Program Details

We offer an 18 credit minor, which includes multiple options. Our core courses provide essential grounding and hands-on experience in the role youth can play in social change in their environments, and our focused electives provide background in urban issues and historical and contemporary change related to social systems, such as schools, government, health and more.

YES Advising Sheet

Required: 9 Semester Hours

  • YES 250 Introduction to Youth and Urban Community Work--offered each fall
    Students in this course will be introduced to key ideas and dispositions for working with urban populations.
  • YES 300 Youth Empowerment and the Urban Context--offered each spring
    Students in this course will partner with urban youth through Need in Deed in the city of Philadelphia, and study the history of organizing as an educational and empowerment tool.
  • YES 301 Seminar in Youth-Led Media and Inquiry--offered each Spring in an extended format
    Students in this course will partner with urban young people through youth-serving agencies to produce multi-media community-based work, and study youth-led media as a cutting-edge educational, social change and empowerment practice.

Focused Electives: 9 Semester Hours

One course from each of the next three categories:

Urban Contexts and Communities

  • ANT 347 : Culture of Cities
  • ECO 350 : Urban Economics
  • GEO 200 : Urban Cities
  • GEO 204 : Introduction to Urban Studies
  • GEO 312 : Urban Geography
  • HIS 364 : U.S. Urban History
  • LIT 370 : Urbanism and Modern Imagination
  • PSC 304 : Urban Politics
  • SOC 342 : Urban Sociology

 

Youth and Social Systems

  • COM 325 : Strategic Social Media
  • CRJ 310 : Juvenile Justice Administration
  • EDF 255 : Evolution of Schooling in the U.S.
  • EDF 300 : Democracy and Education
  • EDR 400 : Literacy, Diversity,   Equity in K-12 Classrooms
  • ENG 215 : Views on Literacy
  • HEA 440 : School Health Programs
  • HIS 444 : History of American Education
  • HON 312 : Educational Systems and Social Influence
  • HON 322 : Leadership with ELLs in the Classroom and Community
  • SOC 345 : Sociology of Education
  • SWO 332 : Social Welfare Policies and Services
  • SWO 423 : Child Welfare Practice and Policy
  • WRH 305 : Images of School in Film

Empowerment Work in Diverse Communities. Any additional course, housed in any College or Department, which integrates service learning/community-engaged learning/community-engaged research/field placement in urban settings or with diverse populations; courses should take critical and strength-based approaches to issues addressed. Courses and placements that qualify will be approved by the Coordinator of the program by review of syllabi. Students and faculty should contact the YES Coordinator about particular courses.