A half century ago, Michigan launched a
paradigm-transforming philosophy for reclaiming
troubled children and youth. Inspired by Kurt Lewin,
practical theorist, and Fritz Redl, theory
practitioner, a network of professionals forged a
strength-based approach to education, treatment, and
positive youth development. While others were
preoccupied with punishing deviance or treating
deficit, the “life space” pioneers created
respectful ecologies where all children and youth
could grow and thrive.
Wayne State University in Detroit was the
wellspring of this movement, a premiere urban
university pledged to finding positive solutions for
pressing problems. The University of Michigan
contributed vital research through the Institute for
Social Research and hands-on training at its Fresh
Air Camp for troubled youngsters. These initiatives
guided generations of graduate students, educators,
youth workers, counselors, psychologists,
psychiatrists, social workers, and researchers.
The watchwords of the reclaiming mission became
action research, democratic group dynamics, conflict
resolution, therapeutic milieu, controls from
within, and positive social ecology. Practical
research helped create Project Head Start and the
Peace Corps. Egalitarian values produced strong
partnerships with families and respectful youth
cultures. Other prominent outcomes of this tradition
include the Re-ED model of ecological treatment,
life space counseling methods, moral development
research, positive school climates, and the Circle
of Courage resilience model. Neuroscience research
is further reshaping this reclaiming paradigm into
what Urie Bronfenbrenner has termed the
bioecological model.
Join us in September 2008 in Michigan
where it all began. We meet at Wayne State
University in the cultural center of Detroit. The
Roots and Wings Conference will honor reclaiming
youth pioneers with special recognition of Dr.
William C. Morse of the University of Michigan. We
will explore the legacy of leading-edge programs for
reclaiming youth. Select from a menu of five days of
workshops, keynotes, and roundtables with prominent
authors, researchers, and practitioners. Youth from
Starr Commonwealth and other model programs also
share their perspectives. For information, go to www.reclaiming.com
