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Youth & Social Innovation: B.S.Ed. - Bachelor of Science in Education

Youth & Social Innovation: B.S.Ed. - Bachelor of Science in Education

Interested in an exciting career working with or on behalf of youth? The Youth and Social Innovation major is designed for undergraduate students who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of youth.

At a Glance

Program Results

B.S.Ed. - Bachelor of Science in Education

Youth & Social Innovation

Career Outcomes

Graduates have obtained jobs and pursued post-graduate degrees in: Education and Youth Development (teaching, college student affairs, intercollegiate athletics); Human Services (counseling, social work, clinical/school psychology, public health, medicine); Public Policy, Advocacy & Law (education policy, youth policy); and Business, Management & Communications (social entrepreneurship, educational technology).

Best Suited To

Current UVA undergraduates seeking to declare a major
Transfer students from other institutions

Program Type

Full Time

Location

In-Person

Estimated Length

4 years (or 2 academic years after admission into the program)

Application Deadline

Current UVA undergraduates: Feb. 1
Students transferring from another institution: Mar. 1

Credits

120

About This Program

Through the Youth & Social Innovation (YSI) program, we aim to facilitate meaningful educational experiences that prepare students to be thoughtful practitioners, researchers, advocates, change makers, social innovators, and decision-makers in the youth sector. The YSI program supports students in understanding and critically analyzing youth issues through basic and applied research, policy analysis, and program and system innovations. Students work collaboratively, engage with youth, and critically reflect on positionality and assumptions.

You are invited to apply to the YSI major as a first or second year. Our application deadline is February 1 for current UVA undergraduates, and March 1 if you are transferring from another institution.
The YSI major can be completed in your third and fourth years, even if you have not taken any YSI courses in your first or second year. However, we encourage you to enroll in at least one YSI course to help you determine if the YSI major is the right one for you.

Social Justice Statement
One of the Youth and Social Innovation program’s core values is social justice. YSI faculty believe in the value of all people along with the critical analysis of oppressive forces and structures in society such as racism, sexism, misogyny, queerphobia, ableism, and religious intolerance. Throughout your time in YSI, you will be assigned readings or engage in discussions about these topics. We encourage your thoughtful participation in our classes, throughout the School of Education and Human Development, and across UVA.

Within the School of Education and Human Development, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Diversity Action Committee (DAC); and SEEDS4Change are three entities that consistently address these kinds of issues in our school and work toward social justice. If you are interested in actively participating in equity and social justice efforts we encourage you to become involved with one or more of these entities or to work with other organizations across grounds with a similar focus. If you are interested in creating a YSI initiative, let us know how we may support you.

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

The Youth & Social Innovation major can be completed in your third and fourth years, even if you have not taken any YSI courses in your first or second year. However, we encourage you to enroll in at least one YSI course to help you determine if the YSI major is the right one for you. Here are the courses we recommend and a short description of each:

EDHS 1120 So You Want to Change the World: Foundations of Community Engagement - Interact with youth in our community and discover how to engage with youth and their broader communities. EDHS 1120 meets a YSI major core requirement.
EDLF 2050 What the Innovators Do: Strategies to Transform the Lives of Youth - “Meet” innovators and investigate the process by which educators, entrepreneurs, and policymakers design innovations to combat inequalities in education. EDLF 2050 is a YSI major elective.
EDLF 3170 Introduction to Adolescence - Gain a working knowledge of adolescent development, foundational to the YSI major. EDLF 3170 or EDLF 3150 meets a YSI major core requirement.
EDLF 3150 Introduction to Child Growth and Development - Gain a working knowledge of child development, foundational to the YSI major. EDLF 3170 or EDLF 3150 meets a YSI major core requirement.
EDLF 3000 Research Design for Social Innovation with Youth - Are you past the exploratory stage and eager to select the YSI major? This introductory course on research design will provide you with conceptual knowledge that will help you get the most out of your future YSI coursework. EDLF 3000 meets a YSI major core requirement.

Current UVA undergraduates interested in this major must apply to transfer to the School of Education and Human Development from the College of Arts and Sciences. Transfer students from other institutions should refer to the transfer student admission process to determine course requirements needed for your transfer application. This program does not accept applications from current high school students. For high school students interested in pursuing this major, application is first made for regular admission to UVA through the College of Arts and Sciences. Once at UVA, Students can then apply for transfer into this program in their 1st or 2nd year of study.

Explore our Undergraduate Admission page to explore the application process specific to your background.

Undergraduate Admission

Application for admission is made to the School of Education and Human Development Office of Admission & Enrollment. For more information about the undergraduate admission process, please visit our Undergraduate Admission page.

Undergraduate Admission

Opportunities to Work with Youth

We recommend students applying to the Youth and Social Innovation B.S.Ed. have experience working with youth. Here are a few suggested ways to engage with youth in your community:

Volunteer through Madison House – check out the Madison House website to learn more about their Education Network and Youth Mentoring Opportunities, including but not limited to: Cavs in the Classroom, Latinx and Migrant Aid, Tutoring, Big Siblings, and Athletics (including coaching).
Work as an America Reads tutor – If you receive federal work study, apply to work as an America Reads tutor through the School of Education and Human Development. America Reads tutors work in local schools and on grounds with the McGuffey Reading Center's community programs. Hiring occurs through the first few weeks of the fall and spring semesters. Interested UVA students can apply through Handshake.
Young Women Leaders Program – Apply to be a Big Sister with the Young Women Leaders Program, a community-based mentoring program that pairs UVA undergraduates with girls in local middle schools.
Men's Leadership Project – Apply to be a Big Brother with the Men’s Leadership Project, a community-based mentoring program that pairs UVA undergraduates with boys in local middle schools.
Work in a summer program – Day camps and overnight camps provide great opportunities to spend extended time with young people. You might also consider more teaching-focused programs like Breakthrough Collaborative, which hires teaching fellows to work to close the opportunity gap for middle school students at a range of sites across the country.
Work as a substitute teacher – either here in Charlottesville or in your hometown. This allows you to work in a range of school contexts and with students of different ages, which may help you determine where you would ultimately like to teach.
- To become a substitute in Albemarle County Schools, you need to have a high school diploma.
- To become a substitute in Charlottesville City Schools, you need to have 60 college-level credit hours.
- Requirements in other school divisions will vary.
Work as a tutor, babysitter, or nanny – Although these experiences may be less formal, they’ll give you invaluable experience as you explore your career goals.

Coursework

Youth and Social Innovation (YSI) is an undergraduate major for students interested in working with and/or on behalf of youth in a variety of settings.

To learn more about specific courses taken as part of the completion of this degree, visit the UVA Undergraduate Record website which represents the official repository for academic program requirements.

YSI Course Descriptions

Information on courses that are part of the YSI curriculum can be found on the UVA Undergraduate Record website.

Curriculum

YSI Concentrations

Find out which of the five YSI concentrations best aligns with your goals.

Reach out to the program contact listed at the bottom of this page, or attend an upcoming information session to learn more about the program experience.

Are you considering a career…

working directly with children and youth?
being involved in research relevant to children and youth?