Derek has been a long—time advocate for young people. As a high school freshman, he created and managed his first youth center. He has served as a counsellor in a detention center for boys, as a drug/alcohol counsellor, and as an advocate for college/university students. Derek has worked as a faculty member at one of the most innovative colleges in the United States and served as the Vice President for Student Services at a liberal arts college.
Between 1995 and 2004, Derek served as the Director of Child/Youth Advocacy for the Association of Alaska School Boards. While there, he developed the Integrative Youth Development (IYD) model that expanded the dialogue around student achievement in both urban and rural schools.
While serving Alaskan school boards, administrators, teachers, students, and community members, Derek was a leader of a team that raised over 16 million dollars for a statewide initiative for children, youth, and communities. In addition to this long term funding, tens of millions more were redirected within partner agencies to support the vision of “connection—rich” kids. In the year 2000, the Alaska Drug and Alcohol Prevention Community recognized him as the “Prevention Professional of the Year.” Derek is often called the “Father of the Alaskan Assets Initiative” and was involved in the creation of numerous organizations that continue to serve teens and families.
Today Derek is the Executive Director for the Institute for Community and Adolescent Resilience (ICAR-US). ICAR-US does IYD work for numerous communities and school districts throughout the US, and the world. Derek is on the staff of the International Institute for Children’s Rights and Development in Victoria, Canada. He guides efforts to merge traditional ways of knowing and traditional values with IYD. Derek has been a long—time advocate for young people. As a high school freshman, he created and managed his first youth center. He has served as a counsellor in a detention center for boys, as a drug/alcohol counsellor, and as an advocate for college/university students. Derek has worked as a faculty member at one of the most innovative colleges in the United States and served as the Vice President for Student Services at a liberal arts college.
Between 1995 and 2004, Derek served as the Director of Child/Youth Advocacy for the Association of Alaska School Boards. While there, he developed the Integrative Youth Development (IYD) model that expanded the dialogue around student achievement in both urban and rural schools.
While serving Alaskan school boards, administrators, teachers, students, and community members, Derek was a leader of a team that raised over 16 million dollars for a statewide initiative for children, youth, and communities. In addition to this long term funding, tens of millions more were redirected within partner agencies to support the vision of “connection—rich” kids. In the year 2000, the Alaska Drug and Alcohol Prevention Community recognized him as the “Prevention Professional of the Year.” Derek is often called the “Father of the Alaskan Assets Initiative” and was involved in the creation of numerous organizations that continue to serve teens and families.
Today Derek is the Executive Director for the Institute for Community and Adolescent Resilience (ICAR-US). ICAR-US does IYD work for numerous communities and school districts throughout the US, and the world. Derek is on the staff of the International Institute for Children’s Rights and Development in Victoria, Canada. He guides efforts to merge traditional ways of knowing and traditional values with IYD.
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