We have decided to use the five areas of youth development and leadership, learning, connecting, thriving, working, and leading to guide our work. These five areas correspond with 7 of the 8 areas of emphasis listed in the Developmental Disabilities Act (employment, education, housing, recreation, health, childcare, quality assurance, and transportation.) To look at youth with disabilities as an example, one could argue that it is no longer sufficient to say that simply because a young person with a disability knows what self-determination is, that they are a leader. Self-determination is certainly a very important skill to have, however, if he or she lacks competency in the five areas of development where self-determination would be utilized, it renders the skill ineffective. "An additional factor (to students with disabilities experiencing great difficulty in post-secondary education) is limited development of self-determination/self-advocacy skills when students exit high school." (Lamb, 2004) As a young person, it is one thing to be able to feel confident in making a decision, however it is another thing to make an uninformed choice that can have long-term effects on one's life (e.g. signing up for a credit card, applying for health insurance, getting married.)

For more information on each of the five areas including what they are and what kinds of activities support them, click on the links below: