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Thesis advisor: Jacqueline V. Lerner / In the United States, young people have the power to change the country, and they are exercising this power every day in many different ways (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, 2021). Beyond the contributions that youth civic engagement makes to societal well-being (Flanagan & Levine, 2010), it also contributes to young people’s own positive development (Lerner et al., 2015). Given these societal and individual benefits, it is important to investigate the correlates of youth civic engagement. Guided by positive youth development perspectives, my three independent but related dissertation studies examine the contextual correlates of civic engagement among young people. Study One investigates how different family characteristics and school characteristics separately and interactively predict adolescent civic engagement. Study Two examines thriving as a potential underlying process through which engagement in youth development programs promotes adolescent civic engagement. Study Three focuses on social media as a platform for civic actions, including those aiming to redress inequalities (i.e., critical actions), among White, cisgendered and heterosexual American young adults. Together, results from the three studies suggest the important role of growing up in ‘civic contexts’ in the development and sustainment of civic engagement among young people. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Social capital, or access to resources through relationships with other people, can facilitate the socioeconomic mobility of youth living in low-income communities. This study examined whether parent-child relationship quality and participation in a youth development program (YDP) were associated with gains in hope for the future, and whether those associations were mediated by parent social capital (i.e., access to resources through relationships with parents) and non-parent social capital (i.e., access to resources through relationships with people other than parents). The sample included 216 participants of one YDP program, Cool Girls, Inc., and 92 comparisons. Path analyses indicated that program participation for over one year predicted gains in non-parent social capital, and increases in both parent and non-parent social capital predicted increases in hope for the future. There was also evidence that first-year program participation was associated with gains in hope for the future. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Programs that include skills to help girls successfully navigate the difficulties of preadolescence have been shown to be beneficial. One such youth development program in the southeastern part of the United States began in 2014 but has had no formal evaluation completed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct a utilization-focused process evaluation, asking questions that addressed the perceptions of a school leader (n = 1) and volunteers of the program (n = 8). Their input was solicited concerning successful implementation strategies used, and recommendations for adaptations, recruitment, and volunteer training. Semistructured interviews were conducted using predetermined open-ended, questions. Open coding was used to discover the most common themes. After analyzing the data using VERBI's Software, MAXQDA, the identified themes were (a) successful elements of the program, (b) elements of the program that were not working, (c) suggestions for adaptations to improve the outcomes for participants, and (d) essential points to consider when recruiting new volunteers. Study participants reported that many of the girls participating in the program made positive changes in their behavior, exhibited improved self-esteem, and expanded their support system. Key findings will be discussed with the program administrators to assist them in recruiting and training new volunteers and to suggest administrative adjustments. Positive social change will be facilitated by offering ideas to the administrators that may result in expansion of the program, allowing more girls in the community to participate and experience positive results.

Unaccompanied immigrant youth (UIY) face obstacles that can hinder their education in their host countries. Given that educational attainment can help interrupt intergenerational cycles of poverty, the examination of support systems for UIY is critical. This study examined the role of sports-based youth development (SBYD) programs in supporting UIY students using a utilization-focused evaluation. To do this, two groups’ high school graduation rates were compared: (a) UIY participating in an SBYD program and (b) UIY not participating in a SYBD program. In addition to this quantitative analysis, UIY were surveyed and interviewed to contextualize the results of the graduation rate comparison. The graduation rate analysis demonstrated that students who take part in an SBYD program were more likely to graduate than those who did not. The participants reported that their SBYD program connected them to other people and motivated them to continue their education. In short, this study provides evidence that SBYD programs can promote social inclusion and educational attainment for UIY. Keywords: Unaccompanied immigrant youth, sports-based youth development program, utilization-focused evaluation, graduation rate

<p dir="ltr">Higher education is vital for fostering new knowledge and applying existing knowledge for societal and economic advancement. Despite the private and public benefits, college enrollment rates are declining in the United States. Colleges and universities also face a significant demographic cliff in the next decade. Identifying new students for higher education in the United States will be essential for the vitality of higher education institutions and for meeting societal educational needs. Youth-serving organizations often introduce youths to pre-collegiate experiences to advance interest in higher education through a positive youth development framework. Youth-serving organizations must demonstrate impact during a tumultuous time for adolescents. They may rely on short-term impacts to justify resource investment, but youth-serving organizations struggle to capture long-term outcomes due to methodological challenges. Secondary data sources like the National Student Clearinghouse can provide youth-serving organizations an opportunity to examine long-term programmatic outcomes such as college readiness. This study provides the most comprehensive examination of Indiana 4-H and its contribution to college readiness to date. Major findings include that Indiana 4-H high school graduates enroll in postsecondary institutions at a higher rate than the state population across all observed demographics. Recommendations highlight future research and practice needs at national, organizational, and individual levels.</p>