Bridging Research

1
Bridging Research Practice Challenges
Opportunities

• Dale A. Blyth, Ph.D.
• Associate Dean for Youth Development
• University of Minnesota Extension Service

Tucson, Arizona February 11, 2003
2
Overview

• 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

3
The 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

4
Bridging Research and Practice
User-Inspired Research
Research-Inspired Reflection
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Elements 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

6
Challenges 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

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Why 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

8
What 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

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What 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

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Do we Need a NewField For Bridge Builders?
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Bridging Research and Practice
12
Bridging Research and Practice
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What 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

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During 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!!