Jimmy A. Young, PhD
Dr. Young is a Professor of Social Work at California State University San Marcos and a founding member of the Social Work Futures Lab. His work explores how futures thinking, foresight practice, and emerging technologies can shape the future of social work education, practice, and policy.
He serves on the CSWE Futures Task Force and as National Impact Fellow for CSUSM’s chapter of Rep4, advancing innovation through rapid educational prototyping. Dr. Young’s research examines digital and new media literacies, virtual and augmented reality in learning, and the ethical use of technology in the human services. He has presented at numerous national and international conferences.
As a speaker, consultant, and educator, he helps universities, nonprofits, and social work programs integrate strategic foresight tools to anticipate change, design future-ready curricula, and strengthen organizational adaptability.
Recent projects include a keynote address at the April 2025, Social Work Distance Education Virtual Conference—“Riding the Waves of Change: Future-Focused Social Work Distance Education”—and publications on foresight-based pedagogy, digital literacies, and innovation in social work education.
Selected Projects
Selected Publications
Jamul Indian Village of California | January 2025 - Present
Program Evaluator for the Missing Murdered and Indigenous People (MMIP) Grant Program
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Pioneering Ideas & The Social Work Futures Lab | 2023 - 2024
Co-Director of the Shaping Social Work Futures Forum
The Social Work Futures Lab | May 2022 - Present
Founding Partner & Executive Board Member
California State University San Marcos College of Education, Health & Human Services | 2022 - 2023
Co-Investigator for the CSUSM Immersive Healthcare Training Labs: Empowering the Next Generation
Virginia Repertory Theatre | Families Forward Virginia | June 2009 – June 2024
Co-Director | Evaluation of the Hugs & Kisses Child Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention Play
Young, J. A., Goldkind, L., Parga, J., Singer, J. B., & Bricout, J. (In Press). The Future of Technology in the Social Work Profession. In A. D. Colvin & M. S. Jackson (Eds.), Social Work and Technology: A practical guide for using technology in social work practice. [Invited and Peer Reviewed]
Littman, D. M., Bell, F., Al Wazni, A., Speck Glennon, A., Young, J., Goldkind, L., Prussia, L., & Nissen, L.(2025). Pedagogies of possibility: Case studies from using foresight tools in the social work classroom. Social Work Education: The International Journal, 44(4), 930-947. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2024.2368171
Young, J. A., & Mann-Williams, A. (2023). Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Live Musical Theater-Based Approach to Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in Elementary Schools. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 32(7), 860-878. http://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2023.2273311
Young, J. A., & Glennon, A. (2021). Social media in social work: Research, education, and practice. In D. A. González, A. A. Astray, & A. A. Puelles (Eds.), Social work in digital societies (pp. 95-113). McGraw-Hill.
Young, J. A. (2020). Social media and digital literacies for nonprofit educators and professionals. In K. C. Bezboruah & H. Carpenter (Eds.), Teaching nonprofit management (pp. 237-253). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788118675.00021
Young, J. A. (2017). Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs: The adoption and utilization of social media in nonprofit human service organizations. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership, & Governance, 41(1), 44-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2016.1192574
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