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After-school programs play an increasing role in providing developmental and social skills through extra-curricular activities. Adolescents are most likely to engage in delinquent behavior during unsupervised after-school hours. Different after-school programs are available, both community-based and faith-based programs have risen in number in response to the need of children to have a safe environment with adult supervision. This study is interested in comparing after-school programs that are faith-based to community-based and see if any similarities or differences exist within each other. The purpose of this thesis was to contribute to the existing literature on after-school programs in two ways. First, this research will provide a brief history of after-school programs and a discussion of the types of programs. Second, this study will compare and contrast the various goals, structure, and performance of a community-based program and a faith-based program. Through in-person interview, a comparison will be drawn on organizational structure, activities, source and funding, goals and objectives, and outcomes of each program.

Decarbonizing the global economy is essential to reducing the effects of climate change, however doing so jeopardizes many communities economically dependent on fossil fuel extraction. A small but growing body of literature has begun to examine how individuals who live in fossil fuel-dependent (FFD) communities perceive decarbonization and renewable energy transitions, with the goal of understanding if and how these frequently oppositional communities can be included in broad scale energy transitions without creating new economic sacrifice zones. The present study expands environmental psychology’s contribution to this field of research by exploring the possible inclusion of a novel to FFD community literature: the metallurgical coal mining communities of British Columbia’s Elk Valley. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Elk Valley community members. Findings indicate that Elk Valley coal communities are distinct from other FFD communities described in current literature by being receptive to renewable energy transitions and disputing metallurgical coal’s status as a fossil fuel. Nonetheless, many psychological constructs similar to described FFD communities are present in the Elk Valley as well, including coal’s central status in legitimizing and resistance identity formation, perceived outgroup threats by environmentalists, and an inability to imagine a post-mining future. This paper concludes with recommendations on how British Columbia should address its mining dependent communities as it pursues decarbonization in light of these findings. / Graduate

During the past several decades, globalization forces in general and mechanization of coal mining jobs more specifically have sharply changed the economic and social conditions of many of the coal towns in the Central Appalachian region of the United States. Efforts to identify and seek alternatives to replace the ongoing decline of their traditional way of life are deeply entangled with community identity and culture due to the historical hegemonic role and power of coal mining and other extractive industries and their critical role in forming residents' identities. Many of the small communities in this region are pursuing initiatives to highlight their natural and cultural assets in efforts to develop tourism as a new foundation for their economies. However, to avoid tourism simply becoming another extractive industry, researchers and practitioners have suggested that these communities must develop capacity to participate in and take ownership of tourism-related decision-making processes. In an effort to examine the dynamics of one such effort in detail this study drew on Community Capacity theory as interpreted by Chaskin (2001a) to explore the relationships between Community Cultural Development (CCD) and the sustainability of tourism in a small town located in Central Appalachia seeking to transition to a visitor-based economy. This dissertation explored whether and in what ways engaging in CCD projects and community capacity are related and identified ways such interactions influence the sustainability of tourism. Along with personal observation and a review of relevant archival data, I conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with a sample of individuals from a community cultural development organization regarding their efforts to build possibilities for sustainable tourism in their rural jurisdiction. This study's findings contribute to the existing literature by suggesting Chaskin's framework of community capacity as an apt model for charting progress towards sustainable community-based tourism. Moreover, this research found that employing CCD methods can enhance community capacity by encouraging a sense of shared identity among the group's members and through them among a broader cross-section of residents. Lastly, this inquiry suggested that CCD contributed to the sustainability of tourism in the case study community by increasing residents' effective participation in decision-making processes concerning such efforts, encouraging locals' partnership and ownership of tourism development projects and providing space for negotiating the tourist gaze in guest-host relationships. / Doctor of Philosophy / Since at least the late 1960s and the advent of the ongoing decline of mining, the populations of many small coal-dependent towns in Central Appalachia have fallen into economic hardship (e.g., high rates of poverty, too few and/or inadequate jobs and public services), now confront a range of social issues arising from that harsh reality (e.g., youth out-migration, rapidly aging populations, the current opioid epidemic). In response to those conditions, many affected communities are investing in their wealth of natural resources and unique cultural assets to promote tourism as a palliative, if not replacement, for their previous economies. Tourism has the potential to reduce poverty and to boost shared prosperity among host communities, but it also, if poorly managed, could become another extractive industry. This study focused on the ways that residents in one Central Appalachian community have individually and as groups sought to assume ownership of their area's tourism-related efforts. I specifically analyzed participation in that jurisdiction's cultural activities (e.g., community theatre and story circles) to understand whether and how involvement in them affected participants' awareness of their capability to address the conditions in their community. My interviews with 10 active participants in my sample community's collective cultural projects revealed that residents did come to perceive themselves as possessing capacity as individuals and as groups to address the challenges that have arisen in their community as its traditional economy has declined. This study also found that participants in culture-based group activities were better prepared to participate effectively in tourism-related decision-making processes in their community. Indeed, many of those I interviewed have become owners and/or partners in tourism development projects because of the information and networks they developed during their participation in cultural activities. Finally, this analysis found that community cultural activities created a space for residents to interact regardless of their socio-economic status, ideological predisposition or other characteristics; an outcome that interviewees indicated they had come to cherish.

Several researchers as well as high-profile female athletes have recently challenged the longstanding view that pregnancy/motherhood mark the termination of an elite athlete's career in sport. While these conversations have sparked change concerning the degree to which pregnant/parenting athletes are accepted within the sport industry, elite athletes continue to face discriminatory policies and practices as they navigate parenthood alongside their elite athletic pursuits. My thesis is presented in the publishable papers format. In my first paper, I used new masculinities theory, community-based participatory research, and semi structured interviews to explore the experiences of 10 elite/international and world-class male athletes (9 fathers, 1 expectant father) and the impact of children on their athletic careers. Through critical discourse analysis, I found that fatherhood both improves and impedes elite athlete-fathers' athletic performance. In my second paper, I used feminist poststructuralist theory, feminist participatory action research, and semi-structured interviews to explore the perspectives of 21 pregnant and parenting elite/international and world-class athletes (11 women, 10 men) on the developing degree of acceptance of parenthood in elite athletics. Through critical discourse analysis, I identified that, despite considerable recent advancements, there is still a need for increased acceptance of pregnant/parenting athletes. Taken together, these two papers advance understandings regarding athletes' perspectives on the current shifts surrounding parenthood and athletics. Further, the recognition of fathers' involvement in childcare underscores how male athletes represent an untapped resource for allyship for female athletes. My findings also call for significant continued change and action to better support pregnant/parenting athletes.

Background: Second-generation Tamil youth experience intergenerational trauma from their first generation parents, along with various other mental health stressors which can continue well into adulthood. Early intervention and access to community-based mental healthcare services can serve as a protective factor and prevent chronic mental health issues. However, cultural and access barriers prevent second-generation Tamil youth from accessing much needed mental healthcare support. The purpose of this study is to explore how second-generation Tamil youth describe their experiences accessing community-based mental healthcare services and to identify barriers and facilitators to accessing mental healthcare services. Methods: This study used Qualitative descriptive design and was informed by the Penchansky and Thomas Access framework with Saurman’s addition. Nine second-generation Tamil youth in the Greater Toronto Area were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide to collect information about their experiences accessing community-based mental healthcare services. Concurrent data analysis was conducted to promote rich data collection which helped identify themes among participant responses. Each theme helped identify barriers and facilitators to accessing community-based mental healthcare services. The thematic analysis clarified details and descriptions of the experiences of second-generation Tamil youth. Results: Data analysis revealed six themes that fit within the dimensions of access: awareness, availability, acceptability, affordability, accessibility and accommodation. Findings from this study helps identify barriers and facilitators to accessing community-based mental healthcare services as experienced by participants. Conclusion: While second-generation Tamil youth were able to describe their experiences accessing community-based mental healthcare services, not all participants were successful in accessing a service. Further research is necessary to explore key strategies to ensure accessible mental healthcare support for second-generation Tamil youth, to better meet their unique needs, and to remove barriers preventing early access to services. Findings from this study are important to help inform the practice of nurses and practitioners, policy, and public education to better support the unique needs of the second-generation Tamil population and other newcomer groups and promote mental health. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Second-generation Tamil youth are an understudied population with a growing need for mental health support. This study describes the experiences of second-generation Tamil youths and their access to community-based mental healthcare services in the Greater Toronto Area. Nine participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide to collect data on their experiences accessing community-based mental healthcare services. Concurrent data analysis was conducted with data collection, and themes around the dimensions of access emerged: awareness, availability, acceptability, affordability, accessibility and accommodation. Further research is necessary to explore key strategies to implement when providing mental healthcare support to the second-generation Tamil youth population to better meet their unique needs, and tackle barriers preventing early access to services. Findings from this study are important to help inform the practice of nurses and practitioners alike, policy, and education to better support the unique needs of the second-generation Tamil population and promote mental health.

Vernal pools are essential breeding habitat for amphibians - the vertebrates most at-risk across the globe. Unfortunately, due to their small sizes and temporary nature, vernal pools are prone to indiscriminate destruction. This is the case in southern Ontario as most vernal pools have already been destroyed by human development. As such there is an urgent need to map remaining vernal pools in relatively undeveloped forested regions, such as the District Municipality of Muskoka in South-Central Ontario. This thesis aims to head-start the creation of a community-based vernal pool mapping project using LiDAR in South-Central Ontario. This goal has been broken down into two chapters with their own sub-objectives. In one chapter, we implemented a pilot study for integrating community involvement in potential vernal pool mapping across the Muskoka River Watershed (i.e., the major watershed of the District of Muskoka). We built a protocol and survey based on past vernal pool projects and studies which effectively integrated citizen involvement and also implemented novel online components (e.g., a portal) for vernal pool field-work. Our efforts were successful with positive feedback for the online components and a majority of the potential vernal pools located by our volunteers were probable vernal pools. In the other chapter, we developed two potential vernal pool mapping protocols using LiDAR based on regional characteristics of pools across the District of Muskoka in the Muskoka River Watershed and Coastal Georgian Bay. We demonstrated that the best mapping protocol for each of the two regions were associated with the protocol that was based on their respective pool characteristics. Moreover, we determined that while LiDAR can increase the accuracy of vernal pool mapping efforts, this is not always the case, especially when mapping vernal pools that occur in expansive bedrock laden regions. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Vernal pools, small forested temporary wetlands, provide essential breeding habitat for amphibians - the most threatened vertebrate group across earth. Unfortunately, most vernal pools in southern Ontario have been destroyed by human development, and there is an urgent need to map remaining vernal pools in relatively undeveloped forested regions, such as the District Municipality of Muskoka in South-Central Ontario. We implemented a pilot study for integrating community involvement in potential vernal pool mapping and developed two potential vernal pool mapping protocols using LiDAR based on regional pool characteristics. With successful integration of volunteers and mapping accuracies above 80%, we hope our findings will aid future vernal pool conservation, especially by head-starting the creation of a community-based vernal pool mapping project using LiDAR in South-Central Ontario.

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