Youth Leadership: New Directions for Youth Development, Number 109, Spring 2006: Youth Leadership

As academics and professionals working with youth pursue a focus on positive psychology and youth development, the topic of youth leadership represents an intriguing frontier of inquiry. The notion of leadership moves beyond mere resilience; it implies an exceptional level of competency and self-mastery along with an ability to influence others.

Despite the relevance of youth leadership to the field of youth development, the topic remains largely unexplored. The minimal amount of scholarly literature related to the topic barely scratches the surface and does not provide definitive answers to questions. With this edition of New Directions for Youth Development, the issue editors have brought together scholars and practitioners with decades of involvement in youth leadership education. Our intention in gathering together this collection of writings has been to bring a new level of focus, rigor, and insight to this important discussion. While this collection of articles provides no simple answers, it does crystallize a collection of issues and debates that are central to the discourse on youth leadership.

Youth Leadership is the 109th issue of New Directions for Youth Development.

MAX KLAU is the Chief Program Officer at the New Politics Leadership Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to recruiting and developing alumni of long-term service programs, both military and civilian, to run for political office. Previously, he served as Vice President of Leadership Development at City Year, the Boston-based AmeriCorps program focused on addressing the nation's high school dropout crisis. Max received his Doctorate of Education in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2005; where his studies focused on civic leadership education. An alumnus of four different service programs, he has completed two years of service in Israel and led service programs in Ghana, Honduras, and Ukraine. He serves on the board of the International Leadership Association, and his writings about leadership have been featured in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and The Washington Post. He lives with his wife and two children in the suburbs of Boston, MA.