Resource Topic: Youth Development

An overview of the most influential research on student motivation, engagement, and 21st-century skills. This paper, originally published in 2012 and revised by in 2014 by Youth Development Executives of King County,  presents a holistic framework for thinking about student success. It provides operational definitions for the skills and dispositions that matter most, and suggests ways that educators, parents, and out-of-school-time program providers can begin to measure these skills in young people. This is the first of a two-part series. The second part covers strategies for building motivation, engagement, and 21st-century skills.

This artifact is a brief executive summary of YDEKC’s series on student motivation, engagement, and 21st-century skills. The first part of the series, published in 2012 (revised in 2014) proposed a working  definition  of motivation and engagement,  and  suggested  possible approaches to  measurement. The second part, released in 2014, describes a number of strategies for building motivation and engagement in schools and in out-of-school-time settings. YDEKC (Youth Development Executives of King County) served the King County region of Washington State from 2010 to 2023.

This report, published by Youth Development Executives of King County (2010-2023) in 2014, illuminates strategies that support the development of student motivation, engagement, and 21st-century skills. Fourteen strategies are featured; some are foundational (high-quality instruction, cultural responsiveness, positive school climate) while others are more specific (e.g. arts integration, community-based mentoring). This is the second in a two-part series. The first part provides an overview of research on student motivation, engagements, and 21st-century skills.

In early 2022, Youth Development Executives of King County (YDEKC) announced grantees of the Thriving Leaders of Color Fund, an initiative designed to advance, rejuvenate, and/or celebrate leaders of color within youth-serving organizations.