that provide formal education are "society's most legitimate and formal system of teaching and learning." (LaBelle, 1981, p. 315) They are typically chronologically graded and hierarchically structured. They offer credits, grades, and diplomas to document learning and achievement. Increasingly, schools are asked to document more closely the competency of their learners as proof that the credits, grades, and diplomas have real value.For several reasons, nonformal education provides the ideal system for youth development education to take place.Youth development organizations are most often voluntary, reflecting the values, priorities, and goals of the adults and young people who support them. Nonformal youth development programs identify their own mission, their curriculum priorities, their population of learners, and their teaching methods. Nonformal youth programs commonly use club structures, camps, sporting activities, regular group meetings, expressive arts, and youth conducted events to carry out their educational work. Nonformal programs operate largely outside the scope of public funding and public policy directives, hence they can respond to community-based agendas. Nonformal programs typically reward learning, achievement, and positive growth through recognition and incentives such as certificates, ribbons, badges, and increased opportunities for leadership....
