Mechanisms of Action Promoting Social Emotional Learning in Sport and Recreation Program for Socially Vulnerable Youth

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While sport and recreation programs have capacity to contribute to social emotional learning, there is a lack of clarity regarding how to achieve this. To address this void, we used constructivist grounded theory to identify the mechanisms of action promoting social emotional competencies captured by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) model (i.e. self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making) in sport and recreation program for socially vulnerable youth. Data collection included in-depth interviews with 12 youth participants and 13 practitioners. The findings show that the key mechanisms driving skill development include the adoption of new roles (leading to leadership opportunities, accountability, and exposure to diversity), interaction with caring program practitioners (providing feedback, mentorship, and trust-building), and the program’s context (offering a culture of safety, inclusivity, responsibility, and positivity). This study contributes to theory and practice on social emotional learning in sport and recreation programs.