“Development is a process, not a goal” (Hamilton 5).
When writing up new youth programs or critiquing existing ones, it is pivotal to remember that the programs are not meant to solve a problem in a specific amount of time. The programs need to fit in with the natural life process of development, which must take in account among other things: age, gender, socioeconomics, culture, sexuality, and community. In his introduction, Hamilton lays out a good foundation for youth programming- discussing the 5 C’s and the importance of “proximal processes” of development. All youth should be taught the concepts, for example, of character building (and the other Cs) and sexual health, but the approaches to the teaching should be sensitive to the youth group one is addressing. For example, when discussing sexual health, one would approach the subject of teenage pregnancies different to a group of Caucasian upper class girls than to a group of lower income Latino girls. There is not a “one size fits all” curriculum, and it is important for teachers to be aware of this when writing up the curriculum. The teacher’s teaching methods must develop with the material and relationships that blossom in the process.