<div>The purpose of this research was to develop and validate an instrument designed to assess programming of youth development organizations. The instrument can be used by leaders of youth development organizations to monitor the organization’s performance in developing productive and engaged citizens. This research viewed youth development organizations as a microsystem that youth interact with (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). A complete review of the literature on youth development organizations was conducted to determine the components of positive youth development organizations. The resulting conceptual framework consisted of project, skills and knowledge, community contribution, high-density experiences, environment, non-parental adult, and near-peer role models.</div><div><br></div><div>An item pool was developed based on the literature available on youth development organization programming. This item pool was reviewed by experts in youth development organization programming and inclusion. Then the items were entered into two tools to assess grammar and concise language. Third, the items were administered to a small sample then analyzed for correlations and contributions to reliability. Items were eliminated if they correlated too highly with other items and if they did not contribute to the reliability of the scale. Fourth, the items were administered to a broader sample and correlations and reliability measures were analyzed again with more items removed. Finally, the items were administered to another sample and analyzed for multicollinearity and reliability. The final sample took the survey a second time and responses were compared based on paired t-tests to establish test-retest reliability.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The 15-item instrument exhibits appropriate measures of validity and reliability to recommend its usage by youth development organization leaders to evaluation programming. The instrument is parsimonious so leaders can add program-specific questions while avoiding participant fatigue. A complete version of the instrument is available in the appendices.</div>

Les activités parascolaires sont de plus en plus reconnues comme un contexte favorisant le développement positif des jeunes, et ce, particulièrement pour les jeunes en milieu défavorisé. Toutefois, l’efficacité de ces interventions varie selon les programmes, leur contexte d’implantation, ainsi que les caractéristiques et l’engagement des jeunes. La présente étude se situe dans l’évaluation du programme La classe enchantée (CE), un programme d’activités parascolaires musicales offert depuis 2017 aux élèves de 4e année d’une école primaire montréalaise pluriethnique en milieu défavorisé. La CE vise spécifiquement à influencer positivement l’épanouissement des jeunes par l’apprentissage collectif de la musique ainsi que par un accès démocratique à ce programme. De façon à mieux comprendre le fonctionnement et les conditions optimales d’implantation de cette initiative novatrice, la présente étude a comme objectif général d’évaluer la mise en œuvre du programme. De façon plus précise, le premier objectif est de décrire le programme et d’identifier les obstacles et facilitateurs en lien avec son implantation. Le deuxième objectif vise ensuite à relever les composantes essentielles de la mise en œuvre favorisant l’engagement des jeunes, et plus largement, leur développement positif. Les données ont été recueillies sur un peu plus de deux ans auprès de quatre groupes d’acteurs, soit les participants, leurs parents, les enseignants de musique ainsi que l’équipe de direction du programme, et ce, principalement à partir d’entrevues. Dans une visée formative, les analyses descriptives et thématiques ont permis de dresser un portrait détaillé de la mise en œuvre de la CE et de ses facteurs d’influence à partir de la structure d’ensemble du modèle psychoéducatif. Parmi ceux-ci, l’instabilité du financement est ressortie comme étant un obstacle constant avec lequel la direction doit composer. Les résultats mettent également en valeur l’importance des enseignants, de la relation qu’ils créent avec les jeunes, mais également de leur expérience avec la clientèle qui est déterminante pour l’instauration d’un climat propice aux apprentissages. Enfin, certaines aptitudes de la direction ainsi que l’ajout d’une coordination à l’interne ressortent comme étant particulièrement importants au sein du programme pour que les acteurs de sa mise en œuvre s’ajustent efficacement aux obstacles rencontrés et répondent aux besoins des jeunes. L’étude dégage également des réflexions quant à l’utilisation de la structure d’ensemble du modèle psychoéducatif comme outil d’évaluation de la mise en œuvre. / Extracurricular activities are increasingly recognized as a context that promotes youth positive development, especially for those living in disadvantaged areas. However, the effectiveness of these interventions varies from one program to another, based on their implementation context, and according to youth characteristics and commitment. This study is part of the evaluation of the La classe enchantée (EC), an extracurricular music program offered since 2017 to 4th graders attending a multi-ethnic Montreal school located in a disadvantaged area. The EC specifically aims to positively influence youth development through collective music learning as well as through a democratic access to the program. In order to better understand the functioning and optimal conditions for implementing this innovative initiative, the present study aimed as a general objective to evaluate the implementation of the program. More specifically, our objectives were to describe the program and identify the obstacles and facilitators related to its implementation, as to identify the essential implementation components promoting youth engagement and positive development. Data were collected over two years among four groups of actors, namely the participants, their parents, the music teachers, and the program management team. Data were mainly collected from interviews. We relied on the psychoeducational model to draw a detailed portrait of the implementation of EC using descriptive and thematic analysis. Among the main factors associated with the program implementation, funding instability has emerged as a constant barrier for the management team. Our results also highlight the importance of the teachers and the relationship they create with their students, but also their experience with the clientele, which was decisive for the creation of an efficient learning climate. Finally, the management team skills as well as the addition of internal coordination stand out as being particularly important to allow program promoter to effectively adjust to obstacles and better meet student needs. The study also highlights important insight regarding the relevance of the psychoeducation model as an implementation tool as well as broader recommendations on the implementation of extracurricular activity programs.

Despite known risk factors associated with families headed by single mothers such as delinquency, substance abuse, and early unprotected sex, researchers have rarely focused on how family relations positively shape the developmental trajectories of youth living in nontraditional families. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between the independent variables of ethnicity, parent-child relationship, and family interaction (including the relationship with important non-parental adults) and the dependent variables of developmental outcomes (social and emotional competence) for youth living in families headed by single mothers. The associations were investigated using data collected from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, a longitudinal cohort study. The relationships between variables were analyzed using a descriptive statistics method. The results of the study indicated no race-related differences in a child's closeness to mother in single-mother families. A significant positive correlation showed a difference in closeness to family members across ethnic groups, by age. Multiple regression analysis was employed to determine if there were statistically significant differences between closeness to the mother or family members, and the outcomes. The findings indicated that closeness to family was positively correlated to emotional outcomes for youth, and a significant positive correlation was found between family interaction and social outcomes. These results may have implications for positive social change by providing public health practitioners with strategies to support positive youth development, altering the future of youth, families, and society which will ultimately benefit from a stronger population of emotionally and socially competent young adults.

La période de l’adolescence entraîne d’importants changements au niveau de l’univers social et des relations interpersonnelles des jeunes. La présente recherche s’intéresse au point de vue des adolescents face aux adultes significatifs présents dans leur réseau social. Les objectifs de l’étude visent à mieux comprendre l’influence de ces derniers sur la vie des adolescents au secondaire. Le présent mémoire est une recherche qualitative exploratoire dans laquelle la voix des adolescents a été mise de l’avant. Un entretien de groupe focalisé et des entretiens individuels ont été réalisés auprès de dix adolescents. Les entrevues ont permis d’avoir une discussion ouverte avec les participants sur différents thèmes en lien avec les adultes significatifs présents dans leur vie. Cette recherche démontre que les relations avec un adulte significatif influencent positivement la vie des adolescents au secondaire. L’analyse des résultats a permis d’identifier les rôles joués par les adultes significatifs, ainsi que les caractéristiques de ces derniers. L’examen des données recueillies a contribué à la compréhension de la place des membres du personnel en milieu scolaire dans la vie des adolescents au Québec. En somme, la discussion met en lumière le désir des adolescents d’être entourés d’adultes bienveillants, qui les respectent et qui croient en eux. Ils souhaitent pouvoir apprendre et s’épanouir à leurs côtés. Ce mémoire entend contribuer à une meilleure compréhension des relations entre un adolescent et un adulte significatif et à l’amélioration des pratiques en intervention auprès de cette clientèle et de son entourage. / The period of adolescence brings about important changes within the social universe and interpersonal relationships of young people. Taken from the teenagers' point of view, this study looks at the significant adults present in their social network. The objectives of the study are to better understand the influence of the latter in the lives of high schoolers. This memoir is an exploratory qualitative research study in which the voice of teens was brought forward. A focus group interview along with individual interviews were conducted with ten adolescents. The interviews allowed for an open discussion with the participants on various themes related to the significant adults in their lives. This research demonstrates that relationships with a significant adult positively influence the lives of adolescents in high school. The analysis of the results made it possible to identify not only the characteristics but also the roles played by the significant adults. Examination of the data collected contributed to an understanding of the place occupied by school personnel in the lives of adolescents in Quebec. In sum, the discussion highlights young people's desire to be surrounded by caring adults who respect and believe in them. They want to be able to learn and grow alongside these individuals. This memoir aims to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between a young person and a significant adult and to the improvement of intervention practices with this clientele and their entourage.

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No description available.

Adolescence is a critical stage of human development, one that can be especially challenging for teens that are navigating certain vulnerabilities in their identity formation. With the World Health Organization stating that 14% of 10–19 year-olds experience mental health conditions, educational environments are increasingly needed to address mental concerns in their curriculums. This qualitative research project used a combination of art based inquiry and narrative analysis to answer the following question, “How can educational environments promote resilience and positive youth development during adolescent identity exploration?” Findings illuminated several emergent themes that culminated in the following four recommendations for educational environments; 1) Integrate opportunities for creative self-expression in general education spaces, 2) Professional development for educators to integrate Social Emotional Learning (SEL), 3) Create opportunities for social interactions between students and educators, 4) Create and support opportunities for social interactions between students, and 5) Ensure educational spaces include mental health support for students.

The South African context, in particular, is characterized by a definite need for the facilitation of the development of the youth in a more positive trajectory. Family structures are not always robust enough to support the positive development of the youth, owing to the demands made on single–parent families, amongst other reasons. Community structures may also be less supportive of the development of the youth, because of the impact of the changes associated with the transitional phase of the country during the past sixteen years (Meehan, Peirson & Fridjhon, 2007). Furthermore, young people under the age of 15 years comprise almost a third of the total South African population (Statistics South Africa, 2009), and in the future, they will have to be prepared for an adulthood faced with previously unknown challenges (United Nations Population Fund). The importance of the development of the youth, in order to enable them to contribute to their country in future, is acknowledged by the South African Governement (National Youth Commission website). This study was conducted within the parameters of the newly developing positive youth development (PYD) paradigm. The empirical level of this paradigm is well represented in the literature, indicating that the content areas, or the “what” of PYD, have been well elucidated. However, there is a lack of theory, especially with regard to models describing developmental change (Larson et al., 2004), and evaluation of interventions aiming at the facilitation of PYD. In order to contribute to the answering of the questions regarding the “how” of development, this study had the following main aims: a) the compilation of a theoretical model, describing developmental change in the youth; b) the operationalization of this model for intervention purposes; and c) the evaluation of a programme and the model on which it is based. The study is reported on in an article format, and comprises a total of three articles. The first article focuses on the process of the compilation of a theoretical model by means of: a) the construction of a comprehensive meta–theoretical matrix, b) the integration of theory that features in the PYD literature, and c) the expansion of the latter with theory from other compatible sub–disciplines in psychology. The resultant Positive Youth Development Intervention (PYDI) model provides a process–related description of developmental change ? and is one of the first models to do so. The second article describes the operationalization of the PYDI model, by means of an indication of the relevant constructs, phenomena and processes to be facilitated. Although recent research points to a relation between PYD and self–regulation, there has been no model, describing the role of self–regulation in the facilitation of the positive development of the youth. This study adapted a model from an educational context (Heckhausen & Gollwitzer, 1987 (as cited in Boekaerts & Niemivirta, 2005)), in order to describe the regular self–regulatory processes constituting the bi–directional interactions between the youth and their primary life contexts, as proposed by developmental systems theory (Lerner, 1998), the meta–theory to PYD (King et al., 2005). A further specifc contribution is that the presentation aspects of the programme material, aimed at facilitating the integration thereof, are addressed on a theoretical level. The third article describes the evaluation of the PYDI model and programme, with young adolescents in a school in a rural area as participants. A mixed–methods study, which has been shown to render much richer information than a quantitative study alone, was applied. Although the quantitative data did not prove the success of the programme, the qualitative data suggested that some aspects of self–regulation had indeed been facilitated successfully. A second follow–up assessment, conducted seventeen months later, indicated that certain skills had only become internalized by that time, suggesting that the implementation and evaluation of such a programme should be expanded over an extended time–frame. This study has contributed to the level of theory of PYD, by indicating, a) the lacunae, and b) that theory in compatible sub–disciplinary paradigms could be used in order to devise workable models for PYD. Furthermore, the process–related nature of the PYDI model and programme, owing to its adaptability to different needs, may be adapted and extended to be applicable to the needs of the diverse South African population. Recommendations regarding future application and research, especially within the South African context, have also been put forward in the study. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The South African context, in particular, is characterized by a definite need for the facilitation of the development of the youth in a more positive trajectory. Family structures are not always robust enough to support the positive development of the youth, owing to the demands made on single–parent families, amongst other reasons. Community structures may also be less supportive of the development of the youth, because of the impact of the changes associated with the transitional phase of the country during the past sixteen years (Meehan, Peirson & Fridjhon, 2007). Furthermore, young people under the age of 15 years comprise almost a third of the total South African population (Statistics South Africa, 2009), and in the future, they will have to be prepared for an adulthood faced with previously unknown challenges (United Nations Population Fund). The importance of the development of the youth, in order to enable them to contribute to their country in future, is acknowledged by the South African Governement (National Youth Commission website). This study was conducted within the parameters of the newly developing positive youth development (PYD) paradigm. The empirical level of this paradigm is well represented in the literature, indicating that the content areas, or the “what” of PYD, have been well elucidated. However, there is a lack of theory, especially with regard to models describing developmental change (Larson et al., 2004), and evaluation of interventions aiming at the facilitation of PYD. In order to contribute to the answering of the questions regarding the “how” of development, this study had the following main aims: a) the compilation of a theoretical model, describing developmental change in the youth; b) the operationalization of this model for intervention purposes; and c) the evaluation of a programme and the model on which it is based. The study is reported on in an article format, and comprises a total of three articles. The first article focuses on the process of the compilation of a theoretical model by means of: a) the construction of a comprehensive meta–theoretical matrix, b) the integration of theory that features in the PYD literature, and c) the expansion of the latter with theory from other compatible sub–disciplines in psychology. The resultant Positive Youth Development Intervention (PYDI) model provides a process–related description of developmental change ? and is one of the first models to do so. The second article describes the operationalization of the PYDI model, by means of an indication of the relevant constructs, phenomena and processes to be facilitated. Although recent research points to a relation between PYD and self–regulation, there has been no model, describing the role of self–regulation in the facilitation of the positive development of the youth. This study adapted a model from an educational context (Heckhausen & Gollwitzer, 1987 (as cited in Boekaerts & Niemivirta, 2005)), in order to describe the regular self–regulatory processes constituting the bi–directional interactions between the youth and their primary life contexts, as proposed by developmental systems theory (Lerner, 1998), the meta–theory to PYD (King et al., 2005). A further specifc contribution is that the presentation aspects of the programme material, aimed at facilitating the integration thereof, are addressed on a theoretical level. The third article describes the evaluation of the PYDI model and programme, with young adolescents in a school in a rural area as participants. A mixed–methods study, which has been shown to render much richer information than a quantitative study alone, was applied. Although the quantitative data did not prove the success of the programme, the qualitative data suggested that some aspects of self–regulation had indeed been facilitated successfully. A second follow–up assessment, conducted seventeen months later, indicated that certain skills had only become internalized by that time, suggesting that the implementation and evaluation of such a programme should be expanded over an extended time–frame. This study has contributed to the level of theory of PYD, by indicating, a) the lacunae, and b) that theory in compatible sub–disciplinary paradigms could be used in order to devise workable models for PYD. Furthermore, the process–related nature of the PYDI model and programme, owing to its adaptability to different needs, may be adapted and extended to be applicable to the needs of the diverse South African population. Recommendations regarding future application and research, especially within the South African context, have also been put forward in the study. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], ix, 137 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-113).