Ed Bowers, professor of youth development leadership and director of assessment and engagement for the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS), delivered a keynote address on youth goal setting and management during the National 4-H Council’s 2026 Research to Practice Conference.
As the largest youth development organization in the United States, 4-H delivers experiential learning programs through a network of more than 100 partner universities, 500,000 volunteers and 3,000 4-H professionals nationwide. Programs provide youth with hands-on experience in health, science, agriculture, civic engagement and more.
The 4-H Council hosts annual learning opportunities through its Positive Youth Development (PYD) Academy – a series of immersive virtual learning experiences as part of its national initiative, Beyond Ready – to connect like-minded professionals and strengthen youth development practices. Beyond Ready introduces innovative approaches to preparing youth for personal and professional success and is rooted in the evidence-based principles of PYD.
Bowers’ research is framed by the PYD perspective and focuses on how youth relationships with non-parental adults facilitate strengths and promote healthy and positive development. His keynote address focused on essential elements of the Beyond Ready framework, goal setting and management.
“I am grateful for the 4-H Council’s partnership, which has long been supportive of positive youth development initiatives across the country. The organization’s commitment to high quality youth programming and mentorship reflects the core principles of my research,” said Bowers. “This rewarding opportunity reinforced the importance of learning from one another and working together to create environments where all young people are empowered to thrive.”
During his keynote address, Bowers shared practical ideas for youth professionals based on his experiences with research-practice collaborations and designing, implementing and evaluating research-based resources for youth in school and community-based settings worldwide. He offered resources and evidence-based strategies to support the development of intentional self-regulation skills, including goal setting and management, in young people.
“Dr. Bowers’ keynote address speaks to the caliber of his research and expertise in the youth development field,” said Leslie Hossfeld, CBSHS dean. “His intentional approach to positive youth development is evident in the classroom, community and his work as director of assessment and engagement for the College, and I am proud to see his work highlighted nationally among leaders in his field.”
The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) was established in July 2016. CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
