Components and Characteristics of Youth Development Programs: The Voices of Youth-Serving Policymakers,Practitioners, Researchers,and Adolescents

Due to its increasing popularity, youth development (YD) has become a buzzword that is attached to a variety of programs. Several attempts have been made to articulate a unified definition of YD that would enable the field to progress toward measuring the effectiveness of YD programs. In order to determine what constitutes a YD program, we must establish the criteria for inclusion. This is an exploratory study of a collaborative approach to understanding the components and characteristics of YD programs. The objective of this study is to compare and contrast responses across four participant groups (policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and youth) using a community-based participatory approach, in order to reach consensus and explore the perceived hierarchy of key characteristics for YD programs from multiple stakeholder perspectives.     

A Variable- and Person-Oriented Investigation of Preschool Competencies and Head Start Children's Transition to Kindergarten and First Grade

There is a widespread belief that youth drop out of youth development programs during the middle school years. Alternative explanations for the smaller number of adolescent program participants have yet to be explored. We examine age trends in program enrollment using data from over 221,000 youth enrolled in the California 4-H Youth Development Program from 1992 to 2002. We include sex, race/ethnicity, rural/urban residence, and project participation as predictors of dropout. Our results indicate that the peak in enrollment in early adolescence that is observable from annual enrollment data can be accounted for by stable and high enrollment turnover before age 11, followed by increased program dropout and fewer new enrollments. These findings have implications for explanations of youth program participation and for youth development program enrollment strategies, both for the 4-H Youth Development program and for youth programs in general.     

Promoting physical activity within under-resourced afterschool programs: A qualitative investigation of staff experiences and motivational strategies for engaging youth

Afterschool programs (ASPs) have become increasingly recognized as a key context to support youth daily physical activity (PA) accrual. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a framework, this study examined staff perspectives on the strengths and barriers within under-resourced ASPs for establishing a social-motivational climate for encouraging and supporting youth PA. Analysis of semi-structured staff interviews (28 staff; 7 ASPs) indicated that staff had knowledge and value for establishing a PA-supportive motivational climate. However, the feasibility of implementing PA curricula was identified as challenging across programs. Findings suggest increased need for staff training and supports to provide a PA climate that meets the developmental needs/interests of all youth, with particular attention toward increasing the PA of girls and older program youth. Furthermore, striking an appropriate balance between PA and other competing program demands (e.g., academics) will be required to optimize on the effectiveness of PA program components.     

The factors influencing transactional sex among young men and women in 12 sub‐Saharan African countries

Abstract

Transactional sex may put young women and young men in sub‐Saharan Africa at increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS. This behavior may also put young women at higher risk of pregnancy and childbearing. Policymakers and program managers need to know what factors put youth at increased risk. We investigated this issue using logistic regression analyses of data from male and female modules of Demographic and Health Surveys from 12 sub‐Saharar African countries. We found that young men and young women are at greater risk of engaging in transactional sex than are older people. Unmarried young women and young men were significantly more likely to engage in transactional sex than married youth. Based on these results, our conclusions were that programs geared toward reducing the incidence of transactional sex or protecting men and women already in transactional sexual relationships should be aimed at both young women and young men. Due to our finding that unmarried young women and young men are more vulnerable to experiencing transactional sex, programs to prevent transactional sex should be specifically directed to this subgroup of young people.     

Behavioral approaches in tobacco control

In most Western societies, there is an abundance of information on what needs to be done to control the use of tobacco. This paper presents different strategies for addressing tobacco control. Many of the strategies such as increasing taxes, increasing control over promotion of tobacco, and the restriction of smoking should be made a priority. However, there is still the need to provide help for the smoker to quit. The evidence with regards to effective ways of getting smokers to quit and the effectiveness of different modalities is reviewed. Programs found to be effective include self-help, individual counseling, and group counseling. Counseling programs appear to double the effect of success compared to no program. Nicotine replacement therapy has been demonstrated to be an important adjunct therapy to the behavioral programs. Issues regarding the cessation of tobacco by youth need to be addressed distinctively from adult cessation. Relapse prevention for both youth and adults needs to become a major focus of programs dealing with smokers who want to quit.     

The factors influencing transactional sex among young men and women in 12 sub-Saharan African countries

Transactional sex may put young women and young men in sub-Saharan Africa at increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS. This behavior may also put young women at higher risk of pregnancy and childbearing. Policymakers and program managers need to know what factors put youth at increased risk. We investigated this issue using logistic regression analyses of data from male and female modules of Demographic and Health Surveys from 12 sub-Saharan African countries. We found that young men and young women are at greater risk of engaging in transactional sex than are older people. Unmarried young women and young men were significantly more likely to engage in transactional sex than married youth. Based on these results, our conclusions were that programs geared toward reducing the incidence of transactional sex or protecting men and women already in transactional sexual relationships should be aimed at both young women and young men. Due to our finding that unmarried young women and young men are more vulnerable to experiencing transactional sex, programs to prevent transactional sex should be specifically directed to this subgroup of young people.     

Log-Linear Models for Change in Manifest Categorical Variables

Applied developmental scientists engaged in the evaluation of community-based programs, in tests of therapeutic effectiveness, or in developmental research on special populations (e.g., youth gang members, street children, or refugees) must often conduct individual or contextual analyses that involve multiple categorizations over time. This article discusses models for analysis of change in cross classifications of nominal or ordinal variables. Examples of such models include Clogg, Eliason, and Grego's (1990) change-persistence models and quasi-independence models for nominal or ordinal variables. A definition of trends in nominal level variables is provided. A general model is specified, and two groups of log-linear models are presented as special cases of this model. The first allows researchers to test specific hypotheses concerning, for example, general trends and trends in subtables. The second group extends application of log-linear modeling of mobility tables to rectangular tables. Examples use data from research on change in schizophrenics and from pubertal development.     

Political economy and global arts for social change: A comparative analysis of youth orchestras in Venezuela and Chile

An expansive movement comprised of UN Millennium Development Goals, international banks, and hundreds of programs worldwide promotes access to the arts as a creative means of social change. Often grounded in cognitive science and inspired by the model of youth orchestras in Venezuela known as El Sistema, this movement contends that arts training—which can foster empathy, collaboration, academic achievement, and self-esteem—helps alleviate poverty and combat inequality. In contrast to the majority of the literature on public arts programs—impact studies that often assume arts engagement creates social change through universal mechanisms—this study examines the influence of political economy on the implementation of public arts programs. Through a comparative study of youth orchestras with social inclusion goals in Venezuela (1974–2015) and Chile (1964–2015), the scope and intensity of government control, social welfare policy, and competition for public funds are found to shape public arts programs' social goals, daily operations, definitions of success, and impact study procedures. Therefore, scholars, practitioners, and policy makers must reexamine their understanding of arts programs as a development model. Future global efforts to combat inequality should avoid over-standardization. This article offers a new Arts for Social Change Context Framework that places input variables at the center of analysis, with policy implications.     

Understanding Youth Development From the Practitioner's Point of View: A Call for Research on Effective Practice

This article calls for research on the expertise of youth development practitioners. We argue for studies focused on understanding youth practice from practitioners' points of view—as they experience and enact it—with the aim of contributing findings and frameworks that are helpful to their work and learning. To improve youth programs, first, it is essential to better understand the challenges frontline staff face in their work. We review evidence showing that running a program and facilitating youth development is more challenging and multidimensional than is generally appreciated. Second, it is essential to understand the strategies effective practitioners employ to address these challenges. Studies indicate that the expertise of frontline staff is central to program impact; we review findings suggesting the diverse, contextually-attuned skills this expertise entails. Case studies in three domains of decision-making (designing programs, youth's motivation, and ethical dilemmas) are used to provide a vision for this research.     

Detecting possible persons of interest in a physical activity program using step entries: Including a web-based application for outlier detection and decision-making

According to recent statistics from the World Health Organization, 23% of people aged 18 years and over are not sufficiently physically active. Strangely, this is at a time when, due to the improvement in sensor technology, physical activity programs that track physical activity have become popular. However, some participants who enroll in these programs cheat by manipulating the data they enter. This can be discouraging for other participants, also invalidating the overall accuracy of program outcomes. Therefore, detecting these participants and discarding their manipulated entries is important in order to maintain the quality of the program. Currently, most of these physical activity programs use manual processes to detect and reject fraudulent step entries by reviewing the participant's demographic profiles along with their longitudinal step count performance data. In this study, a process, including two parallel models for detecting person of interest characteristics and abnormal step count entries, is developed. The first model uses the penalized logistic regression with Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique subsampling to address the imbalance in the proportion of genuine and persons of interest. Having a highly imbalanced distribution between genuine and person of interest profiles makes this task more challenging. The second model uses a variety of outlier detection methods to detect and reject abnormal step entries based on previously entered data. This process will be more efficient and productive compared to the current manual system and will support better decision-making in the future. The proposed system can be applied for other fraud detection applications after suitable adjustments.     

Examining the influence of sport program staff and parent/caregiver support on youth outcomes

Abstract

Youth participation in sport is associated with positive developmental outcomes. The development of life skills is especially important for urban youth of color who are often underserved and face poor long-term outcomes. To service the needs of underserved youth, community youth sport programs have begun to utilize sport-based positive youth development (PYD). Through this approach, key adult figures such as sport program staff and parents/caregivers have been identified as important mechanisms for life skill development and the transfer of learning. The aim of the current study sought to better understand how key adult figures influence life skill outcomes of urban youth of color involved in a community sport-based PYD program. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the independent and interactive effects of staff support and parent/caregiver support on youth life skill and transfer of learning outcomes. Results indicated that staff support and parent/caregiver support predicted youth life skill and transfer of learning outcomes, both independently and, in some cases, interactively.     

Motivation of animal care technicians through recognition

Keeping employees motivated is a challenge faced by managers in the field of laboratory animal science and in the business world at large. Using Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs' theory as a guide, the authors describe how managers can create a recognition program to keep employees feeling happy and rewarded. They discuss programs used at Bristol-Myers Squibb and share lessons learned from various programs.     

Opportunity gaps in out-of-school learning: How structural and process features of programs relate to race and socioeconomic status

Abstract

Out-of-school learning programs can be a context for positive development and learning for children and youth. However, research points to potential racial and socioeconomic disparities, or opportunity gaps, in this context. In this study, we use survey and video data from 106 staff across 30 out-of-school programs to examine how three features, staff, activities, and adult–child interactions, differ based on the racial and socioeconomic makeup of programs. We find that staff at programs serving children from low-income families on average have less experience and education. Also, programs serving children from African American and low-income families tend to offer more academic-focused activities. Finally, we found no differences in adult–child interaction quality across programs in the sample. Our findings suggest that a racial and socioeconomic opportunity gap may exist in the out-of-school context. This has implications for educational equity and the positive development of children that participate in this context.     

An analysis of gene-finding programs for Neurospora crassa.

MOTIVATION: Computational gene identification plays an important role in genome projects. The approaches used in gene identification programs are often tuned to one particular organism, and accuracy for one organism or class of organism does not necessarily translate to accurate predictions for other organisms. In this paper we evaluate five computer programs on their ability to locate coding regions and to predict gene structure in Neurospora crassa. One of these programs (FFG) was designed specifically for gene-finding in N.crassa, but the model parameters have not yet been fully 'tuned', and the program should thus be viewed as an initial prototype. The other four programs were neither designed nor tuned for N.crassa. RESULTS: We describe the data sets on which the experiments were performed, the approaches employed by the five algorithms: GenScan, HMMGene, GeneMark, Pombe and FFG, the methodology of our evaluation, and the results of the experiments. Our results show that, while none of the programs consistently performs well, overall the GenScan program has the best performance on sensitivity and Missing Exons (ME) while the HMMGene and FFG programs have good performance in locating the exons roughly. Additional work motivated by this study includes the creation of a tool for the automated evaluation of gene-finding programs, the collection of larger and more reliable data sets for N.crassa, parameterization of the model used in FFG to produce a more accurate gene-finding program for this species, and a more in-depth evaluation of the reasons that existing programs generally fail for N.crassa. AVAILABILITY: Data sets, the FFG program source code, and links to the other programs analyzed are available at http://jerry.cs.uga.edu/~wang/genefind.html. CONTACT: eileen@cs.uga.edu.     

The rise of creative youth development

ABSTRACT

Creative youth development (CYD) is a dynamic area of community arts education that successfully bridges youth development and arts education. CYD is an intentional, holistic practice that combines hands-on artmaking and skill building in the arts with development of life skills to support young people in successfully participating in adolescence and navigating into adulthood. Young people in CYD programs exhibit high levels of artistic skill and accomplishment along with increased self-esteem and sense of belonging. CYD participants are immersed in a broad array of rigorous artistic endeavors, including creating documentary films, researching and reporting on community issues through radio broadcasts, writing and staging new theatrical works, and engaging in thoughtful critique of one another's visual art work. The impact for youth of program participation extends beyond pride in artistic accomplishment. Throughout the United States, teen participants in CYD programs assert that the programs saved their lives, putting them on positive trajectories and away from gangs, drug use, crime, and ennui. This article provides a definition for the term creative youth development, describes core characteristics of CYD programs, and briefly describes four CYD programs. It provides background on the origins and history of creative youth development, including current advances in the field and signs the field is coalescing. The article describes creative youth development in the larger contexts of arts education and of education reform. Lastly, the article discusses policy, funding, and research needs and opportunities and provides questions for consideration.     

Chemicals from alternative feedstocks in the United States

Abstract: Growing industrial interest in products from renewable alternative feedstocks has resulted in the creation of more industry-led federal research and development programs. The basis of this interest is introduced, followed by an overview of the various federal programs that support basic through applied research relevant to chemical products from renewable resources, and evidence of the increased coordination efforts between programs. The majority of the paper outlines a new program within the U.S. Department of Energy, the Alternative Feedstocks Program, which specifically targets chemicals from renewables which have the potential to become part of the next generation of high-volume chemical feedstocks for the manufacturing industries. The first product of the program, an iterative process technology decision analysis tool, is broadly presented using the first process development project: succinic acid from fermentable sugars.     

Effects of the Positive Action Program on Indicators of Positive Youth Development Among Urban Youth

This study evaluated effects of Positive Action, a school-based social-emotional and character development intervention, on indicators of positive youth development (PYD) among a sample of low-income, ethnic minority youth attending 14 urban schools. The study used a matched-pair, cluster-randomized controlled design at the school level. A multiple-measure self-report protocol assessed four key strengths and resources for PYD: self-concept, peer affiliations, ethics, and social skills. Students (n = 1170) were assessed from grades 3 to 8; the duration of the intervention, with drop-outs and late entrants was included in analyses. Growth curve analyses revealed evidence of favorable program effects on each of the four types of resources. The study contributes to PYD research by providing evidence for school-based interventions in low-income, urban contexts for ethnic minority youth.     

我国三北地区植被变化的动因分析

地表植被变化是气候变化、人类活动等多种因素共同作的结果。然而,以往的研究要么集中在与气候变化有关的气象因素,要么集中在与人类活动有关的人为因素,鲜有基于长期数据监测下对自然与社会因素之间相互作用的定量评估。因此,气候变化和人为因素对地表植被变化的相互作用并不明确,各个因素对植被变化影响的量化贡献仍然不确定。为了评价生态修复项目对荒漠化防治的效果、以及在土地荒漠化防治中自然与社会因素对我国植被变化的影响、及其复杂的相互作用机理,该研究应用卫星遥感影像资料,通过面板数据混合回归模型大数据分析方法,计算了1983年至2012年气候变化和人类活动对我国北方地区植被变化的贡献率。结果表明,气候变化和人类活动对NDVI变化均有重要作用,其中人类活动对植被覆盖度变化的影响占58.2%—90.4%、气候变化占9.6%—41.8%;不同地区表现出不同的地理分异特征,并存在时滞效应。由此可见,荒漠化防治必须充分考虑不同因素的综合作用和地域特征,才能取得事半功倍的效果。研究结果较好地体现了卫星遥感影像资料在大尺度(省域尺度)下与社会经济统计指标的融合,为进一步中尺度(县域尺度)研究提供了方法借鉴。     

Adolescent motivation to attend youth programs: A mixed-methods investigation

Research suggests that adolescents can benefit from participating in youth programs; however, recruitment and retention are challenging for many programs, and youth living in low-income, urban areas can be the hardest to reach. We investigated motivation to attend a neighborhood-based program for urban adolescents. Participants completed questionnaires (N = 141, M age = 16.6, 88% African American), and a subsample (n = 34) also participated in face-to-face interviews. Findings suggest that although content is the primary surface driver of attendance for most youth, a large majority of youth would choose to retain staff and peers over content, and that staff and content reasons are intertwined. Attending for peer reasons was negatively associated with attendance frequency. Cluster analysis suggested five patterns of reasons for continued participation, which were related to overall program motivation and attendance frequency. Implications for programs include focusing on providing quality content while recognizing the importance of strong youth-staff relationships.