where democratic education is being practiced. The purpose is to provide students a theory-rich apprenticeship in democratic education, an apprenticeship that weaves together first-hand field participation at a democratic education site with the study of theories about and case studies of democratic education. A student will emerge from the course with an understanding of the theory of democratic education, with an appreciation of contexts in which this approach to education has been used in various parts of the world, with a practical understanding of what it takes to function as a democratic educator and to design and facilitate democratic education settings. This course counts toward two liberal education theme requirements: Cultural Diversity and Citizenship and Public Ethics. The course carries 4 credits.

Class time: 15% Lecture, 70% Discussion, 15% Service Learning.

Work Load: 30 pages reading per week, 25 pages writing per term, 0 exams, 5 papers.

Grade: 50% reflection paper, 50% class participation.

Instructor: Wallace, John R

Grading basis/credits: A-F only, 3 credit(s)

Description: Critical review of Environmental Education, its history, theories, curricula, teaching methods, and assessment practices. Development of an exemplary unit plan for teaching environmental studies.

Instructor: Finley, Fred N

Grading basis/credits: A-F only, 3 credit(s)

Description: Students in family education (and those who will have professional roles working with families) will examine and appreciate the multiple avenues through which family education has occurred across human history and cultures. Students seek out alternative perspectives of family education by reading historic in articles and documents to deduce underlying motivations and interests, cultural and historical contexts, philosophical orientations, assumptions, and values associated with family education. Students will also study the nature of practical problems encountered by families in their everyday functioning as families. The will consider what family education's perspective should be regarding the nature of these problems and discuss the implications and consequences related to the research and application of family education for programs, educators, and families, and society. Students will formulate and/or clarify their personal perspective of family education. If enrollments (15 per section) do not support offering two sections of this class, the face-to-face classroom students will be transferred into the online Web-based section of the course. Microphone for audio recording is required. No camera/video capability is required.

Class time: 100% Web Based.

Work Load: 60 pages reading per week. Students will interact and respond to discussion questions and topics online.

Grade: 50% reports/papers, 50% class participation. All class participation is conducted online using web and audio (microphone required). No video camera capability is required.

Instructor: Englund, Lynn A.

Grading basis/credits: 2 credit(s)

Description: This interactive course will introduce youth workers to media as a tool for working with youth. It will focus on a framework of critical media literacy. Critical media literacy means equipping young people with opportunities, processes and resources necessary for them to critically analyze, use, and produce various forms of media. It allows youth to engage issues and information of importance to themselves and their communities and provides them with a forum to present their ideas, experiences and opinions into the public dialogue. This class will review the theory and contemporary context of youth media practice. It will showcase exemplar youth media organizations from diverse communities and will introduce and provide hands-on practice with various forms of youth media such as: slam poetry, murals, film-making, social networking, youth magazines, hip-hop music, and photography.

Class time: 20% Lecture, 20% Film/Video, 20% Discussion, 10% Small Group Activities, 10% Field Trips, 20% Guest Speakers. This class will be interactive & consist of lecture, film, discussion, presentation, group activities, guest speakers & field trips. Specific percentages will vary depending on class interest & the availability of community practitioners & sites.

Work Load: This class will have one required text and relevant scholarly articles (approx. 1-2/week). It will require various short papers, media reviews & attendance at a media event. A final media project will be determined by student interest.

Grade: 25% special projects, 25% reflection paper, 25% in-class presentation, 25% class participation.

Instructor: Johnston-Goodstar PhD, Katie

Grading basis/credits: 2 credit(s)

Description: Humans are social creatures. Throughout the evolution of the human species, the 'group' has been instrumental in survival and the transmission of culture between generations. It is generally accepted that the 'group' is a key building block of the human experience and it has been argued that the 'individual' only knows itself in relation to the 'group'. Because of its fundamental nature in human existance, the group has been a popular topic of study. Until recently, attempts to chronicle the phenomena of groups have been hampered by a 'reductionistic' framework. This attempt to reduce complex phenomena into small measureable parts to be studied has inhibited the ability to capture the 'systemic' nature of groups. The power of the group is the dynamic interaction and interrelation of its component parts. Advances in general systems and chaos theory have increased our ability to fully grasp the essence of a group. There is a difference between group process and Group Work. Group processes are naturally occurring phenomena present when a collection of individuals form around a purpose. Group Work is the purposeful and intentional effort on the part of a practitioner to use group process to achieve a goal. This demands that the practitioner develop a working understanding of group process and develop the skills to effect group functioning. Numerous models have been developed to describe group process and subsequently prescribe the role of the practitioner as facilitator. Although Group Work's heritage is tied to the field of Social Work, the preponderance of these models are based upon a therapeutic framework. Currently, Youth Work (as a whole) is utilizing a solution-oriented perspective. This perspective is more in line with the early understanding of Group Work and is proving to be effective in helping youth develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes to be successful.

Grading basis/credits: 2 credit(s)

Description: Hands-on introduction to methods and principles of theatre work with youth based on theories of experiential learning and improvisational theatre techniques. This class is designed to enhance the creativity and imagination of youth workers and educators. The major emphasis is to teach students participatory activities they can use to promote personal, social, intellectual, and artistic growth of adolescents. The role of theatre activities in youth work and education is integrated into course content and process. Information is explored, as well as methods of planning, leading, applying, and evaluating their use in a variety of settings. For each setting, key issues, questions, and challenges are examined. Current literature and program models are explored. Educational theories and theories of adolescent development are integrated into course content and process. Information is presented through active participation, discussion, videotapes, guest artists, and workshops with high school students participating with adult university students. No experience in theatre is necessary.

Instructor: Mandell, Janice L

Grading basis/credits: A-F only, 3 credit(s)

Description: Student may contact the instructor or department for information.

Instructor: Swiss, Thom