Positive youth development programs such as those offered by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provide sources of support and opportunities for leadership and character development. Programmatic experts from BSA collaborated with researchers to develop a visual theory of change (pathway model) for youth development in Scouts BSA and for adult volunteer…

There is a defined need to provide accessible and effective professional development for 4-H educators. Lesson study is a Community of Practice-based approach to educator professional development. Prior research has shown lesson study to be effective with 4-H staff, adult volunteers, and teen volunteers. This inquiry, a multisite case study, was…

This Practice to Policy brief, based on insights from UnidosUS's Affiliate Network of community-based organizations and public charter schools in Illinois, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California, highlights the critical role of Out-of-School Time (OST) programs in supporting the Latino community, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19…

Given the growing attention to community environmental education (CEE), this study develops a theoretical heuristic for this approach through a retroductive process by (1) examining theories appropriate for a CEE conceptual framework; (2) testing this framework in diverse contexts to determine its viability, and (3) reconceptualizing the…

This study explored media usage among adolescents and its relations to academic performance and aggressive behavior from a qualitative research perspective. This study represents the first of its kind by utilizing a phenomenological methodology to gain insights about lived experiences of adolescents' media use relative to their academic…

This study examined the impact of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGC), and its Keystone Club (KC) component, on the leadership and citizenship development of its alumni. 14 alumni were interviewed using a structured interview technique. The constant comparative method was utilized to identify leadership traits and skills that alumni…

A survey of 250 parents of current and former 4-H participants found most very positive about competitions, especially volunteer leaders, camp participants, and former 4-H members. They encouraged participation to enhance their children's self-esteem. Major concerns centered on excessive parental involvement and unethical practices. (SK)

Objectives of this research study were (1) to determine areas of agreement and disagreement concerning the value of Future Farmers of America (FFA) contests; (2) to determine if there is a need for additional contests, deletion of some contests, or changes in contest procedures; and (3) to determine if the contest activities selected are…