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Evaluation of the Teens & Toddlers (T & T) positive youth development (PYD) and teenage pregnancy prevention programme suggested that the intervention had minimal effectiveness partly due to its unclear theory of change. The purpose of this paper is to examine the lived experiences of young women participating in the programme to contribute to a clearer understanding of intervention process and potential mechanisms.

The authors conducted four focus groups (n=20), eight paired or triad interviews (n=12) and 15 interviews with young women participating in an randomized controlled trial of the T & T programme in England, analysing these data using a phenomenological approach.

T & T provided some opportunities to experience the “five Cs” that underpin PYD programme theory: competence, confidence, connection, character and caring. However, the young women did not experience the programme in a way that would consistently develop these characteristics. The lack of opportunities for skill-building and challenge in the activities constrained their ability to build competence and confidence. Some programme facilitators and counsellors were able to achieve connections and caring relationships with the young women, though other adults involved in the programme were sometimes perceived by the participants as overly critical. The character development activities undertaken in the programme addressed attitudes towards sexual risk-taking.

Few studies of the PYD approach examine young people’s perspectives. This research suggests that the young women were not consistently provided with opportunities to achieve youth development within the T & T programmes. In refining the programme, more thought is needed regarding how delivery of particular components may facilitate or impede a PYD experience.

Evidence is accumulating to suggest that positive youth development may be an effective approach to preventing teen pregnancy. Studies show that selected protective factors or “youth assets” are associated with lower levels of adolescent sexual risk behavior. This paper describes the development of “Healthy, empowered and responsible teens of Oklahoma City” (HEART of OKC), one of 13 CDC‐funded demonstration projects designed to mobilize community resources to prevent teen pregnancy. During a two‐year planning phase, HEART of OKC conducted needs and assets assessments in five, very diverse, inner‐city neighborhoods. Data collection methods included geocoding and mapping of teen birth rates and census data, over 100 key informant interviews, and 23 focus groups with 168 teens from the priority neighborhoods. Focus group findings suggested numerous opportunities for asset‐based interventions. Assessment findings were used to develop a conceptual model that served as the foundation of the project. Assessment findings were also helpful in the development of a survey instrument used in a major research project to provide baseline data for HEART of OKC and to examine the relationship between specific “youth assets” and several adolescent risk behaviors, including sexual activity.

Current literature on youth development supports the theory that out-of-school programming has an effect on youth development. However, little research has been conducted on types of out-of-school programs and comparisons among involvement in various activities in relation to developmental assets. Hence, the purpose of this study was to analyze relationships between students’ participation in out-of-school programs and the development of positive assets. Specifically, this study explored how 4-H participants differ from other students in their attainment of specific assets.

Findings support past research that indicate out-of-school programming is making an impact on the development of youth. Strong differences specific to 4-H participation were not found. Instead, findings indicate that asset development is not the result of one program; rather, it is important to provide a variety of options that ensure a good “fit” for the young person.

Previous research has shown that religion plays a role in the lives of many youths. This paper aims to extend previous research and examine attendance at religious services and involvement in religious/church activities as separate items to determine if one aspect was more strongly associated with never having had sexual intercourse among youth in the USA. It also aims to consider the effect of other youth assets, and analyze all by gender.

Cross‐sectional data were examined to assess youth assets and risk behaviors. Multivariate regression was used to determine whether the assets or religion questions were significant in the presence of the other assets/religion questions. The eight assets examined, in addition to church attendance and involvement in religious groups were adult role models, peer role models, family communication, involvement in sports and groups, community involvement, aspirations for the future, responsible choices, and good health – diet and exercise.

Involvement in church/religious activities, but not attendance at religious services, was associated with never having had sexual intercourse among males and females. Analysis also determined that several of the other youth assets were protective of sexual intercourse among males and among females.

Findings from this study may be limited by the validity of the self‐reported measures. The data were cross‐sectional, making it impossible to draw inferences about the causal directions of the relationships found in this study. Future research should focus on developing interventions to strengthen youth assets.

Developing gender and culturally specific interventions to promote youth assets may reduce the number of young people engaging in sex.

The paper extends previous research and examines attendance at religious services and involvement in religious/church activities as separate items to determine if one aspect was more strongly associated with never having had sexual intercourse.

This research project evaluated outcomes for a leadership development program utilizing adult volunteers who worked with youth to incorporate experiential learning and civic engagement opportunities. As a result, this experience exposed youth to practical skills as well as a chance to develop a sense of community connectedness. This was revealed through the youth developing more positive perceptions toward their role as decision makers in their communities, after participation in the program. Youth also developed more positive perceptions of their relationships with adults. Moreover, when comparing those youth who volunteer at least one hour per week to those who do not, those who had volunteered in the past had significantly more positive perceptions than those who had never volunteered in their community.

What are the long term consequences associated with serving as a state FFA officer? Using a semi-structured interview format, selected state FFA officers from a twenty year time span were interviewed to assess their perceptions of and assets attributed to their experiences as a state officer. Results indicated that past state officers, regardless of when they served, noted positive leadership development, personal growth, and a heightened level of community awareness. Additionally, experiences and subsequent engagement related to their term confirmed four key features of positive adolescent development, which are, a sense of industry and competence; a sense of identity; a sense of control over one’s fate; and connectedness to others (CSR Inc, 1997).

Over the past 30 years, researchers have documented effective, theory‐based programmes and practices that improve the health and well‐being of children. In order to produce measurable improvements in public health, such practices must be institutionalised; however, there are a number of barriers to translating what we know from science to what we do in practice. In the present article, we discuss a number of those barriers, including: cultural differences between those who espouse a public health, prevention science approach versus those who espouse a strengths‐building, health promotion approach; practical difficulties in documenting the evidence base for existing or newly developed programmes and practices; and inflexibility of standardised programmes and resulting insensitivity to local contexts. We discuss common ground between prevention and promotion perspectives and highlight emerging methods that facilitate the adoption of science‐based practice into community‐based services.

A positive perception of work helps counteract the stress and psychological loss because of non-optimal working conditions. This paper aims to hypothesize two pathways through which social-psychological resources in the workplace contribute to positive work perception: one pathway is direct and the other is through the mediating mechanism of youth’s internal resource.

Filipino working youth from a government program for out-of-school poor youth, or working students enrolled in a free night high school, completed pertinent scales of the Multicontext Assessment Battery of Youth Development.

Co-workers’ endorsement of work values and their joint exercise of resilience-building skills build youth’s positive work perception. Youth’s personal initiative contributes to their positive work perception by its direct influence and also by its mediating mechanism.

The cross-sectional survey of this study does not allow for a definitive temporal progression from resources to positive work perception as does a longitudinal study.

For poor working youth, the threats of a financially bleak future can be tempered by an attitude that recognizes work not only as financially necessary but also as beneficial to one’s growth. The social-psychological resources in the workplace and the youth’s emerging personal initiative jointly contribute to a positive perception of work.

The current research shifts the focus of analysis from disadvantageous employment conditions to the affective and motivational aspects of employment and uses the conservation-of-resources theory to plot the flow of resources from the workplace to the worker.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between youth empowerment and sustainable development (SD) with regards to the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP).

Data were collected from randomly selected respondents (n=275) studying in Higher Education Institutions through online and self-administered structured questionnaire and from multiple secondary data sources.

The research findings infer that youth empowerment is significantly affected by the PMYP and there is a significant positive relationship between youth empowerment and SD. Overall, respondents appear to be satisfied with the program offerings and consider it a genuine effort toward youth empowerment for SD, but such notion also necessitates an integrated youth development paradigm in Pakistan.

The cornerstone of nation’s development is an established realization worldwide that the involvement of youth in development processes is essential to save the country from “youth bulge” while converting this contour into a “demographic dividend.” It was, therefore, pertinent to explore how development actors can engage youth in order to transform priority areas into development programming and policies.

This study deals with quite an unexplored phenomenon of youth empowerment; hence, it serves as one of the first studies to provide evidence of the relationship between youth empowerment and SD in Pakistan’s perspective. Further, it also provides a basis for carrying out advance research on youth empowerment which may assist the government, NGOs and other donor agencies to understand youth issues and blueprint apposite strategies accordingly.

Providing leadership education for young men growing up without their father, through a structured curriculum and mentoring program, should enhance their development. To examine this, the authors interviewed adult alumni who participated as adolescents in a cohort-based, sixmonth leadership program. Interviews outlined several key themes: once served by others the young men desired to serve their community, choosing an authentic leadership educator matters, program mentors inspired positive life changes, and the learned leadership lessons transcended the setting and the curriculum. This qualitative project examined the efficacy of a youth leadership development program by interviewing past participants. This research outlined how service to others can inspire more service and that leadership education has the potential to alter lives, and in this case, even save lives.