Our mission is to promote positive youth development and to assist children in the transition through adolescence to become healthy adults connected to their communities. We accomplish this by creating effective school and community-based strategies in partnership with parents, teachers, counselors, and community leaders. Rather than a program, we promote a reciprocal process between youth and community development that includes an architectural structure. These structures include 20 interrelated elements that serve as design principles to guide the integration of education and community resources.
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“This groundbreaking book provides profound and practical community strategies for promoting the positive development of youth.”
“Weaving exquisite tales based on 50 years of experience we now have navigational aids to guide communities in the creation of unique place-based rites of passage for their young people.”
“This book reveals the profound wisdom that highlights how focusing on our youth is focusing in on our communities. David has given us tools as a gift for ours and future generations.”
Oxford University Press announces Pre-publication sale & savings.
Coming of age within a community’s “Story” of rites of passage honors the central developmental task of adolescents – the search for one’s authentic spiritual self and deepening their connection with community, culture and nature. They are the public affirmation of an individual’s emerging adulthood. In reciprocity they strengthen the bonds between people in a community in ways that serve survival.
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