SBIR Phase I: Young Leader Project

这个SBIR第一阶段项目将为7-11岁的儿童提供一个培养核心领导技能的互动学习计划。这个项目比许多传统的社会情感项目更深入，通过加强儿童的行为技能和心态，他们需要发展成为有效的领导者。教育课程由专门研究领导力发展的心理学家开发，基于前沿的儿童发展、领导力和教育研究。本项目旨在研究该计划的参与度和有效性，以及它在青年、家庭、社区和学术环境中加强十种核心领导行为的能力。这一计划有可能对下一代青年产生长期影响，促进他们在面对校园暴力和网络欺凌等不利事件时的韧性，并积极塑造下一代领导人，帮助他们形成对个人和职业发展的终身承诺。该项目致力于向所有儿童和学校提供教育课程，不分社会经济地位，支持NSF通过科学促进国家健康、繁荣和福利的使命。该项目专注于为儿童开发一个互动的领导力项目，事实证明，该项目对领导行为产生积极影响，对年轻人及其成人照顾者和教育工作者也是有趣和有吸引力的。这个项目与其他项目的不同之处在于，这项研究将提供证据，证明该项目培养了它打算在儿童身上发展的关键技能。该计划旨在通过在线平台或实物材料，由成人照顾者或教育工作者自行领导或促进。当孩子们从一种领导能力发展到另一种领导能力时，他们的努力会得到外在和内在的回报。鼓励成人照顾者和教育工作者参与，并为他们提供掌握能力建设练习，帮助他们将儿童-S的领导力、理解力和技能提升到一个新的水平。已经开发了一个数据库，用于跟踪课程要素开发时参与者的实时反馈。对教育内容的测试将集中在三个方面，其中包括最大限度地提高内容适当性，确认学习和技能保留，以及评估交付方式的差异和偏好。结果将被用于修改课程和产品设计以实现商业化。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This SBIR Phase I project will provide children ages 7-11 years with an interactive learning program that cultivates core leadership skills. This project goes deeper than many traditional socio-emotional programs by fortifying children with the behavioral skills and mindset they need to evolve as effective leaders. The educational curriculum was developed by psychologists who specialize in leadership development, and is based on cutting-edge child developmental, leadership, and educational research. This project aims to research the engagement and effectiveness of the program and its ability to enhance ten core leadership behaviors in youth, at home, in the community, and in academic settings. This program has the potential to make a long-term impact on the next generation of youth, promoting resilience in the face of adverse events, such as school violence and cyberbullying, and to positively shape the next generation of leaders, helping them form lifelong commitments to personal and professional development. The project has philanthropic aspirations to make the educational curriculum available to all children and schools, regardless of socio-economic standing, supporting the mission of NSF to promote the health, prosperity and welfare of the nation through science.This project is focused on the development of an interactive leadership program for children, that is proven to make a positive impact on leadership behaviors and that is also fun and engaging for youth and their adult caregivers and educators. What sets this program apart from others is that the research will provide evidence that the program builds the critical skills it intends on developing in children. The program is designed to be self-led or facilitated by an adult caregiver or educator, either using an online platform or physical materials. As children move from one leadership competency to another, they are extrinsically and intrinsically rewarded for their efforts. Adult caregivers and educators are encouraged to participate and are provided mastery building exercises that help them take the child?s leadership understanding and skill to the next level. A database has been developed to track real-time participant feedback as curriculum elements are developed. The testing of educational content will focus on three aspects, which include maximizing content appropriateness, validating learning and skill retention, and assessing variances and preferences for mode of delivery. Results will be used to make modifications to the curriculum and product design for commercialization.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.