Youth Empowerment Solutions for Positive Youth Development

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究，青年赋权解决方案的积极青年发展（YES），是一项随机对照试验，比较青少年在标准的课后项目提供活动选择（如体育，学术丰富，艺术）和青少年分配到课后项目，包括社区发展培训，形成代际伙伴关系和经验进行社区改善项目。本研究的目的是：1)采用随机对照试验设计，在高风险城市和郊区样本中实施和评估经验开发的赋权青年干预措施（YES）；2)检验一个假设青年赋权过程与积极发展结果之间存在因果关系的概念模型；3)长期跟踪青年，评估健康发展成果的可持续性。YES是密歇根大学公共卫生学院、弗林特社区学校和杰内西县中级学区之间的合作项目。这项研究将包括8所高需求中学的参与者，这些中学有21世纪课后项目。发展结果将在基线、课程完成以及干预后3个月和9个月进行评估。研究人员一直发现，参加校外活动可以提高青少年的幸福感和价值感，使他们参与积极的行为，并帮助他们避免参与问题行为。虽然已经提出了成功的课后项目的关键要素（例如，成人指导），但很少有实证研究表明，青年积极成果的实现过程。赋权理论为发展项目提供了一个独特的概念框架，以加强积极的青年发展，因为它包含了这样一个概念，即健康促进不仅需要青年发展特定的技能和积极的资产，而且还需要青年积极地应用这些技能和知识，成为他们自己和社区积极变革的推动者。因此，基于授权理论的项目侧重于建立积极的资产，将青年与当地资源和成人榜样联系起来，并使青年参与社区服务活动。生态理论补充了赋权理论，因为它关注青年在这些环境中发展互动的社会环境，以及青年在这些环境中可以发挥的作用（例如，学校，社区）。在这两种理论的指导下，一种干预方法应该通过让青年参与到相关的生态环境中来促进青年的积极发展，在这些环境中，他们可以学习技能，实践这些技能，并建立社会资源，以有效地驾驭他们发现自我的社会环境，并发展成为健康的成年人。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study, Youth Empowerment Solutions for Positive Youth Development (YES), is a randomized controlled trial that compares youth in standard after school programs offering activity choice (e.g. sports, academic enrichment, arts) to youth assigned to an after school program that includes training in community development, formation of intergenerational partnerships and experience conducting community improvement projects. The study aims are to: 1) implement and evaluate an empirically developed intervention for empowering youth (YES) using a randomized controlled trial design in a high risk urban and suburban sample; 2) test a conceptual model that posits a causal relationship from youth empowerment processes to positive developmental outcomes; and 3) follow youth over time to assess sustainability of gains in healthy development. YES is a partnership between the University of Michigan School of Public Health, the Flint Community Schools and the Genesee County Intermediate School District. The study will include participants at eight high need middle schools with 21st Century after school programs. Developmental outcomes will be assessed at baseline, curriculum completion and at three and nine months post-intervention. Researchers have consistently found that participation in out of school programs enhances adolescents' well being and sense of worth, involves them in positive behaviors and helps them avoid involvement in problem behaviors. Although key elements of successful after school programs have been proposed (e.g., adult mentorship), the processes through which youth positive outcomes are achieved have rarely been empirically examined. Empowerment theory provides a unique conceptual framework for developing programs to enhance positive youth development because it incorporates the notion that health promotion requires not only that youth develop specific skills and positive assets, but also that youth become motivated to actively apply these skills and knowledge to become agents of positive change for themselves and in their communities. Thus, programs based on empowerment theory focus on building positive assets, connecting youth with local resources and adult role models, and engaging youth in community service activities. Ecological theory complements empowerment theory because it focuses attention on the social contexts in which youth develop interactions between these contexts, and the roles youth can play in these contexts (e.g., schools, communities). An intervention approach informed by these two theories should enhance positive youth development by engaging youth in relevant ecological settings where they can learn skills, practice those skills, and establish the social resources to effectively navigate the social contexts in which they find themselves and develop into healthy adults. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed study aims to implement and evaluate an empirically developed after school intervention for empowering youth (YES) using a randomized controlled trail design in a high risk, urban sample; to test a conceptual model that posits a causal relationship from youth empowerment processes to positive developmental outcomes; and, to follow youth over time to assess sustainability of gains in healthy development