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 Write for CYS

We need your help!  Too many great ideas about youth work and models of programs have evaporated like steam into a blue sky. Ideas about understanding the culture, reaching indifferent or hostile or youth, intervening in problems and counseling troubled youth, about art and drama, videos and picture-taking. Innovative models of teen-centers, wilderness or adventure camping, service projects, worship have also been lost. From the 40s, 60s, 70s and 90s, ideas about urban street work, alternative programs and worship, peer counseling and leadership, are no longer remembered. Youth workers, churches and towns so often have to "re-invent the wheel."

We invite contributions from your interest, experience and expertise, to this partnership.  The Center for Youth Studies (CYS) creates this Encyclopedia of Youth Studies (EYS, also known as the Youthworker's Encyclopedia), as an innovative educational and ministerial resource. In short, the Encyclopedia is meant to be a file cabinet of information and resources for busy people who work with young people. Youth pastors, ministers, social workers, civic youth leaders, teachers, principals, and parents should all find the Encyclopedia helpful for understanding and reaching youth.

The Encyclopedia relies on young people and their teachers or leaders for research of critical, current issues.  The Center for Youth Studies believes that information about youth should be read and discussed by others rather than be filed away. So whether you are a student or practitioner, we want you special input. Ours is a cooperative attempt to produce a working encyclopedia of vital issues for immediate access and use.

Professionals, scholars, and veterans who study or work with youth often ask the following questions:

  • What are the trends and vital issues affecting youth today?
  • What about these issues do young people and caring adults need to know?
  • What resources are available to meet the needs of young people?
  • How can this information be obtained for immediate use?

The Encyclopedia attempts to satisfy the answers to these questions.

 

How is information in the Encyclopedia organized?  

Educationally, the Encyclopedia is the beginning of research.  There is almost no other tool like it. To begin studying any of the 200+ topics, a user selects a topic of interest alphabetically from the menu.  Instantly, one will find another (or sub-) menu on that particular topic.  Each topic will contain any of the following types of information (click on each one to retrieve the writing guide)

 

INFORMATION

  • OVERVIEW An encyclopedic article broadly defining the issue through appropriate statistics, basic principles, and implications for youth and society.
  • ARTICLES The essence of pertinent and current articles written on a topic or an original article, with questions for reflection and discussion and implications.
  • BOOKS The essence of important and current books written on a topic, with questions for reflection and discussion and implications.
  • RESEARCH Quick, yet comprehensive presentations of critical research on a topic.  Implications for education and ministry are included.

RESOURCES

  • RESOURCES provides organizations with links, bibliography, and training materials, including videos.

ACTION

  • DISCUSSIONS Outlines, ready-to-use, about how a topic might be explored in a classroom or youth group.
  • INTERVENTIONS Explains how one might help someone with a particular problem as discussed within a topic.
  • PROGRAMS Describes model and effective programs developed to deal with a topic or problem.  
  • CASE STUDIES Stories from which lessons can be drawn and discussed.

Currently, the Encyclopedia does not have a full sub-menu for each topic.  When selecting a topic, several of the above options will appear; others will not.  That means a user will only find the types of information listed.  For instance, one may find that a topic lists only a topic overiew, book reviews, article reviews, and methods of discussion. Therefore, it will not have a resource list, methods of intervention, or models of programs.  With your help, however, we can keep the Encyclopedia up-to-date and expanding.

Why would I want to write for The Center for Youth Studies?

CYS relies on you--experts by research and/or experience to provide the most practical and current information to fellow workers with youth.  Youth workers serve the most precious commodities in the world-kids.  Those who work with young people respond through genuine concern; still, to serve them effectively, these leaders need specialized knowledge of adolescence, the youth culture, and the practice of youth work.  Since they do professional work, they need professional support.  Doctors and lawyers have journals and software programs to provide them the latest technical information. Teachers and social workers, too, are supported by professional resources.  Such strong support is not available to youth workers.  It just makes sense that those who study or currently work with kids can provide the best information to others working for the same cause.

How do I write something for the Center for Youth Studies?

The Encyclopedia of Youth Studies presents youth workers and youth scholars vital facts and advice and encourages users to add further information for others.  What follows is an explanation of, special instructions for, and excerpt from each kind of document offered in the Encyclopedia.  Our hope is that this guide will help you as you write.  It will ensure that all entries consistently follow the same format, and will allow you to use your energies on the context of the writing instead of worrying about the best way in which to present the material.  If you have questions concerning the writing and formatting of your data, please contact Katy Powers at kqpowers@mindspring.com.

 

How do I send my writing to CYS?  What happens to it there?

There are several ways to get your writing to the Center for Youth Studies:

Mail it to:

    Center for Youth Studies at CYS, 130 Essex St., S. Hamilton, MA 01982 

Fax it to CYS at: 978.546.5786.

 

E-mail it to deanborgman@gmail dot com. You may paste it into the email or attach the file to the email.  

Please include a Copyright Release, signed by you, so we can legally publish your writing.  We need to receive it only once; we will keep it on file, and it will apply to any future writings.

The Center for Youth Studies does not exist without writers who care about kids.  We appreciate the effort you provide in serving those serving youth.  We appreciate you. Thank you for your heart and your effort for those in youth ministry.  Please contact us at CYS if you have any questions or ideas!

 

Before You Begin

  • Do not be overwhelmed by the following guidelines. What you may miss, we will change or fill in. Just follow them to the best of your ability.  Thanks so much for your service to youth workers and young people.
  • Remember in writing these documents for The Center for Youth Studies that you are communicating to people who need information and may even be in distress.  You are writing about a topic affecting young people and those in a position to help them-parents, teachers, and youth leaders.  Your experience and ideas will help.
  • As you write, imagine yourself as a busy person in the field needing vital information. You might be faced with a family crisis; you may be preparing a speech; you may be headed to a classroom, youth group, or staff training session. What type of help would you need?
  • Keep in mind that you are attempting to summarize on one typewritten page what youth workers around the world need to know about this topic.  You are writing an encyclopedic-type article.
  • Consider the way newspaper articles capture attention and give important information quickly.
  • Use mostly short, direct sentences.  Lead-in or topic sentences need to be dynamic, informative, clear, and analytical--not apologetic.   A style short and to the point is more eye-catching and easily recalled.
  • Ask yourself:  "How can the busy youth worker see, understand, and remember most readily the information I describe?  And what form would be handiest for him or her to pass it on to others?"
  • As you define or describe a complex topic like suicide, try to provide current statistics to illustrate the quantitative impact of your issue.  Other subjects like the arts or ethics are more qualitative and may not call for a statistical base.
  • List or outline main ideas, aspects, significance, dangers, and benefits about an issue. Indent long quotations.  (Be sure to fully cite the quote.)  Many people skip over regular paragraphs.  High visibility and memorability are your goals when writing.
  • Citations of sources are to be included in parenthesis two spaces immediately following a quotation.  You might check the APA bibliographic guide on page 24 for details.)
  • If you are not compiling a Resource List, include, as appendix, a short and briefly annotated bibliography. Or you might send us an incomplete Resource List which we will try to fill out. 
  • Every article or document concludes with QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION and clear IMPLICATIONS encouraging discussion among youth leaders, teachers, or social workers.  IMPLICATIONS are the "so what" of the matter and often include a few specific ways in which youth ministry, education, or helping professions should be using and applying this information.
  • The Encyclopedia of Youth Studies is noted for its Implications.  It rests on its applicability to real lives and ministry.  'Implications' suggest to someone how the material presented should be either processed or applied.
  • Above all, picture yourself with a young person who needs a listening ear, a caring touch, or an encouraging word.  We want all young people to experience the liberation, healing, and empowerment needed by and expected of them.  We want young people to be able to help themselves-and others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Center for Youth Studies