Youth and Staff Perceptions of Desired Outcomes from Positive Youth Development Focused Recreation Organizations: the Formation of Potential Evaluative Criteria

Abstract

This qualitative research explores the positive developmental outcomes achieved by recreation organizations aimed at positive youth development (PYD). Specifically, perceptions of PYD outcomes occurring from youth’s participation in recreational programs were sought out from both youth members of PYD focused recreational organizations and the staff delivering these programs. These are categorized as (1) the outputs, (2) the short-term outcomes and (3) the long-term impacts of youths’ participation in these organizations (as seen in the last three stages of a logic model). Outputs included objective measureable indicators of youth’s positive development (e.g., increased grades in school), short-term outcomes included a series of life skills (e.g., leadership skills, social skills), and long-term impacts contain the 4Cs (confidence, competence, compassion, character). This study is also one of only a few that has examined and presents youth’s contribution to their communities (e.g., volunteering) as an outcome of PYD endeavors. These results should be valuable for practitioners in recreation organizations looking for measurable outcomes of PYD interventions that can work as evaluative criteria. Currently, few sources of evaluative criteria for PYD programming in recreation based on empirical evidence exists though they can be useful for those operating in non-profit, grassroots organizations who may not possess this specialized knowledge.