The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how young adult participants, who completed the Inspire-High School Program offered through a parochial school, describe the influences that their internal and external environments had on their ability to complete the program in the southern United States. This study used…

Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) is traditionally depicted as a hegemonic masculine domain. Thus, fundamental to any dialogue on gender in OAE is whether the outdoor experience reifies or disputes stereotypical gender roles. This study explores the influence of gender on the psychosocial outcomes and descriptions of gender-related influences on…

Background: Some education programs' early positive effects disappear over time. Other programs have unanticipated positive long-term effects. Foundations have warned of the dangers of putting too much weight on in-program effects, which "often fade over time." The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) even…

Many studies in recent years have shown the effectiveness of Physical Education and Sports (PES) as a vehicle for teaching values and personal development among youth. However, despite research showing values transference is crucial for optimal learning, a gap in the literature remains regarding the strategies and methods underlying values…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the individual experiences of five Poe High School alumni and to understand how these alumni made sense of their experiences with reading while participating in the Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) program. This study employed the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology to…

Supporting the growth and retention of teachers in urban classrooms poses significant challenges to the education community. Student-centered instruction has demonstrated positive impacts on student academic growth and social development, facilitating acquisition of 21st century skills. However, implementing student-centered instruction is…

This study was designed to explore, record, explain and describe the lived experiences of African American male students engaged in mentorship programs for post-secondary education. This study takes an exploratory phenomenological approach to research and is conducted at a mentorship program site. The following research questions guided this study…

We report data from the first year of a three-year collaboration between a sport-based youth development program, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), and a university-based research institute. The theory of change of PCA was tested with youth athletes, representing multiple sport types (e.g., individual/team) and seasons (e.g., fall/winter), who…

This study investigated one-semester outdoor education program impact on adolescents' perceived self-authorship--the ability to form our identity independently from the expectations of external individuals and the capacity to invent our beliefs, identity, and relationships (Baxter Magolda, 1998; Kegan, 1982)--as measured by the Self-Authorship…

Marginalized boys at risk of dropping out of high school have for a long time been a problem in the Western world. 100 such Danish 14-16 year old boys were in the summers of 2013, 2014 and 2015 exposed to a new school program, "The Boys Academy," inspired by Seligman and the American KIPP schools suggesting seven character strengths to…

We have modified the popular Cafe Scientifique model for engaging adults in dialog on issues at the nexus of science and society to address the specific needs and interests of high-school age youth. Key elements of the model are Youth Leadership Teams that guide the program design and assist with implementation; a speaker preparation process to…

The present study sought to examine the potential for resilience to be enhanced in a group of youth participating in a developmental voyage, and to identify the factors that contribute to increased resilience following the voyage. Two studies are reported. Study 1 revealed that voyage participants experienced increased resilience over the course…

The purpose of this study was to investigate Finnish high school students' and teachers' perceptions of the effects of short-term Nordic study abroad programs in which they had participated. The data presented were based on a "mixed-methods strategy." The data set consisted of responses from 158 students and 92 teachers to a specifically…

The purpose of this study was to research teacher and student perceptions of the impact of an advisory program at a large, suburban high school. The advisory program on which this study focused was created in August 2004. Kottler and Kottler (1998) note "it is through your relationships with students that you affect and influence them most…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the interconnectedness of the environment, human development, and the factors that influence students' academic performance in a homogeneous ability grouped mathematics classroom. The study consisted of four African American urban high school juniors, 2 male and 2 female. During the 12 week…