Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-60).

Every year, the US Conference of Mayors presents awards to mayors and their administrations for programs that enhance the quality of life in urban areas. In 2009, the City of Charleston won and was named America’s “Most Livable” City. The program that won them the honor was the Palmetto Artisan Program, an entrepreneurial skill program helping youth artisans become licensed business vendors. This report seeks to understand the potential for arts-based youth programs, like the Palmetto Artisan Program, to impact local economic development and enhance quality of life. I explore this issue through a literature review of workforce development, arts-related economic development, an analysis of five programs across the country, and an in-depth analysis of the Palmetto Artisan Program in Charleston, SC. The report concludes with recommendations and insights for cities and regions wishing to implement similar programs that benefit young people and their communities. / text

This study draws upon a wide range of research to examine underachievement in UK schools. With underachievement continuing to be present within the UK’s educational system, it is essential that a remedy is found. The notion that physical activity is linked to an increase in academic performance is not a new concept; however researchers are still trying to determine the scope of such a claim. There is a widespread belief that sport can be used as a vehicle to promote positive youth development. In particular, using sport to teach adolescents various life skills has become popular over the previous decade. However, little research has looked at the transfer of life skills into other academic and life domains. Therefore the overarching purpose of this study was to determine if an after-school, sports based life skills programme had any impact on male underachievement within the UK education system. The Transfer-Ability Programme (TAP) was a multi-faceted intervention, which sought to teach twenty underachieving, male students life skills through sport. The results have been presented in three phases with Phase 1 determining the impact of TAP on academic performance in Science, Phase 2 examined the perceptions of the twelve-thirteen year old participants on whether they transferred life skills from the sports hall into the classroom during TAP, and Phase 3 explored the enablers and barriers that facilitated or prevented life transfer. Statistical results indicate that the intervention groups’ academic grades significantly improved during the intervention to a level above teaching prediction. This suggests that teaching life skills through sport may reduce male underachievement. T-tests show that the participants in the intervention group perceived their learning of life skills to significantly increase pre-post TAP. Interview data also supports the notion that the intervention group participants perceived to have learnt the life skills and then transferred them into other academic domains. Phase 3 highlighted five themes that enable or prevent life skill transfer; Support from peers, Pride, Opportunities, Rewards and Transfer experience. These themes are collectively referred to as the SPORT model. The results show that young adolescent males can learn and transfer life skills if deliberately taught to do so. Finally, the findings are discussed with reference to how teachers and physical educators may teach life skills within their lessons, and how life skill transfer may be supported.

Physical activity programs are contexts that have the potential to foster adolescents’ development, yet researchers assert that the environment must be deliberately designed for this to occur (Danish et al., 2004). The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (GJWHF) program was developed for this purpose and was implemented over the course of one year at a local Boys and Girls Club. The objective of this research project was to evaluate the GJWHF program as there is a dearth of evaluations of community-based programs (Salmon et al., 2007). Results identified successes, challenges, and practical recommendations for community programmers. Further, results found that GJWHF adhered to Petitpas et al.’s (2005) framework for planning youth sport programs that foster psychosocial development. Specifically, GJWHF was successful in providing a positive and supportive female-only environment for female youth that utilized positive leader support to foster the development of friendships and identity formation, and facilitate the development of a variety of life skills, including leadership and teamwork.

The purpose of this doctoral thesis was to develop, implement and evaluate the PULSE program, a community-based physical activity and life skills program for at-risk youth. The thesis is composed of four articles. The first paper describes the rationale and development of the PULSE program which was designed to help youth develop the skills to self-regulate and successfully perform physical activity. The second article presents a process evaluation of the PULSE program. This article examines how the youth progressed through the program with regards to the five levels of the Teaching and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model, one of the frameworks on which the PULSE program is based. A second purpose of this study was to understand the youths’ perceptions of the impact of the program on these five levels. The results indicated that the program led to slight increases in the five levels of the TPSR model and the youth reported transferring the skills they learned related to the levels in their lives outside of the program. The third paper represents an outcome evaluation of the PULSE program. Results showed that youth who participated in PULSE increased their fitness, physical activity levels as well as a number of positive youth development outcomes. Finally, the fourth paper examined how the PULSE program helps support the tenets of Basic Needs Theory. The results indicated that the program successfully nurtured the three basic needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. The overall findings suggest that the PULSE program is a practical, evidence-informed program that may help youth understand and apply life skills to be physically active as they approach adulthood, and also more generally in their lives. The current findings show promise for both Physical Activity (PA) and Positive Youth Development (PYD) outcomes but further research is needed to make causal links.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-107).

Thesis (MS)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2008. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carl Igo. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-66).

Thesis (PH. D.)--Michigan State University. Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Sept. 2, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 192-195). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-60).

The historical case study was designed to examine how the Play It Smart program, a Sports-Based Youth Development Program, was adopted and sustained by local stakeholders in an urban high school setting after the initial seed funding was cut. Current and past key stakeholders were invited to participate and school leaders (n = 2), community leaders (n = 2), the original Academic Coach (n = 1) and current Academic Coaches (two of which are past program participants) (n = 3) agreed to be interviewed for this investigation. The intent of the interviews was to uncover the key factors that are present that allow the Play It Smart program to sustain itself from year to year as well as how the program has become entrenched into the school culture and the role it plays in the academic and athletic objectives/philosophies of the school. Responses revealed a number of major themes related to the adoption and ongoing commitment to sustain the program for the last 16 years. These themes included an initial pledge from the stakeholders to restore the academic and athletic reputation at the school, the recognition of the relationship with the original Academic Coach and the positive results that were repeatedly promoted, the recruitment and buy-in from a collection of traditional and non-traditional allies including the students and, ultimately, a shift in culture that seems to stem from a dynamic group of past participants that provides hope. The themes related to sustainability seem to further validate the theoretical framework that was so critical for the establishment of the Play It Smart programs in that: the context, football (sport) and academic performance, is also valued by stakeholders; the primary external asset, the caring adult mentor or Academic Coach, was able to attract and involve other assets to support the participants; the internal assets, life skills, were developed and refined while participating in community service activities which serve as the regular highlights shared with stakeholders throughout the school year; and the evaluation was designed to promote progress and to allow for adjustments.