Youth Leadership

This issue on Youth Leadership raises important questions regarding this often overlooked subject, including: What exactly is youth leadership? Is it different from adult leadership? How does it relate to productive youth development? Can it be taught? If so, what are the best and worst practices? As academics and professionals working with youth pursue a focus on positive psychology and youth development, the topic of youth leadership represents an intriguing frontier of inquiry. The notion of leadership moves beyond mere resilience; it implies an exceptional level of competency and self-mastery along with an ability to influence others. Despite the relevance of youth leadership to the field of youth development, the topic remains largely unexplored. The minimal amount of scholarly literature related to the topic barely scratches the surface and does not provide definitive answers to questions. With this edition of New Directions for Youth Development, the issue editors have brought together scholars and practitioners with decades of involvement in youth leadership education. Our intention in gathering together this collection of writings has been to bring a new level of focus, rigor, and insight to this important discussion. While this collection of articles provides no simple answers, it does crystallize a collection of issues and debates that are central to the discourse on youth leadership. Youth Leadership is the 109th issue of New Directions for Youth Development. Click here to view the entire catalog of New Directions for Youth Development titles.