What's in a Name?

When I hear the term 'youth worker', I often envision a glorified babysitter. Someone who is tasked with  "keeping an eye" on the kids, as they engage in mindless activities. On the contrary, youth workers are ultimately responsible for helping our youth develop into strong leaders and become contributing members of society. Achieving this involves, carefully crafting safe and supportive environments where youth are able to speak on issues that  affect them and subsequently come up with ways to effect change. It involves creating an interactive environment where youth can turn abstract ideas to concrete experiences. It is about engaging youths minds and challenging them to think about and consider the world in new and exciting ways. So, let's challenge the term youth worker and  use a term that better represents the individuals that are responsible for "growing up" our youth. Let's transition to using the term 'youth development professional(s)'.