Put young people’s well-being at the center of your work.
Why a Certificate in Youth Work Practice at Clark University?
- A youth work program that is entirely co-created with local youth workers designed for aspiring, junior-level, and experienced youth workers.
- Can be completed in two semesters, with morning and online classes to accommodate youth workers’ schedules.
- Earn a head start in your master’s program by applying 100% of your certificate course credits toward the full degree graduation requirements.
- A culturally rich, diverse, international classroom community.
- Curricula model that emphasizes the value of discussion and collaboration between practitioners.
The Youth Work Practice Certificate is open to anyone who is currently employed in youth work or who plans to enter the field, from practitioners in the Worcester community to those working at institutions around the country.
You can complete the program at whatever pace you choose, from a full-time schedule in just one semester to a flexible, part-time program.
3 Course Units
- 2 core courses
- 1 elective
The field of youth work is quickly becoming professionalized, both in the United States and around the world, in order to meet the demand for highly skilled youth workers who can work on the frontlines with young people, lead youth development organizations, and manage youth programs.
Partnering with communities to face challenges with them, not simply for them, makes you an attractive candidate for a job conducting advanced work developing viable solutions that drive lasting results in the field.
Our faculty are directly engaged in youth work practice or research, and students join their efforts to create healthier communities. We understand the challenges facing youth, communities, and the organizations that support them are complex. You study these challenges in great depth and learn ways to address them, in order to bring about lasting change.
- Fundamentals of Youth Work
- Youth Work: Everyday Practice and Social Justice
- Program Evaluation for Youth and Community Initiatives
- Education and Development
- Non-profit Management
- Community Needs Assessment and Resources Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I learn from a certificate in youth work practice?
Specific skills you learn include:
- Policy analysis and grant proposal writing.
- Qualitative and quantitative research and analysis.
- Forging partnerships with diverse communities.
- Working effectively with community organizations.
- Program and staff management.
In this program you learn to:
- Identify and analyze community forces that positively and negatively affect young people and how to apply this analysis to youth work.
- Respond to complex, ambiguous problems quickly and decisively.
- Involve young people in the analysis of their environments.
- Build programs driven by young people’s own goals.
- Develop, run, manage, evaluate, and fund theoretically grounded youth development groups, programs, and organizations.
What can I expect from the coursework?
Our program has been co-created with Worcester-area youth workers — their on-the-ground needs drive our curriculum.
Academic Excellence. Global Reach. Career Success.
Join our supportive community of scholars. Ready to take the next step?