Supporting Youth Agency

Research evidence from the fields of neuroscience and psychology shows that adolescents thrive when given opportunities to be contributors: “it’s time to move away from outdated stereotypes of adolescents as only selfish and dangerous risk-takers and to consider how they are ripe for learning about contributing to others and their communities.” When young people have opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways, the benefits extend beyond their own lives and development, and into the lives of those around them as well as the communities they live in.

Messages delivered to young people via text messages can impact student success. Often referred to as “nudges”, these text prompts can be used to remind young people about upcoming deadlines, make them aware of helpful resources, or warn them if they are falling behind.

This is a good overview of innovative approaches to mentoring, many of which use technology to provide ongoing support, encouragement, and connection. Far from being trivial add-ons, apps can support relationship-building, prevent quitting, and improve a variety of outcomes. 

“When students do not understand how their brains learn and retain material, they can develop misconceptions about themselves as learners – such as a faulty assumption that they are bad at a subject or that they suffer from performance anxiety.” This article outlines five techniques that can help students become better learners.