The bi-directional relationships within the personal and contextual environments of adolescents are critical to the development of adolescents and their transition into adulthood. Opportunities for youth to participate in and provide leadership in meaningful programs, gain life skills, and interact with adults in sustained relationships are key features leading to...
Positive youth development posits that all youth possess the capacity to change and grow as they interact with their contexts. That capacity is activated and nurtured by a beneficial ecological environment often unavailable for homeless youth. Only a limited number of studies focus on the positive development and strengths of...
During the past two decades a wide range of intervention programs have emerged in response to escalating concerns over school bullying. The advent of such programs seems justified as 70 percent of school-aged children and youth identify bullying as a problem in their school (Polanin, et al., 2012; Renshaw &...
The Producing for the Future project engaged thirty low-income youth in gardening and nutrition education, microenterprise activities, and participatory research during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. The intervention aimed to support community protective factors, build positive youth development, and enhance health outcomes through promoting skill-building and mentorship. The mixedmethods...
Schools are increasingly expected to prevent and decrease violence, substance use, and other problem behaviors linked to academics and prepare students to be contributing members of society. One approach with proven success in promoting positive outcomes related to a broad range of student behaviors and personal characteristics is social-emotional learning,...