Practical guide and theoretical manifesto, New Frontiers for Youth Development is a vital roadmap to the problems and prospects of youth development programs today and in the future.In response to an unprecedented array of challenges, policy makers and care providers in the field of youth dvevelopment have begun to expand the field both practically and conceptually. This expansion has thus far outstripped comprehensive analysis of the issues it raises, among them the important matter of establishing common standards of legitimacy and competence for practitioners. New Frontiers for Youth Development is an overview of the field designed to foster a better understanding of the multifaceted aspects and inherent tensions of youth development.Melvin Delgado outlines the broad social forces that affect youth, particularly at-risk or marginalized youth, and the programs designed to address their needs. He stresses the importance of a contextualized approach that avoids rigid standardization and is attuned to the many factors that shape a child's development: cognitive, emotional, physical, moral, social, and spiritual. The key characteristic of youth development in the twenty-first century, Delgado suggests, is the participation of young people as practitioners themselves. Youth must be seen as assets as well as clients, incorporated into the educational process in ways that build character, maturity, and self-confidence.

Part 1. The Practice of Youth Development 1. Setting the Context for the Practice of Youth Development2. Challenges and Rewards for Youth in the Twenty-first Century3. Youth Development: Origins and Definitions4. Youth Development: Approaches and Considerations5. Youth Development: Principles and Core Elements6. Youth-development Domains: Families, Peer Groups, Schools, and Community7. Youth Development: Activities, Settings, Marginalized Youth, and Frameworks8. Youth Development: Program EvaluationPart 2. New Frontier Settings 9. The Emergence of New Frontier Settings10. Museums11. Libraries12. Cyberspace13. Aquariums, Zoos, and Outdoor Adventure14. Activities15. Examples of Programs16. The Recruitment and Engagement of Youth in New Frontier SettingsPart 3. Where Do We Go from Here? EpilogueTwelve Key Issues and Tensions