The goal of this research was to explore the experiences of the youth in Kentane with respect to the role that a entrepreneurship plays in alleviation poverty, with the intention to enhance recommendations to the local municipality, the private sector and governmental departments. The study focused on entrepreneurship as one of the strategies that is deemed capable of reducing poverty and increasing economic growth. A qualitative research approach was used to explore the experiences of the entrepreneurial youth, where permission was attained from the youth prior to the commencement of the study. Purposive sampling was utilised to recruit participants and data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis was carried out using steps outlined in Creswell (2003). Five main themes were identified during data analysis where the main finding was that there was a lack of knowledge and resources to broaden the scope of youth based businesses in the area. Another major finding from this study was the introduction and imposition of haphazard short-term projects aimed at alleviating poverty that often failed as they did not address the needs specific to the community. Youth of Kentane are dedicated as entrepreneurs; however, they need the collaboration of interested parties and stakeholders to realise their respective potentials. Developmental and training programmes are crucial to assist the entrepreneurial youth of Kentane.

The purpose of this study was to examine the County of San Bernardino's Independent Living Program's (ILP's) efforts to prepare ILP participants for self-sufficiency. These efforts were evaluated from the perspective of foster youth who are currently participating in an Indepent Living Program. The study utilized quantitative and qualitative research methods to assess the ILP participants' preparedness for independence.

Using a youth-led participatory action inquiry and photovoice methodology, this study investigated the self-perceptions of Black girls in a suburban area of Northern California. The objective of the project was to explore the perspectives and lives of Black girls. It is through gained insight from their lived experiences that we can come to understand their needs and develop approaches to advance their own holistic empowerment. By gathering self-perceptions of Black girls using photovoice, the project aimed to inform youth workers, educators, and youth-serving organizations such as Magic Black Girls Leadership Institute (MBG) on how to meet the needs and cultivate developmental assets among Black girls. Magic Black Girls was conceived to empower young, Black women to create their own space to grow, become personally aware of their own worth, and stand in their own power. The findings of this study indicate a need for positive counterspaces in which Black girls can generate a counter narrative, gain cultural awareness, experience a sense of community, experience joy, and build skills of activist leadership. The developmental tasks of adolescence for Black young people are complicated by the added context of oppression and racial discrimination which makes it essential to recognize and take action to create supportive environment that nurtures the positive development of Black girls. Further, the findings of this study contended that the use of innovative, holistic youth empowerment strategies are essential in the formation of spaces dedicated to encouraging, enlightening and empowering of young Black girls.

The present study examined attachment disorganization and executive function as predictors of adolescent risky behavior. Additionally, the present study examined how attachment disorganization and executive function may differentially predict adolescent risky behavior for males and females. Measures of executive function, mother-infant attachment, adolescent risky behavior, family income, and gender were obtained from adolescent participants of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD-SECCYD). Data was analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM). Executive function, attachment, and risky behavior were unrelated in the study sample. Income was a significant predictor of attachment for females, but not males. Income was an equal and significant predictor of executive function for both males and females. Income was also a significant predictor of risky behavior for males and females, though a stronger predictor for females. Limitations and ideas for future research were discussed.

Le présent projet avait comme objectif d’évaluer, chez des adolescents participant à une équipe sportive, si l’accompagnement d’un entraîneur humaniste formé par l’organisme Pour 3 Points (P3P) était associé à des niveaux d’anxiété sociale et généralisée inférieurs comparativement à l’accompagnement par un entraîneur n’ayant pas été formé par cet organisme. À partir des études faites au Québec sur l’organisme de P3P, il était attendu que les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur humaniste auraient moins de symptômes d’anxiété sociale et/ou d’anxiété généralisée que les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur « régulier ». Cette hypothèse a été testée auprès d’un échantillon (n = 144) constitué d’adolescents entre 12 et 17 ans (m = 14,404, ÉT = 1,611) issus de 15 équipes sportives provenant de milieux scolaires et communautaires de la grande région de Montréal. Ces adolescents étaient répartis en deux groupes, soit les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur formé par P3P (n = 44) et les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur régulier (n = 100). Des variables de contrôle, telles que le sexe, l’âge et l’indice de milieu socioéconomique ont été ajoutés aux analyses ANCOVA. Les résultats obtenus ne démontrent aucune différence significative entre le groupe P3P et le groupe non-P3P. Bien que l’hypothèse de recherche n’ait pas été confirmée, il demeure pertinent d’étudier le rôle des entraîneurs sportifs relativement aux symptômes anxieux des adolescents athlètes qu’ils accompagnent. Aucune étude ne s’était penchée sur l’impact potentiel associé au fait d’être encadré par un entraîneur humaniste sur les comportements intériorisés des adolescents. Ainsi, cette étude permet d’ouvrir le sujet pour de futures recherches. / The objective of this project was to evaluate, in adolescents participating in a sports team, whether the accompaniment of a humanist trainer trained by the organization Pour 3 Points (P3P) was associated with lower levels of social and generalized anxiety in adolescents participating in a sports team compared to coaching by a coach whom P3P has not trained. Based on studies done in Quebec on the P3P organization on the subject, we expected that adolescents supervised by a humanist coach would have fewer symptoms of social anxiety and/or generalized anxiety than adolescents accompanied by a "regular" trainer. This hypothesis was tested with a sample (n = 144) of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old (M = 14.404, SD = 1.611) from 15 sports teams from school and community settings in greater Montreal. These adolescents were divided into two groups, adolescents supervised by a coach trained by P3P (n = 44) and adolescents supervised by a regular coach (n = 100). We conducted ANCOVA analyses that accounted for control variables, such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status. The results showed no significant difference between the intervention and comparison groups. Although the research hypothesis has not been confirmed, it remains relevant to study the role of sports coaches concerning athlete-adolescents' anxiety symptoms. No study had looked at the potential impact of being accompanied by a humanistic coach on the internalized behaviors of youth. Thus, this study opens up the subject for future research.

Underserved youth (e.g., from families facing inadequate housing, food insecurity, financial instability) are disproportionately exposed to traumatic experiences (e.g., family discord or violence, neglect, poverty, racism), which can lead to several negative life-long consequences (e.g., affective and somatic disturbances, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation). Community organizations that target underserved youth may be ideally situated to offset the negative consequences of trauma through leveraging a trauma-sensitive sport model for youth programming. A trauma-sensitive sport model involves a blend of positive youth development approaches (i.e., creating safe environments for youth to experience positive relationships, autonomy, and opportunities to build skills), trauma-sensitive approaches (e.g., considering the potential effects of trauma on youth’s participation and development, and prioritising their needs for safety, voice, empowerment, choice, and collaboration), and program designs that leverage and re-design sporting activities to help youth navigate trauma symptoms, build a social support system, and develop various resilience-related skills (e.g., emotional regulation, decision-making). Little research has examined the implementation and effectiveness of a trauma-sensitive sport model for youth programming in a community setting. Use of this model can contribute to greater capacities of youth sport leaders to promote underserved youth’s healthy participation and development. This dissertation was conducted in partnership with BGC Canada, a national non-profit community organization that serves disadvantaged communities. From 2016-2021, a trauma-sensitive sport model for youth programming was implemented in this organization through the Bounce Back League (BBL) initiative. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the knowledge-to-action processes involved in translating this model in a community program setting. The knowledge-to-action cycle (KTAC; Graham et al., 2006) was used to conceptually guide the studies carried out in this dissertation, in outlining key phases for consideration in translating a trauma-sensitive sport model. While most of these phases are described in this dissertation, the empirical articles focused on assessing four phases of this cycle, which included: (a) assess barriers and facilitators to knowledge use, (b) select, tailor, and implement interventions, (c) monitor knowledge use, and (d) evaluate outcomes. Intrinsic case study methodologies were used to understand community-based knowledge translation processes and outcomes within the case of the BBL initiative. A community-based participatory research approach was used to engage in equitable collaboration between researchers and community members for the development of this initiative. Utilisation-focused evaluation principles were used to work with community members to determine what to evaluate, how to evaluate, and how results would be used. Grounded in a pragmatic paradigm, a mixed methods research design was used to collect data through the initiative, which included individual and group interviews with leaders, leader-reported logbooks, leaders self-reported questionnaires, leaders' assessments of youth's participation, communications on an online messaging platform (Slack), and researchers' observations of training opportunities and leaders' practices. The purpose of Article 1 was to outline the overarching process of integrating a trauma-sensitive sport model within the BBL program, from 2016-2021. Several stages of program development were described, including: (a) collaboratively planning the program; (b) piloting the program to three clubs; (c) adapting the program using pilot insights; (d) expanding the adapted program to ten clubs; and (e) creating opportunities to maintain, sustain, and scale-out practices throughout grant duration and beyond. Lessons learned regarding the leadership team’s experiences in terms of developing, adapting, and integrating a trauma-sensitive sport model for youth programming in this community context were shared. The purpose of Article 2 was to explore factors involved in the implementation of a trauma-sensitive sport model for youth programming in BBL. This article paralleled the KTAC phase of assess barriers and facilitators to knowledge use. A mixed-methods evaluation of the pilot phase of BBL was conducted. Three clubs participated in training, implementation, and evaluation of BBL. The data were collected through interviews, logbooks, and assessments. The quantitative data were interpreted using descriptive statistics and comparative t-tests; the qualitative data were interpreted using thematic and content analyses. The RE-AIM framework was used to categorise the various processes and outcomes involved in program implementation. The results showed that programs reached a large number of youth but struggled to retain youth from season to season. The leaders perceived that the intentional structure of the program, opportunities to practice self-regulation, relationship focus, and life skill focus, were all linked to positive participation in youth members. Components of leaders' training and program delivery were noted as successful, but the sustained benefits of these successes were challenged by leader turnover and funding limitations. In line with the KTAC phases, insights were generated on what works and what does not in facilitating this type of programming in a community setting for underserved youth and helped inform future adaptations to the program as it was rolled out (discussed in Article 1). The purpose of Article 3 was to explore leaders' learning experiences from participating in an initial training workshop and prior to their implementation of programming. This article paralleled the select, tailor, and implement interventions phase and the evaluate outcomes phase of the KTAC model. The value-creation framework was used to explore learning experiences based on the interactions and values that leaders discussed. Participants were leaders who attended initial training workshops. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data through observations, interviews, and self-reported questionnaires. The quantitative data were interpreted using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Tests; the qualitative data were interpreted using thematic analysis. The results showed that the leaders: (a) valued having a variety of learning opportunities that were relevant to their roles and contexts, (b) appreciated the diverse focus on foundational and practical content, and (c) shared an interest to learn how to support trauma-exposed youth and facilitate better programming. Implications were discussed for the improvement of training opportunities to better meet leaders' needs within a community organization and support leaders' intentions to apply knowledge into action. Article 4 builds on the previous study, where the purpose was to explore leaders' learning experiences as they implemented programming and while they participated in continuing training and development activities. This article also paralleled the select, tailor, and implement interventions phase and the evaluate outcomes phase of the KTAC model. The participants were leaders who were involved in implementing BBL at their clubs. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data through interviews, observations, surveys, and communications on an online messaging platform (Slack). The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, data charting, and non-parametric analyses; the qualitative data were interpreted using thematic analysis. The results indicated that the leaders learned through various interactions throughout their practice (e.g., implementing programs at their homes sites, receiving mentoring, conversations with peers), and discussed gains in applied value (e.g., program facilitation strategies, youth-support skills), realised value (e.g., youth's receptivity and behaviour change), and transformative value (e.g., transfer of leaders' skills, influence on club culture). Implications were discussed for the improvement of training opportunities to promote ongoing social learning and maintenance of program practices. The purpose of Article 5 was to explore the fidelity and quality of leaders' application of a trauma-sensitive sport model to programming. This article paralleled the monitor knowledge use phase of the KTAC model. The promising practices criteria were used as an evaluation framework to categorise dimensions of quality relevant to program effectiveness. Leaders from 11 BBL programs participated. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data through observations, interviews, and logbooks. The quantitative data were interpreted using descriptive statistics; the qualitative data were interpreted using thematic analysis. The results showed that: (a) all programs showed evidence of supportive adult and youth relationships, (b) programs led by trained leaders maintained program fidelity and implemented more features to a stronger extent than untrained leaders, (c) trained leaders may have compromised mastery orientation opportunities in favour of other program components. Implications were discussed related to what may facilitate or constrain program fidelity and quality in this setting, and how training and development opportunities can mitigate challenges in leaders' capacities. This dissertation offered an evaluation of the knowledge-to-action processes involved in integrating a trauma-sensitive sport model into BGC Canada. The results of this dissertation provided insights of how BGC Canada leaders learned and facilitated a trauma-sensitive sport model for youth programming, the differences training and development may contribute to the quality of their program practices, and how involvement in this initiative resulted in changes in leaders' behaviours, skills, and identities, as well as positive youth developmental outcomes. Practical implications were shared on how BGC Canada and similar community organizations can enhance their partnership and facilitate these interventions. As well, the value of taking a systems-based approach to planning future interventions with a trauma-sensitive sport model was also discussed to maximise multi-level impacts. Academic implications were shared on how future research can also take a systems-based approach to evaluating knowledge translation processes in youth sport interventions.

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

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