A Youth Leader's Guide to Building Cultural Competence 

Chapter Five 

Working With Youth 

As a good youth program leader, you already know the basics of working effectively with youth. Like all 

young people, African American and Latino/Latina youth and lesbian, gay and bisexual youth of all races 

and ethnicities respond well to leaders who:  

spend time getting to know and interacting with them;  

actively include them in program planning;  

create program environments that allow for a great deal of exchange among participants and 

leaders;  

foster mutual respect;  

genuinely enjoy adolescents and like working with them; and  

know how to establish and encourage positive and appropriate relationships with youth.  

In General 

Understand the developmental issues all youth face: their abilities to understand and apply information are 

changing as they mature. Each teen moves through the process at a different pace and in a group of teens 

of the same age, there will be great variation among their abilities.  

Be aware that youth go through stages in identifying with their racial and ethnic cultures. Some young 

people will proudly claim their racial or ethnic identity, while others will be uncomfortable with it. Young 

people of mixed racial background face particular 

challenges in this regard.  

Deal realistically with young people's needs.

Be sensitive to the fact that if you are dealing with sexuality issues, the young people in your program 

might feel some conflict between what they are taught at home and what you are discussing. Be aware of 

your own values and do not seek to impose them upon program participants unless they are in agreement 

with the values of the program.  

Pay attention to gender. If you run a co ed group, know that studies show that girls tend to talk less if 

boys are present and that even well intentioned teachers pay more attention to boys and give them more 

praise than girls.  

Know the rates of teenage sexuality and parenting behaviors in the community and choose prevention 

strategies at the appropriate level. Deal realistically with the young people's needs.  

Keep in mind the importance of youth culture in general. For almost all teens, the customs, music, slang, 

clothing and even ideas popular among their peers are very important. Fitting in with the peer group is 

often more important than pleasing parents, teachers or other adults.  

Working with Young Latinos and Latinas  

Be aware that in most Latino/Latina families, discussions of sex are taboo. Latino/Latina teens may never 

have had the opportunity to talk about sexuality related matters in public before. Give them time to open 

up. 

Be aware that a participatory learning format may be new to Latino/Latina teens and that they may be 

uncomfortable in the beginning with a format in which the leader is not assuming a position of authority.