ABSTRACT
This volume brings together a wide variety of perspectives and practices for Advancing Youth Work. The goal was not to tell one story but to tell many stories both within and outside of the United States. Collectively, the authors present a broad spectrum of field-building activities already underway. While it is safe to say that the authors of this volume agree that advancing youth work is critical to giving young people access to the types of opportunities that will enhance their lives and their futures, it is also clear that we are not always in agreement on how to get there. Will defining a set of competencies needed for staff enhance quality youth work or undermine professionalism and autonomy? Will a credential offer organizations sufficient criteria for hiring qualified staff or serve as a gate to maintaining a diverse workforce? Are there ways to think about professional development that support critical and situated reasoning above and beyond competencies? Where should such professional development occur, led by whom, and what should be the role of higher education in the arrangement? Would a degree in youth studies serve as the right basis for developing practitioner expertise? Is there a unified discipline of youth studies that transcends contexts of practice? Should there be?
