Youth work courses
Strong youth programs need strong youth development professionals. We offer research-based training and resources for adults who work with and on behalf of Minnesota's young people. Our experienced faculty and staff train individuals, teams and organizations. Training is based on research into effective youth programs and our own experience running the Minnesota 4-H program.
We have courses for early-career youth workers to program leaders on a broad range of topics.
Ways to learn about youth development
Foundational, research-based face-to-face or online learning. Contact us to schedule one of these courses.
Beyond limits: Creating impactful outdoor adventure-based experiences
In this workshop, participants will gain strategies for increasing access for young people in outdoor education projects and learning opportunities.
Core Components of Quality STEM
This training will improve the quality of your STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs, lessons and activities by helping you to identify, incorporate and facilitate the core components of science and engineering processes.
Dilemmas in Youth Work
Youth workers face challenging situations they are required to address in their daily work with young people. Dig into the sticky challenges and issues of youth work and examine various ways to respond to real-life problems in your program.
Essential elements of cross-age teaching
Discover the benefits of having teens as teachers. Learn the essential elements needed to create an impactful learning environment for the teens, their younger peers and the adult liaison.
Risk management in youth programs
Proper risk management ensures that programs are designed, implemented and evaluated in a way that makes member safety a priority and is emphasized throughout the entire program.
Program planning
Different from lesson or event planning, program planning takes a big-picture look at the youth needs and assets of a community to make decisions about how a youth program can address those needs.
Reframing conflict
Shift to a positive youth development approach to behavior management. Learn both how to prevent many behavior issues and strategies for when things don't go as planned.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) suite
This training suite will help you design programs to support SEL, respond to unexpected opportunities that involve SEL and apply resources and activities from our SEL toolkit.
WeConnect
A program model and curriculum designed to show young people that they are participants in a global society and to prepare them to thrive in culturally diverse settings.
4-H Youth Teaching Youth
Understand the nuts and bolts of cross-age teaching best practices, research, and benefits, from identifying partners to teen recruitment and training.
Two to three hours of individual online learning.
Youth Work Matters: Self-guided online course
Explore the foundational research and theories of positive youth development and apply course content to your work with youth.
SEL in Practice: Self-guided online course
This self-guided course introduces a flexible set of tools, templates and activities from our SEL toolkit that can be used with staff and youth to increase intentional practices that support social and emotional learning and wellbeing.
Dilemmas in Youth Work: Self-guided online course
Explore research on the dilemmas of youth work, and use real scenarios to craft youth-centered responses that address multiple considerations and ethical principles.
Youth development webinars
Free interactive online learning over the lunch hour on various youth development topics.
See all upcoming youth development webinars.
Youth Development Insight blog
Advice and opinions from our faculty on current events and issues.
Youth Development Podcast
Our faculty discuss research, theory and best practices.
Build a stronger program
Reframing conflict
Shift to a positive youth development approach to behavior management. Learn both how to prevent many behavior issues and strategies for when things don't go as planned.
Youth Work Matters: Self-guided online course
Explore the foundational research and theories of positive youth development and apply course content to your work with youth.
Youth Work Matters: Facilitated online course
Create resources and learn skills to help you work with young people. The content comes from a combination of real youth work experience and research-based material. Activities include both synchronized group time and individual learning.
Intentional program design
While high quality programs have a positive impact on youth, poor quality programs can actually do harm. Learn what goes on inside quality programs to intentionality influence positive outcomes.
Program planning
Different from lesson or event planning, program planning takes a big-picture look at the youth needs and assets of a community to make decisions about how a youth program can address those needs.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) suite
This training suite will help you design programs to support SEL, respond to unexpected opportunities that involve SEL and apply resources and activities from our SEL toolkit.
Essential elements of cross-age teaching
Discover the benefits of having teens as teachers. Learn the essential elements needed to create an impactful learning environment for the teens, their younger peers and the adult liaison.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) suite
This training suite will help you design programs to support SEL, respond to unexpected opportunities that involve SEL and apply resources and activities from our SEL toolkit.
WeConnect
A program model and curriculum designed to show young people that they are participants in a global society and to prepare them to thrive in culturally diverse settings.
4-H Youth Teaching Youth
Understand the nuts and bolts of cross-age teaching best practices, research, and benefits, from identifying partners to teen recruitment and training.
Dilemmas in Youth Work
Youth workers face challenging situations they are required to address in their daily work with young people. Dig into the sticky challenges and issues of youth work and examine various ways to respond to real-life problems in your program.
Dilemmas in Youth Work: Self-guided online course
- Explore research on the dilemmas of youth work.
- Examine, discuss, and respond to dilemmas.
- Develop youth-centered strategies for addressing dilemmas in your own work that better meet the developmental needs of youth.
Risk management in youth programs
Proper risk management ensures that programs are designed, implemented and evaluated in a way that makes member safety a priority and is emphasized throughout the entire program.
Beyond Limits: Creating impactful outdoor adventure-based experiences
In this workshop, participants will gain strategies for increasing access for young people in outdoor education projects and learning opportunities.
Core components of quality STEM
This training will improve the quality of your STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs, lessons and activities by helping you to identify, incorporate and facilitate the core components of science and engineering processes.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) suite
This training suite will help you design programs to support SEL, respond to unexpected opportunities that involve SEL and apply resources and activities from our SEL toolkit.