The Youth Development Network is a group of people and organizations who work together for the good of Missoula County youth. Our mission is to help Missoula understand and build positive youth development opportunities for all children and youth.  With positive influences in place, youth are more likely to grow up physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy.

The Network:

• Increases community awareness of positive youth development.

• Provides education/training to people who work with youth.

• Increases number of caring adults in our youth's lives.

• Builds collaboration around positive youth development.

• Builds youth awareness of opportunities for involvement in community programs and activities.

• Includes youth in community efforts to support positive youth development.

The Youth Development Network currently has three focus areas, Community Outreach, Networking, & Raising Awareness about issues that affect teens.  Each focus has a workgroup promoting positive youth development through a specific project to benefit the Missoula community.

We will be featuring & rotating the work of each workgroup on this webpage throughout the summer.

Community Outreach (workgroup)
The Two Right Feet Training (project) 

This group is working on developing and presenting a community-based training that demonstrates the principals of positive youth development and practical and relevant ways for training participants and the community to increase protective factors in the lives of Missoula youth.  The training is called the Two Right Feet Training.

There is no cost for this training and we encourage youth groups, teachers, and agencies who work with youth to consider scheduling this two hour training for staff development or as a team building /awareness building activity for both youth and adults.

To Schedule this training or to get more information call our office: 406-721-3000 EXT 1023
 

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The Youth Development Network's

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Dropout Prevention Work Group begins it's work

News and Downloads

  The Dropout prevention work group is currently exploring ways the community and schools can work seamlessly to provide services to families in Missoula

 Members of the work group are participating on several MCPS committees; Graduation requirements, Attendance Policy, and the Parent Community Involvement Center

Drop Out Prevention Student Survey Report

Dropout Prevention Workgroups:

• Youth Voice in Dropout Prevention

• Parent & Community Engagement

• Alternative Pathways

Workgroups will:
 

Develop their own leadership and structure and will schedule workgroup meetings. 

• Identify a note taker for meetings and a “report-writer” to put workshop recommendations in a written form..

• Determine one or two tangible next steps (pertaining to the dropout issue an/or their workgroup area that they believe are the priority steps the community needs to take to lower dropout rates, support students, engage parents, and/or address a school policy.

• In May the workgroups will come back together as a taskforce for a half-day meeting. At this meeting workgroups will report and present their two or three “next steps” findings, and recommendations to the task force.

The task force will develop a “community action plan” based on workgroup recommendations

Emerging Workgroups:

• Youth workgroup: This group will be populated by high school students and adults who are interested in  keeping youth opinion and knowledge about the issue of why student's dropout fully incorporated into the community action plan. 

• Parent & community engagement: This group will research and discuss ways to increase parent and community involvement in Middle and High School settings

• Legislative workgroup: This group will look at possible changes in laws that affect high school dropout.

• Parents and Students as Customers workgroup:  This workgroup will look at ways that that schools can market their product (education!) to their customers (students and parents!)

• Community Conversations workgroup: Develop the idea of giving parents, students and the community more opportunities to discuss resources, alternative pathways, and facts about high school graduation.

• School Policies workgroup:  Look at existing school policies that affect dropout rates, students and families.

• Alternative Pathways to High School Completion workgroup:  This group will discuss existing alternatives and brainstorm other possible pathways.

• Innovations and Interventions workgroup will research existing models and best practices for increasing graduation rates and high school completion.