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Positive Youth Development Program

An Effective Practice

This practice has been Archived and is no longer maintained.

Description

The Positive Youth Development Program is a school-based social competence training program designed to increase social adjustment and decrease substance use among sixth and seventh grade students. The trainings emphasize broad-based competence promotion and skills that help adolescents resist drugs and alcohol. The 20-session program is divided into six units: stress management, self-esteem, problem solving, substances and health information, assertiveness, and social networks.

Goal / Mission

To increase social competence and decrease substance abuse among sixth and seventh grade students.

Results / Accomplishments

In 1992, an evaluation of a Positive Youth Development Program implemented in inner city and suburban New Haven, CT was evaluated. The results of the evaluation show that students who participated in the program had increased their skills in handling interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety. Moreover, participants had increased constructive conflict resolution with peers, impulse control, and popularity when compared with students who did not participate in the program. Results show that substance use intentions changed after program participation and excessive alcohol use decreased.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
University of Illinois at Chicago
Primary Contact
Roger P. Weissberg, Ph.D
Professor of Psychology and Education
Department of Psychology (M/C 285)
University of Illinois at Chicago
1017 West Harrison Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7137
(312) 413-1012
rpw@uic.edu
Topics
Health / Children's Health
Health / Adolescent Health
Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
Organization(s)
University of Illinois at Chicago
Source
Urban Institute
Date of publication
1992
Location
New Haven, CT
For more details
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1556286
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/TeenRiskTaking_2....
Target Audience
Children, Teens

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Related Content for: Positive Youth Development Program

An Effective Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success and/or promise in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures of improvement in outcome of interest (i.e. increase in voter registration, not just delivery of voter registration drive) and/ or the outcome measure is increased or improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant.
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