Title: Bridging Research
1Bridging Research Practice Challenges
Opportunities
- Dale A. Blyth, Ph.D.
- Associate Dean for Youth Development
- University of Minnesota Extension Service
Tucson, Arizona February 11, 2003
2Overview
- The Bridge Analogy
- Elements of Effective Bridges
- Challenges of Bridge Building
- Why Build More Bridges Now
- What Types of Bridges Are Needed?
- Toward a field of Applied Youth Dev.
- Use this Conference Opportunity
3The Bridge Analogy
- Bridges are structures designed to allow traffic
to cross a gap or barrier between two or more
places - While bridges can occur naturally, they more
often have to be deliberately designed and
intentionally implemented for them to be
successful - Success is when the people and resources from one
place can get to the other place and vice versa
4Bridging Research and Practice
User-Inspired Research
Research-Inspired Reflection
5Elements of Effective Bridges
- Solid Bedrock into which to place the foundations
on both sides - Strength of each tower separately
- Strength of the supports that hold it up
- The nature of the surface on which traffic flows
- The connection to the rest of the world
6Challenges of Building Bridges Between Research
and Practice
- The lack of a common theoretical bedrock for both
research and practice - The multiple types of practice and programs
- The mixed and non-system nature of supports and
opportunities - The limitations perspectives of each field
- The lack of adequate educational supports
- The lack of adequate policy supports but high
expectations for proof - The shear size of the gap - its bigger than it
appears - Picking the right places to build
7Why Build More Bridges Now?
- Increased Recognition that Supports and
Opportunities are Not Reaching All Youth - Moving from WHAT Youth Need to HOW to Deliver It
- Both Research Practice Need Help
- Increased Ripeness among practitioners for
Using What is Known from Research - Increased Academic Support for Applied and Useful
Research - Increased Policy Pressure for Both to be
Accountable, Effective, and Efficient
8What Types of Bridges are Needed?
- Making the Case Bridges
- Connecting knowledge to public will
- Connecting research / practical wisdom policy
makers - Connecting whats known and whats available with
parent and youth decision making - Model Program Bridges
- Connecting specific program models and relevant
research (e.g., mentoring) - Connecting program development with both
practical wisdom and research knowledge
9What Other Types of Bridges are Needed?
- Specific Population Bridges
- Connecting whats known about a culture or
population with the way supports and
opportunities are offered - Connecting whats known about a specific age
group and the ways to deliver supports and
opportunities - Field Building Bridges
- Connecting those who work on different islands in
the youth development sea - Bridges connecting researchers to policy makers
and policy makers to practitioners
10Do we Need a NewField For Bridge Builders?
11Bridging Research and Practice
12Bridging Research and Practice
13What is a Field of Applied Youth Development?
- A field of YD engineers who design build
bridges - A field that complements rather than replaces
primary disciplinary fields of people - A field that strengthens both user-inspired
research research-reflective practice - A field with its own critical infrastructure
from places to dialogue to places to publish - A field where investments are made in its
development - A field that will further enhance the deliberate
design and intentional implementation of supports
and opportunities for youth
14During This Conference, I Hope You Will . . .
- Consider your role in bridge building
- Challenge your assumptions about how and why
bridges work, and do not work, in this field - Analyze why some of the bridges you hear about
this week have been built successfully - Examine what types of infrastructure you believe
is needed for YD bridge builders - Design some bridges you want to help build
- Make a commitment to bridge research practice
in new ways!!