FAMILY RE-UNION 11: FAMILIES AND YOUTH

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

October 21, 2002

Family Reunion 11 Movie News Release

Pictures for Family Re-Union 11

                  Family Re-Union 11 was moderated by Al and Tipper Gore and, like the preceding conferences, explored the role of families in positive youth development.  The conference was co-sponsored by the Child and Family Policy Center at Vanderbilt University and The Applied Developmental Science Institute of the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University.

            There have been many programmatic approaches that recognize the untapped skills and strength that youth can bring to their communities, and new research that demonstrates the great leaps in brain development that occur in adolescence.  However, there have been far too few attempts to look at the enormous benefits of working with youth AND their families to strengthen all generations and the communities in which they live.  The conference built on the work of a Symposium on Family Centered Community Building for Youth held at Tufts University this past January that was moderated by Al Gore.

            Family Re-Union 11 highlighted some innovative approaches to family centered youth development.  The attendees learned from those who are in the trenches, brainstorm ways to replicate and measure their success, and discuss policy that will encourage and support these efforts in academia, philanthropy, business, education and government.

            The first step to achieving this will be to explode the long-held myth that healthy adolescent development requires separation from family.  The examples and research that will be presented will reinforce the critical importance of understanding the difference between young adolescents and older teens, and involving the adults they care about at each stage. The conference explored approaches in various cultural traditions.

            Equally important in the agenda of the conference was the understanding that youth can and should be active citizens, decision-makers and community builders.  Young people were involved in the design and implementation of this conference.  Some were veterans of past conferences and others were new to the Family Re-Union “family”.

            Attendees heared from those who are working in communities across the country and in other parts of the world, as well as from those who play leading roles in researching and governing these efforts. Participants were also given a more extended opportunity than in previous years to meet in smaller working groups.  There they addressed the core issues of implementation, funding, implementation and measurement of various approaches.  There they looked closely at youth and family in relationship to the home, school, the health arena, media, older generations, active community citizenship, and the workplace.

            As in previous years, the conference concluded with commitments by various institutions to expand the important work of family centered youth development. Family Re-Union is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding, sharing successful approaches and creating dynamic opportunities for action and a climate for positive change.

Some of the questions presenters and attendees addressed included:

·        How can young people establish themselves as responsible, independent individuals without distancing themselves from their families?

·        How can families provide opportunities for independence and growth without relinquishing their responsibilities for their adolescent children?

·        How can communities, schools, workplaces and the media support both families and youth as they approach adulthood?

·        What special approaches are important for families and youth in rural communities, or families stationed overseas?

·        What do we have to learn about these issues and the transition to adulthood from other cultures?

·        How can we help families avoid the problem of “overscheduled” youth, and of ‘underserved’ youth that have few options for productive activities?

·        How can we enhance the natural alliance between youth and elders?

·        How can we help youth become active and well-prepared citizens?

Each of the ten “Working Groups” were held twice so that conference participants can tackle two of the following topics in depth:

1.      Families and youth, a new alliance?

2.      Youth and the Media

3.      Youth and the Workplace

4.   Youth and Learning

5.      Youth and Health

6.      Youth and Community

7.      Youth Bridging the Generations

8.      Youth, Families and Recreation

9.      Youth in Rural and Small-town America

10.  Youth Around the World