Penn State Brandywine students at the Alexander K. McClure Elementary School in North Philadelphia.

Brandywine students support learning initiatives at elementary school

As part of their Youth Development and Social Justice Capstone course, eight Penn State Brandywine students worked with children and teachers at the Alexander K. McClure Elementary School in North Philadelphia throughout the spring semester.
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Youth Development and Social Justice Minor

This 19-credit minor was designated to help you understand the unique challenges facing adolescents and youth in our rapidly changing world. The Youth Development and Social Justice program offers an interdisciplinary minor open to all Penn State Brandywine students. Students enter the program with the desire to support adolescents, youth, and their communities; they graduate with the skills, experience, and knowledge to do so effectively. Students will acquire tools to work with individuals of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, teamwork, and flexibility, as well as greater persistence and communications abilities - valuable assets that employers seek.

The Youth Development and Social Justice minor is offered for students who wish to add sociopolitical analysis skill and practical experience working with diverse youth to their undergraduate major.

The minor supports career goals in adolescent behavioral health, social work, advocacy and nonprofit administration, public policy, education, community organizing, and criminal justice.

The minor is flexible so that students can tailor their course choices to accommodate individual interests and match the resources at each campus. Students should seek the advice of the minor adviser for course selection.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR: 19 credits

PRESCRIBED COURSES (13 credits)
HDFS 175N - Introduction to Youth Development and Arts-based Social 
HDFS 400 - Youth Development and Social Justice Capstone Seminar
HDFS 239 - Adolescent Development
HDFS 345 - Contemporary Urban Issues and Social Justice Frameworks

SUPPORTING COURSES (6 credits)
A full list of the supporting courses can be found on the Undergraduate Bulletin. One of the supporting courses must be 400-level.