Mobile beacons : Roving Leaders and the communities they serve /
Although youth serving agencies exist in all communities, there has been a growing recognition that many are not meeting the needs of certain youth. In some cities this has led to the development of initiatives that specifically target youth not drawn to services currently offered. Thus, there is a...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2001.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=725899161&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | Although youth serving agencies exist in all communities, there has been a growing recognition that many are not meeting the needs of certain youth. In some cities this has led to the development of initiatives that specifically target youth not drawn to services currently offered. Thus, there is a growing movement to move youth workers into the field to work directly with youth who may be particularly susceptible to negative influences in their community and do not appear to be connected to youth serving agencies, rather than waiting for youth to take the initiative to join a program at a fixed site. One such example, the Roving Leader program, an outreach program run by the Park and Recreation Department, evolved in Austin and San Antonio and has since been adopted by other cities. This ethnographic study was conducted to gain an insight into the day-to-day operations of the Austin Roving Leader program. Specifically this study sought to understand the relationships developed between staff and participants by examining characteristics of Roving Leaders who appeared more successful than others. It also examined the role that the program and the Roving Leaders themselves had within a child's world. Finally it examined some of the challenges faced by the program. The main contribution of the program revolved around the relationships that Roving Leaders were able to develop with both children and families. The program's uniqueness was also rooted in its ability to be grounded in the needs of the community. Thus staff were able to identify rather than assume what those needs were. Furthermore, the flexibility and multi-faceted nature of the program allowed staff to work with kids in a variety of settings and with other members of their extended family which provided valuable context and insight. Important characteristics of Roving Leaders included having the commitment to make a difference and being flexible. However, risks to the long-term sustainability of the program and high attrition rates among staff threatened to undermine these contributions. It is suggested that programs adopt a contextual relationship-based perspective. Thus staff would be better able to reach youth isolated from resources in their community. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences". |
| Physical Description: | xiv, 226 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-210). |