Youth Programs Research Articles

Exploring Firearm Access, Carriage, and Possession among Justice-Involved Youth.

Firearm carriage and possession predicts youth firearm violence victimization and perpetration. This study describes self-reported factors associated with firearm access, carriage, and possession among justice-involved youth. We conducted an exploratory, mixed-methods study. Participants were recruited from May 2022 to February 2023 from the Juvenile Justice Collaborative, a diversion program for justice-involved youth. We used online anonymous surveys to investigate exposures related to firearm access, carriage, and possession. We performed semi-structured interviews using the phenomenology framework. We used descriptive statistics to examine firearm exposures by participant demographics. We performed qualitative analyses using an iterative approach with constant comparison to identify key themes. We completed 28 surveys and 5 interviews. Most survey participants identified as male (57%) and Black (61%) with a median age of 18 years. Interview participants described the socialization and cultural normalization of firearms, most prominently among peers. Survey participants reported whether they had ever carried (25%) or possessed (21%) a firearm. Survey and interview participants endorsed protection in the context of increasing violence exposure over time as the primary motivation for firearm possession. Interview participants describe accessing firearms primarily through social networks while survey participants also reported access from strangers (25%) and licensed sellers/gun dealers (18%). In conclusion, justice-involved youth believe firearm carriage and possession may be needed for protection due to increasing violence exposure. Further investigation is necessary to determine interventions that may decrease firearm access, carriage, and possession among justice-involved youth.

Appropriateness and use of civic engagement, advocacy, and behavior change techniques in environmental education across the United States

Recent research suggests that many environmental education (EE) programs for youth in the United States focus on meeting educational standards rather than using civic engagement and advocacy techniques to promote environmental literacy. We distributed a survey to members of several EE organizations to identify which civic engagement, advocacy, and behavior change techniques a sample of EE providers feel are appropriate to use for youth at different developmental stages (grades 4–5, grades 6–8, and grades 9–12), as well as the extent to which they use them. Educators rated many techniques as less appropriate and were less likely to use them with younger age groups. We also conducted an appropriateness/use analysis to identify techniques that were deemed highly appropriate but were not used as often. The techniques related to civic engagement and advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion appeared underutilized. Implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed.

Estimating the effect of intergroup contact over years: evidence from a youth program in Israel

AbstractWe study how an intervention combining youth intergroup contact and sports affects intergroup relations in the context of an active conflict. We first conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of one-year program exposure in Israel. To track effects of a multiyear exposure, we then use machine-learning techniques to fuse the RCT with the observational data gathered on multiyear participants. This analytical approach can help overcome frequent limitations of RCTs, such as modest sample sizes and short observation periods. Our evidence cannot affirm a one-year effect on outgroup regard and ingroup regulation, although we estimate benefits of multiyear exposure among Jewish-Israeli youth, particularly boys. We discuss implications for interventions in contexts of active conflict and group status asymmetry.

239 Promoting Health Equity in South Los Angeles: A Place-Based Initiative in the Nickerson Gardens Housing Development

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Partnering with the Housing Authority of Los Angeles, we launched a place-based initiative in the Nickerson Gardens housing development in South Los Angeles, where we apply our community engagement approach of listening and learning, and trust and relationship building, to deliver public health interventions in a discrete community. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Nickerson Gardens is the largest housing development in Los Angeles, with 1,066 units and over 3,000 residents. 58% and 40% of the residents are Hispanic and Black/African American respectively with an average yearly income of less than $30,000. To build trust and establish relationships, our team began attending community events, holding weekly educational workshops, and participating in the summer program for youth. We also held listening sessions in English and Spanish that asked aboutthe overall health of the Nickerson Gardens community, environment and public space, access and barriers to care, needed healthcare services, and the lived experience within Nickerson Gardens. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: To date, we have held eight 90-minute listening sessions in English and Spanish with 59 participants. The sessions provided insight into theneeded health and educational resources and services, the organizational structure of the housing development and how that impacts access to information and services, as well as the nuanced and area-specific transportation issues and the connection to safety concerns. These findings will inform the next phase of this initiative which includes convening a Coordinating Council composed of service providers and Nickerson Gardens residents. This council will oversee the coordination and implementation of needed services, help maintain accountability of the providers, and offer residents the opportunity to take ownership of the process. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Academic-community partnerships are an effective strategy to deliver public health interventions and promote health equity in under-resourced communities. We tested and measured impact in a distinct community to reinforce a widely-applicable place-based model.

Comparison of Retro Marketing in the Heritage building case studies: M Bloc Space and the Pos Bloc Space in Jakarta, Indonesia

The renovation of historic buildings in Jakarta now has a new approach by including youth programs. In the Post Bloc building, the central concept is that young people still remember the presence of the Post office. In the former Peruri official residence building, the Blok M area where the M Bloc space building is located can add to the lives of young people. A marketing business approach is also included so businesses that occupy this historic building can sell well. Namely the retro marketing approach. This paper will discuss two retro marketing approaches for these new youth places, M-Bloc Space and Pos Bloc in Jakarta. The Data is collected by surveying and interviewing; they draw and digitalize it to analyze both buildings well. The Research Methodology used is Qualitative, with case studies comparison. This paper aims to know the retro Marketing ideal in heritage buildings to make Adaptive reuse inside sustainable. In conclusion, this paper is expected to be useful for other cities to revive historical areas and facilities in their cities with a business approach imitating the success of M Bloc Space and Pos Bloc Space.

Improving Access to Care Through Youth-Focused Virtual Sexual Health Navigation

PurposeGender and sexually diverse adolescents and young adults in Baltimore City, Maryland, are disproportionately impacted by HIV. The Virtual and Online Integrated Sexual Health Services for Youth program is a health navigation program which combines virtual sexual health service delivery and health navigation to link youth at risk for HIV acquisition to HIV testing/prevention and sexual healthcare services. MethodsYouth between 13 and 26 years old and residing in the Baltimore area were eligible to participate in the program. Demographic and engagement data from 238 youth (average age 21.4, SD = 2.5) who requested navigation were collected and recorded in a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-secure medical database and examined for associations between demographics, referral source, and the number of navigational services to which they were linked. Focused populations were defined as residents of high HIV prevalence zip codes who identify as sexual and gender diverse youth. ResultsReceipt of navigational services was significantly associated with self-identifying as sexually diverse. A multivariate regression revealed a significant association between the count of navigational services a youth was linked to and recording one's sexual orientation, identifying as a cisgender male, and residing in a high HIV-prevalence zip code. DiscussionVirtual health navigation has the potential to engage priority populations, including sexual and gender diverse youth. By refining linkage and identification approaches to health navigation, future outreach attempts can be tailored to support vulnerable communities, with the potential to improve sexual healthcare access.

Life Post-SSEAYP: Delving the Concept of “SSEAYP Sick” among Former Participating Youth from the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program

The Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP) has been running for 46 years. The Cabinet Office of Japan organises it. This programme aims to foster friendship and mutual understanding between Japanese and Southeast Asian youths. After the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) programme ends, all the former Participating Youths (PYs) will experience a new life adjustment, which is famously known as "SSEAYP Sick". Therefore, this study explores the implications of "SSEAYP Sick" among Former Participating Youths who participated in this program. Additionally, it is crucial to investigate how the SSEAYP programme has affected the PYs.The phenomenological approach is used in this qualitative research technique to comprehend how the PYs feel about a specific phenomenon. Twenty-two informants from ASEAN and Japan were interviewed in-depth to get the data. Thematic transcription was done after a descriptive analysis of the interview material. The study discovered that the PYs viewed this programme as a "bonus" regarding the SSEAYP Sick phenomena. This study's implications have identified three critical causes for the life post-SSEAYP among PYs: culture shock, homesickness, and the intricate process of returning adaptation. In addition, every person possesses unique experiences, thoughts, and viewpoints that have aided their development and moulded them into the people they are today. Keywords: Japan, SSEAYP sick, phenomenology, Southeast Asian, youth.

Statewide aftercare services program for youth transitioning from foster care: Five-year trends in participation, services, and participant characteristics

Research shows that youth who leave foster care to live independently are often at risk of homelessness, less education, unemployment/poverty, and mental health issues. There are a number of reasons for this increased risk. A variety of aftercare services for youth leaving foster care are designed to help address these risks. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in participation and understand the experiences of youth transitioning from foster care who were involved in the Iowa Aftercare Services Program. We examine trends in participation, services received, participant reports of service satisfaction, as well as employment and educational data at entry and exit over the past five years. We also examine trends in adverse life experiences and mental health characteristics. This is a secondary analysis of Iowa Aftercare Services program evaluation data, which includes survey data on participant reports of service satisfaction, as well as employment and educational data at entry and exit. The results suggest that the program serves a large portion of youth exiting foster care and is associated with high rates of satisfaction with the services, as well as high self-sufficiency ratings in housing, finances, and relationships. Moreover, youth rates of employment and education were greater when exiting the program than at study entry. We found variation in the rates of services received across the types of supports and found high rates of mental health and adverse life experiences among the participants. The findings from this study add to the literature, suggesting the benefit of statewide aftercare services and opportunities for enhancing programs for foster care youth. Specifically, mental health services might be augmented for this population with specific assessment targets, opportunities to facilitate recruitment of males, and the need to identify and reduce potential barriers to youth accessing available services.

Citizen Science in the Classroom: Data Quality and Student Engagement

This project sought to evaluate a citizen science project in the classroom via two foci: 1) whether the project could benefit students by increasing their science engagement, and 2) whether students could generate high-quality data. A total of 116 students in two honors biology and four environmental studies classes at a rural high school in the Chesapeake Bay watershed gathered water-quality data from a local stream. Water-quality data gathered from the same area by professionals were obtained from the local water treatment company via email. The quality of the student data was determined by comparing student data to professional data, as well as by eliciting students’ understanding of data quality before and after the project via short-answer questions. Students’ emotional and behavioral engagement were measured and compared before and after the project using a Likert-type questionnaire, and their behavioral engagement was additionally quantified via observation. The results showed that student data gathered using high-quality instruments were similar to professional data, according to unpaired t-tests. Students’ self-reported engagement did not change, but the students’ observed behavioral engagement was significantly higher post-intervention. The similarity between student and professional data and the increase in students’ behavioral-science engagement show that citizen science has the potential to benefit both students and scientists at the same time, by providing a high-quality dataset while increasing student engagement. This project has implications for formal and informal science education providers, and those interested in developing citizen science programs for youth and adults.

Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY): A Neuroscience Outreach Program for High School Students in Southern Nevada during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Laboratory outreach programs for K-12 students in the United States from 2020 to 2022 were suspended or delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. While Southern Nevada also observed similar closures for onsite programs, we and others hypothesized that in-person laboratory activities could be prioritized after increasing vaccine doses were available to the public and masking was encouraged. Here, we describe how the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Precision Medicine at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) collaborated with administrators from a local school district to conduct training activities for high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Science Education for the Youth (SEFTY) program's curriculum was constructed to incorporate experiential learning, fostering collaboration and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. Leveraging neuroscience tools from our UNLV laboratory, we engaged with 117 high school applicants from 2021 to 2022. Our recruitment efforts yielded a diverse cohort, with >41% Pacific Islander and Asian students, >9% African American students, and >12% multiracial students. We assessed the impact of the SEFTY program through pre- and postassessment student evaluations, revealing a significant improvement of 20.3% in science proficiency (p < 0.001) after participating in the program. Collectively, our laboratory curriculum offers valuable insights into the capacity of an outreach program to actively foster diversity and cultivate opportunities for academic excellence, even in the challenging context of a global pandemic.

Co-production and the Use of Constituency Development Funds (CDFs) in Poverty Alleviation: A Case of Selected Constituencies in Zambia

Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is the generic name for a policy tool that dedicates public money to benefit specific political subdivisions through allocations and/or spending decisions influenced by their representatives in the national parliament (Centre for International Development 2009: 8-9). Dissimilar to large national development projects, CDF-financed projects are essentially community based and driven with the major aim of bringing facilities and services closer to people for purposes of improving their social economic living conditions, especially reducing poverty. In the 2022 Zambia National Budget, CDF saw an unprecedented increase in the size of funding and scope of its mandate. For the year 2023, CDF was increased from K25.7 million (USD 1,070,833) to K28.3 million (USD 1,179,167) per constituency while being expanded to include additional components such as youth, disabled and women empowerment programs as well as secondary school bursaries that will now be locally administered. It is in this regard that the authors undertook a study to assess the impact of CDFs on poverty alleviation in 12 constituencies selected namely, Kankoyo, Moomba, Bweengwa, Mpika, Rufunsa, Monze, Chawama, Mufulira, Kaoma, Kantanshi, Mbala and Solwezi. Data was collected from men, youth and the disabled from the said constituencies. Due to the nature of data collected, mixed methodology research was used. Qualitative data was analysed with the aid of ATLAS.ti while quantitative data was analysed using SPSS Version 30. Key findings are that the general public is aware of the existence of the CDFs and that it is a government empowerment programme especially for funding education and skills acquisition through school bursaries and skills development components, community projects and empowerment loans. However, empirical evidence on the ground point to challenges of the CDFs through political patronage, nepotism, the abdication of key decision making to the politician (Member of parliament) who has massive influence as he/she has power to arbitrary hand-pick 6 members out of 12 to the main CDF committee responsible for administration of CDF funds.

COMPETENCIES OF SERBIAN YOUTH FOOTBALL COACHES

Although there is an organized training system for coaches in the Football Association of Serbia (FAS), their careers are governed to a much greater extent by the merciless market, which forms a unique combination of the influence of the environment, age, previous competitive experience and level of success, as well as coaching experience. For the stated reason, the FAS Youth Commission, which takes care of the future of Serbian football, launched a survey on the professional profile of youth football coaches in Serbia. The analysis includes the work of 161 coaches of youth schools in the Super League, the First League and the Serbian League. Most coaches come from Western Serbia, followed by Belgrade, then Eastern Serbia, with Vojvodina at the back. The age structure of the coaches seems to meet the current needs of the Association. The coaching assotiation are also satisfying with a high percentage of licensed coaches. The coach’s previous playing experience is also satisfactory. A relatively small number of coaches have playing experience at the highest level. The question arises whether the structure of the average coaching tenure is sufficient for the results that are set as goals for the FAS? A small number of trainers worked with only one age group, while the largest number of trainers worked with 4 ages between 10 and 18 years old. Half of the coaches tried their hand at the senior competition. A seemingly simple analysis raises questions that mostly concern the unused resource for the advancement of the FAS, and which are precisely found in the strategic approach to the development of football personnel and the systematic management of the aforementioned variables, which, with the correct relationship, sequence and combination, can lead to more experienced and successful football experts in Serbia. Based on the results, FAS will launch a joint development program for youth.

A career education program for early childhood youth: Development and initial evaluation

AbstractFostering occupational knowledge during early childhood could help build a foundation for more sophisticated future knowledge of the world of work. Thus, we developed and initially evaluated the effectiveness of a career education program designed to promote occupational knowledge of kindergarten children. Participants were 133 Italian kindergarten children with a mean age of 4.62 years (SD = 0.47) who were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. Results indicated that, compared to the control group, the experimental group experienced a significantly greater overall increase in occupational knowledge after the intervention. Results of social validity measures indicated that parents and teachers of the experimental group perceived the intervention very favorably in terms of its goals, acceptability and usability of the procedures, and outcomes. The study results provide initial support for the potential of the career education program to promote understanding of the world of work and occupations in early childhood.

Young Women's Silence and Voice in the Context of Male-Perpetrated Violence

Our work examines when young women who have experienced abuse choose to (not) speak out and what creates the conditions for (not) doing so. We interviewed 17 heterosexual, partnered women aged 18 to 24 who had experienced intimate partner violence. Many linked silence with fear/anxiety and understood speaking out as a threat to their relationship, while others spoke up despite possible consequences and called their partners out. Some experienced fear at the thought of speaking out but did so anyway. This study nuances understandings of silencing in the abuse context and may contribute to youth programming concerning decisions around (not) speaking out.

Socializing Latinx college-going youth to (White) Neutral Rationality: Liberal teaching practices and right-wing racisms

The mythology of liberal anti/racism endures in U.S. mainstream educational discourse as the rational approach to address white supremacy, with college-going positioned as the pathway to a better life. Liberal logics suppose that once racialized peoples enter positions of power, society will improve. Drawing upon pláticas and interviews from an ethnographic study of a college preparation program for Latinx youth at a public high school in the liberal, racially diverse San Francisco Bay Area, this work examines how liberal teaching practices shaped Mexican-origin youths’ responses to right-wing terror. Instead of preparing youth to dismantle white supremacy, these practices undermined youths’ readings of their sociopolitical worlds. Engaging language socialization approaches, this work argues that liberal teaching practices socialized college-going youth to (white) neutral rationality, wherein accommodating white supremacy signals rationality and college readiness. This research illustrates why college-going can be no more than one tactic towards collective wellbeing for racialized people.

98 Using youth hippology contest results as a needs assessment as a framework for a train the trainer program

Abstract Land-Grant Institutions and Cooperative Extension Services seek to disseminate science-based information to the general public and strive to develop the next generation of agriculturists. Extension agents across Tennessee implement youth and adult educational programs to build the knowledge and skill sets of producers and youth. However, Extension agents differ in areas of expertise, leaving some counties with minimal ability to provide 4-H horse project members with sufficient content knowledge while agents in other counties are more well versed in equine-specific areas. Youth (n = 224) competed in the 2021 regional 4-H Hippology contest across the Eastern (n = 59), Central (n = 93), and Western (n = 72) regions. Youth competed within their age divisions, where junior (grades 4 and 5, k=60 where k represents number of participants within each age division), junior high (grades 6 to 8, k = 100), and senior (grades 9 to 12, k = 100) divisions competed in written exam and slide identification phases. Contest scores from the Tennessee regional and Eastern National 4-H Hippology contests were used to determine areas of knowledge deficiency. Nutrition, tack, selection, health, and breeds were categories identified as areas in which 4th – 12th grade youth lacked adequate knowledge and a training program and new curriculum was developed and delivered to county extension agents. Statistical analysis was conducted using SAS v9.4 (Cary, NC). Differences were found when comparing across question category (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), age group (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), and year (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Nutrition questions were most often missed by senior and junior high youth (k = 7.8, 51.94%; k = 7.5, 44.22%) whereas junior youth missed training questions most frequently (k = 4.9, 54.14%). Of the 5 deficient topic areas, selection questions were the lowest percentage missed by senior and junior high youth (k =5.9, 36.81%; k = 7.1, 39.53%) whereas junior youth missed health questions least frequently (k = 4, 39.87%). It was found that training status had no significant on scores from year to year (P &amp;gt;0.05). Despite the lack of training effect, these findings still prove valuable when assessing performance upholding the extension mission of delivering science-based information to the next generation of industry professionals.

Mental health implementation research in Indigenous communities: creating culturally safe space to enhance collective strengths

In this article, we discuss the construct of cultural safety in relation to the ethics, politics, and practice of implementation research in Indigenous communities. We convened a 3-day workshop, bringing together 23 Indigenous and non-Indigenous collaborators from First Nation communities and universities across Canada to reflect on experiences with implementing an Indigenous youth and family mental health promotion program in First Nation communities. Participants identified three dimensions central to achieving culturally safe space in implementation research: (1) interpersonal dynamics of collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners; (2) structural and temporal arrangements necessary for collaborative work; and (3) the systematic recognition and incorporation of Indigenous cultural knowledge, values, and practices. Within implementation research, attention to cultural safety can mitigate the epistemic injustice that arise from research frameworks and methodologies that exclude Indigenous perspectives and values. Cultural safety can increase the likelihood that the research process itself contributes to mental health promotion.

Integrating Cardiovascular Engineering and Biofluid Mechanics in High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: An Experiential Approach.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education workshops and programs play a key role in promoting early exposure to scientific applications and questions. Such early engagement leads to growing not only passion and interest in science, but it also leads to skill development through hands-on learning and critical thinking activities. Integrating physiology and engineering together is necessary especially to promote health technology awareness and introduce the young generation to areas where innovation is needed and where there is no separation between health-related matters and engineering methods and applications. To achieve this, we created a workshop aimed at K-12 (grades 9-11) students as part of the Summer Youth Programs at Michigan Technological University. The aim of this workshop was to expose students to how engineering concepts and methods translate into health- and medicine-related applications and cases. The program consisted of a total of 15 h and was divided into three sections over a period of 2 weeks. It involved a combination of theoretical and hands-on guided activities that we developed. At the end of the workshop, the students were provided a lesson or activity-specific assessment sheet and a whole workshop-specific assessment sheet to complete. They rated the programs along a 1-5 Likert scale and provided comments and feedback on what can be improved in the future. Students rated hands-on activities the highest in comparison with case studies and individual independent research. Conclusively, this STEM summer-youth program was a successful experience with many opportunities that will contribute to the continued improvement of the workshop in the future.

POEM IN MOTION: A UNIQUE BLEND OF EAST AND WEST IN SANDHYA RAJU’S PERFORMANCE POETRY OF MAYA ANGELOU’S POEM ‘PHENOMENAL WOMAN’

Dance is an ancient, universal art form that stirs the souls of the performer as well as the admirers. Dance has the power to heal, nourish, teach, and spread joy and peace. In India, a multicultural and multilingual country, innumerable folk, and classical dance forms have flourished and continue to be practised across villages, towns, and cities. Religious festivals, cultural gatherings, social movements, and youth programmes are incomplete without the rhythm and beauty of music and dance. On Feb 2, 2022, the eminent Kuchipudi danseuse Sandhya Raju launched a terpsichorean rendition of the famous poem ‘Phenomenal Woman’ written by the American poet and activist Maya Angelou and published in 1978, as a tribute to the former’s mother on her birthday. Raju, with her co-dancers from the Aayana Dance Company, made a creative interpretation of the poet’s powerful words, while adding a verse of her own which in turn emphasised the concepts of inner strength of a woman and the depth of mother-daughter bonding. The choreography largely borrows from Kuchipudi, a dance form with its origin in an eponymous village in Andhra Pradesh and founded in the classical Sanskrit treatise Natya Sastra. Angelou’s emphatic paean to the confidence and inner beauty of the woman fuses with the Indian performance art form to weave a mesmerising visual-aural experience to the viewer, bringing in an East-West blend that surpasses the boundaries of language, culture, and race.

Coping Power-Rural: Iterative Adaptation of an Evidence-Based Preventive Intervention for Rural Upper Elementary and Middle Schools

BackgroundEducators in rural schools are uniquely situated to address youth mental health disparities, yet often face challenges in delivering mental health supports. This paper describes the process of adapting the evidence-based Coping Power program, a small group prevention program for youth with aggressive behavior problems, to be a two-tiered (Tier 1 and Tier 2), transdiagnostic intervention to improve fit and feasibility for rural upper elementary and middle schools.MethodIdentified challenges with the Coping Power program for rural areas included program length, substantial staffing and resource requirements, lack of universal programming, low caregiver engagement, and co-occurring problems. Initial adaptations included a classroom and small group format implemented by school staff, teacher consultations integrated into coaching and co-facilitation, and a technology-supported caregiver component. Implementer feedback forms, coaching notes, and individual interviews informed the iterative development and feasibility testing process.ResultsBetween 2019 and 2023, thirteen schools across six rural districts implemented the program. Student curriculum revisions included order and relative emphasis of content, classroom and small group overlap, necessary simplification of concepts, improved contextualization to the rural setting, and the addition of student workbooks. Supports for implementers included fully developed lesson plans and slides, a comprehensive implementation manual, video lesson overviews, action-focused training, and a 3-session coaching model to support implementer preparation and sustain motivation. Teacher and caregiver infographic text “nudges” were improved to promote generalization of concepts across settings.DiscussionBy partnering with school-based implementers, the adapted program holds promise to be more feasible and appealing for rural schools than the original model. This fully developed program is now ready for larger-scale testing in rural schools.