Youth & Social Innovation

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Overview

Youth and Social Innovation is a new undergraduate major for students interested in working with and/or on behalf of youth in a variety of settings. Students enrolled in the program have opportunities to :

• Gain hands-on knowledge about innovative youth programming, policy, and research;
• Work with a team of students to research and design an innovation to increase positive youth development; and
• Build a resume that integrates academic knowledge about the needs of today’s youth with read-life application.

This program prepares enrollees for careers in both private and nonprofit sectors serving children and youth. Students develop critical thinking skills that allow them to analyze social, cultural, and educational challenges facing today’s young people.  They also examine programs and policies intended to address these challenges, as well as the design, implementation, and evaluation of next-generation youth programming. Students graduating from the YSI  program will be well prepared to provide leadership, management, research and evaluation services to youth-based and youth-serving organizations.