5 C's

Speaker: Elizabeth Wynter

So next, we're going to dive into the five C's of positive youth development. And those are competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring. And so we'll dive into each one of these just a little bit. And so competence, how do we make young people or help young people feel more competent in their skills? And so for instance, if you are a caregiver or a case manager, and you have recognized that a young person has an interest or an aptitude in art or sports. Well, how can you help, connect them to a class or a team so that they can build their skill set in that area? The next we're gonna talk about confidence, how do we help young people feel more confident in their abilities? And so think about praise and recognition when a young person has overcome a challenging task or handled a difficult situation. We need to let them know that they're doing well or they're in the right ballpark, they're moving in the right direction. Really important. Next is connection. And so how do we help young people build connection with their peers, with their immediate family, with their school, and their community? They need our help, right? To build those, build and strengthen those connections. Next really is character, and so character really is, is talking about instilling the values, right, in our young people. And so, you know, by guiding them through making decisions and helping them understand the impact of those choices, we can help them develop a strong character. Lastly, is caring. How do we teach young people to be empathetic, to have compassion? We can often promote that through volunteer activities, or community service, or just identifying opportunities that they can demonstrate their support and their empathy towards others. And so, by actively integrating these five C's, we can help create a positive environment that fosters youths' overall development and well-being while they're in foster care and through their transition to adulthood.