Although the four SAFE approaches are important, they may not look the same at every developmental level. The following subsections offer suggestions for what youth development practice might look like at each developmental level. We suggest that staff members build on these practices as youth progress through programming.

Elementary-age youth have different requirements and needs compared with middle school and high school youth. To create a warm and welcoming environment for elementary-aged youth, it is important to greet every person as he or she enters the program. For middle school youth, work with them to create a group agreement for their behavior. Finally, for high school youth, allow for peer time at the beginning of the program for casual interaction and stagger start times to compensate for other extracurricular activities the youth may be involved in, such as sports.

It is important to build supportive relationships and opportunities to belong. For elementary-age youth, supportive relationships include creating a program ritual at the beginning of each day, such as a shared song or saying. Middle school youth should be invited to create names for activities or the program as a whole. And they can be asked to create a logo that would represent the program. High school youth also should be involved in developing a name for the program as a whole and should have an opportunity to form within-program groups based on interest.

To promote positive behavior management, create group agreements for elementary-age youth on how they should behave. Ask, “How should we act together in this program?” Even young children will be able to identify appropriate behavioral attributes, such as sharing, being nice, not talking when it is not your turn, and so on. Middle school youth need plenty of time for recreation and activity, so provide outdoor team-building activities that teach cooperation, encourage creative problem solving, and lead to leadership opportunities. High school youth should have opportunities to develop mentorships, in which older youth pair up with younger youth. Also, youth governance on a peer jury goes a long way toward developing appropriate behavior.

Youth choice is a critical component of successful youth programming. For youth ages 5–8, expose them to a variety of simple activities and provide choices within those activities. For youth ages 9–11, allow them to choose their own activities but provide clear procedures because “choice” may be a new experience for them. Survey both middle school and high school youth to learn about their interests. Asking their opinions and offering choices that reflect their interests will help keep them involved in the program. In addition, provide opportunities for high school youth to participate in the overall design of the program and create opportunities for service learning. (More information about service learning can be found later in this Toolkit.) Many teens will indicate a strong preference for helping others, so have them brainstorm ways in which they can make a difference in the community.

When it comes to decision making, allow elementary-age youth to make decisions within a range of choices, such as helping to choose from among the snack offerings that a program should serve. For middle school and high school youth, allow flexibility during the registration process (e.g., only register for one day a week or one semester per year). A project that allows youth to leave a mark on the community, such as a painting a bench or mural, creating a mosaic, or planting flowers, gives youth a sense of accomplishment.

All youth need opportunities for leadership, even at a young age. Elementary-age youth could be given meaningful assignments, such as taking attendance or distributing snacks. For older youth, create a youth council made up of youth to serve as advisors to your governing board. High school youth should be represented on your program’s advisory board; aim to include those youth who are not always involved to give them a voice. In addition, invite youth to serve on a governance board and be involved in program planning and evaluation processes. Older youth often have talents that can be put to use, such as creating meaningful and creative brochures, websites, public service announcements, and videos.

Finally, reflect on the program’s activities. Elementary-age youth will benefit from drawing a picture of what they learned on a particular day or how they are feeling. These pictures can become part of their portfolio. Middle school youth can write in their journals (for about five minutes) what they learned, what they enjoyed, and what they would like to do in future sessions. Although not required, journal entries can be kept in participants’ portfolios. For more mature high school youth, engage in a group discussion about the things that the youth are learning, such as ways they can help protect the environment at home if the program (or session) deals with the environment. In addition, they can contribute their items of reflection (journal entries, pictures, other) to their portfolios.