Adult-Driven Youth Programs: An Oxymoron?

Though strong arguments are often made for a youth-driven approach for youth programs, comparative research on what actually transpires in programs using adult-driven and youth-driven approaches has been missing.

This article focuses on the experiences of adult-driven programs, presenting an in-depth look at a high school theater production in which the adult held control but used it in ways that were responsive to and supportive of youth.

We highlight the developmental benefits and risks associated with an adult-driven approach, as well as the techniques that the adults used for keeping youth?s work in the program on track while keeping youth invested.

We suggest some of the considerations that practitioners should weigh when thinking about what approach to use, and outline some conditions under which an adult-driven approach might be appropriate.