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A key issue for youth development programs is whether the learning they provide is transferred to participants' daily lives. It is also important that they are effective for the diverse range of participants they attract. This study used a randomized controlled trial design to measure the impact of Project K, a New Zealand-based youth development program, on academic and social self-efficacy. Project K combines a 3-week wilderness adventure, a 10 day community service component, and 1 year of mentoring to promote positive growth in 14-15 year olds with low self-efficacy. At baseline, the evaluation included 600 Project K (46 % female) and 577 Control participants (48 % female) and revealed that Project K was effective in improving both social and academic self-efficacy from pre- to post-program with effects being sustained 1 year later. Parents' perceptions of changes in the participants' interpersonal skills supported these findings. Differential program effects were found across participant subgroups, particularly 1 year after program completion. The implications of these differences are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth development programs can achieve positive social outcomes, however studies comparing the influence of different program components are rare. Structural equation modeling of longitudinal, multilevel data ( N = 327) from Project K, a multi-component youth development program, assessed how experiences of engagement or support in each component affected social outcomes. Participants reported significant gains in social self-efficacy and sense of community after the program. Engagement in the outdoor adventure and support during the mentoring partnership components significantly contributed to observed social gains, while engagement in the community service component did not. Results confirm youth development programs can positively influence adolescent social development, while highlighting the importance of moving beyond 'black box' investigations in order to maximize program impact and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After-school programs are prevalent across the world, but there is a paucity of research that examines quality within the 'black box' of programs at the point of service. Grounded in current theory, this research examined hypothesized pathways between the experience of youth-adult partnership (youth voice in decision-making; supportive adult relationships), the mediators of program safety and engagement, and the developmental outcomes of youth empowerment (leadership competence, policy control) and community connectedness (community connections, school attachment). Surveys were administered to 207 ethnically diverse (47.3 % female; 63.3 % Malay) youth, age 15-16, attending after-school co-curricular programs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Results showed that youth voice in program decision-making predicted both indicators of youth empowerment. Neither youth voice nor supportive adult relationships was directly associated with community connectedness, however. Program engagement mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and empowerment. In contrast, program safety mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and community connectedness. The findings indicate that the two core components of youth-adult partnership-youth voice and supportive adult relationships-may operate through different, yet complementary, pathways of program quality to predict developmental outcomes. Implications for future research are highlighted. For reasons of youth development and youth rights, the immediate challenge is to create opportunities for youth to speak on issues of program concern and to elevate those adults who are able and willing to help youth exercise their voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of positive youth development programs, “empowerment” is used interchangeably with youth activism, leadership, civic participation and self-efficacy. However, few studies have captured what empowerment means to young people in diverse contexts. This article explores how youth define and experience empowerment in youth-led organizations characterized by social justice goals: high school Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs). Through focus group interviews, fifteen youth leaders of GSAs from different regions of California explain what they think empowerment means and how they became empowered through their involvement with the GSA. Youth describe three inter-related dimensions of empowerment: personal empowerment, relational empowerment, and strategic empowerment through having and using knowledge. When these three dimensions are experienced in combination, GSA leaders have the potential for individual and collective empowerment as agents of social change at school. By understanding these youth’s perspectives on the meanings of empowerment, this article clarifies the conceptual arena for future studies of socially marginalized youth and of positive youth development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study, using data from 374 African American students (59.4% female) in grades 7–12 attending a rural, southern county public school, addressed associations of self-efficacy, ethnic identity and parental support with “future education orientation.” Both gender and current level of achievement distinguished adolescents with differing levels of future education orientation. The strongest predictors of future education orientation were self-efficacy, ethnic identity and maternal support. Gender did not moderate these associations. Implications for future research include the need to conduct longitudinal studies and research that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to elucidate further the nature and importance of future education orientation for African American youth. Also needed are policies and programs that facilitate school bonding and academic performance, as are efforts that focus specifically on enhancing the future education orientation and academic success of African American male adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a school-based universal preventive stress management training program for early and middle adolescents in comparison with a no-treatment control group. The study examined the intervention effects of age (early versus middle adolescents) and gender on perceived stress, interpersonal coping, and self-efficacy prior, immediately after as well as 3 months after the intervention. Three hundred and twenty adolescents (ages 10–14 years) participated in the study. Whereas both experimental conditions did not differ substantially in baseline scores, the experimental group scored higher on perceived self-efficacy compared to the control group at the follow-up assessment. Additionally, the experimental group showed less perceived stress and more adaptive coping at the post and follow-up assessment. Age-dependent intervention effects suggested that early adolescents primarily benefited from the treatment. Although the effects must be replicated using a randomized design, the current findings reveal that the program does strengthen important protective factors for the psychosocial development of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]