august 20, 20151 bsa top hands conference richard m. lerner, et al. richard m. lerner, rachel m....

August 20, 2015 1BSA Top Hands ConferenceRichard M. Lerner , et al.

Richard M. Lerner, Rachel M. Hershberg, Jun Wang, et al.

Promoting the Positive Development of Youth Through

BSA Programs: The Sample Case of the Cradle of Liberty Council

“Character and Merit Project” (CAMP)


In the 1990s a new vision of the teenage years emerged from biology and developmental science.

This is the Positive Youth Development (PYD) perspective.

A New Approach to the Scientific Study of Adolescence


A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF THE

PYD PERSPECTIVE


1989/1990: Rick Little, Founding President of the International Youth Foundation• Introduces the concept of PYD• Defines PYD as composed of 4 Cs: Competence,

Confidence, Connection, and Character

1995: Conference in Aspen, CO • The “C” of Caring is added• There are now 5 Cs!

1996: Rick Little suggests that when the 5Cs develop, a “6th C”, Contribution, emerges in youth

RICK LITTLE (1989/1990, 1996)


The concept of PYD has been understood in at least three interrelated but nevertheless different ways:

• As a developmental process;

• As a philosophy or approach to youth programming; and

• As instances of youth development (YD) programs and organizations focused on fostering the healthy or positive development of youth

BSA Programs reflect all 3 meanings of PYD!

STEPHEN HAMILTON (1999)


PYD AS A DEVELOPMENTAL

PROCESS


1. Because of the potential to change, all youth have strengths.

2. All contexts have strengths as well. These strengths are resources that may be used to promote positive youth development.

3. These resources are termed “developmental assets”. They are the “social nutrients” needed for healthy development.

The PYD Perspective: Six Core Concepts


4. These assets are found in families, schools, faith institutions, youth serving organizations, and the community more generally.

5. If the strengths of youth are combined with ecological developmental assets, then positive, healthy development may occur.

6. We should be optimistic that it is in our power to promote positive development among ALL youth and to create more asset-rich settings supporting such development among ALL youth.

The PYD Perspective: Six Core Concepts


EXAMPLES OF THE PYD PROCESS


THE RICHARD M. AND JACQUELINE V. LERNER MODEL OF PYD:

• PYD occurs when youth strengths are aligned with ecological resources (assets)

• Intentional Self Regulation and Hope are key strengths of youth

• Individuals, institutions, collective activity, and access are key ecological assets

• “Five Cs” are the outcomes of the PYD process

• Thriving youth contribute to their context • Contribution is the 6th C of PYD


THE LERNER & LERNER MODEL OF PYD

PYD

Competence

Confidence

CharacterCaring

Connection

Ecological

Assets

Individual

Strengths

Contribution

Reduced Risk

Behavior


Community-Based Youth Development Programs

Skill-building activities

Sustained youth-adult

partnerships

Youth leadership PYD

THE LERNER & LERNER MODEL OF PYD: “THE BIG THREE”

Civic Contributions


What We Have Learned About PYD To

Date:A Brief Overview of Findings from the

“Character and Merit Project” (CAMP)


Acknowledgements


IARYD Research TeamBrian M. Burkhard, M.S.

Robey B. Champine, M.S., M.P.H.

Paul A. Chase, Ph.D.

Kaitlin A. Ferris, Ph.D.

Rachel M. Hershberg, Ph.D.

Lacey J. Hilliard, Ph.D.

Richard M. Lerner, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)

Caroline Stack, B.A.

Jun Wang, Ph.D.

Daniel J. A. Warren, M.A.


Research Aims of CAMP• Do BSA programs promote character development among participating youth?

• If so, how do BSA programs promote such character development?


Study Design Measured multiple groups five times

between 2012 and 2014 Quantitative and qualitative methods

were used Used the structure of BSA for initial data

collection:

Council Adult Leaders Scouts


Participating Districts

ContinentalGeneral Nash

LafayetteBaden-Powell Washington

Roosevelt

ScoutReach

TriuneConestogaMinquas

Constellation

Northern


CAMP Participants.

Total Youth in Study: 2650• Total BSA Youth: 1787

• Non-ScoutReach: 1524

• ScoutReach: 263

• Total Comparison Group Youth:

863


We Developed a NEW Measure of Character

The Assessment of Character in Children and Early Adolescents (ACCEA).

ACCEA works well with Scouts, non-Scout boys, and non-Scout girls. Also works well with ethnic minority youth from low-income communities (for example, ScoutReach participants)


The ACCEA Measure of CharacterAttributes Definitions/Sample Items

Obedience

Participants’ self-reported levels of positive conduct or behavior (emphasizing behaving in accordance with rules for conduct).

“I act the way I am supposed to.”

ReverenceParticipants’ religious activities.“I like to read or listen to stories from my religion.”

CheerfulnessHow often participants experienced positive feelings.“I am happy.”

KindnessA participant’s quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate to others.“When my friends are upset, I try to make them feel better.”

ThriftinessParticipants’ effective use of goods and services, and restraint in acquiring them, to achieve longer-term goals.“I save my money for something special.”

Hopeful Future Expectation

Participants’ possession of a positive outlook about their life in the future. “I will have a happy family.”

TrustworthinessA participant’s perception of whether others believe they can place their trust in him or her. “I can be counted on to tell the truth.”

HelpfulnessParticipants’ ability to provide assistance or to be useful.“I help people in my family.”


DID BSA PROGRAM PARTICIPATION PROMOTE

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE FIVE TIMES OF

DATA COLLECTION?


Time 1: No difference between Scouts and non-Scouts.

Time 5: Scouts reported significant increases in cheerfulness, helpfulness, kindness, obedience, trustworthiness, and hopeful future expectations.

BUT Non-Scout boys reported no significant increases

in any of the character attributes.


What values do Scouts and non-Scouts consider as the

most important?


Scouts are significantly more likely than non-Scouts to embrace other-oriented values, including helping others, and doing the right thing.


GroupOther-oriented Values as Most Important?

Scouts 65.3%

Non-Scouts 55.5%

Participation in BSA and Values


Activity Other-oriented Values as Most Important

BSA 72.8%

BSA and Sports 64.8%

Sports 53.2%

Associations between Other Activities in which Youth

Participate and their Values


How Does BSA Program Participation Promote

Character Development?

• Intensity• Duration• Engagement


Intensity High Intensity = “Almost Always”

Participates

“Exemplar Scouts” (54%): “Almost always” participated in weekly meetings and weekend activities

“Non-Exemplar Scouts” (46%): “Sometimes” or “rarely” participated in weekly meetings and weekend activities


Time 1: No significant differences in character attributes between Exemplar and Non-Exemplar Scouts.

Time 4: Exemplar Scouts were significantly higher in kindness, thriftiness, trustworthiness, helpfulness, hopeful future expectation, academic competence, intentional self-regulation, and connection to nature.

Intensity and Character Development


The number of months each participant had been involved in Scouting when data were collected.

Duration represents persistent involvement in a YD program over time.

Duration


Scouts who have remained in the program longer reported having higher levels of trustworthiness, school competence, intentional self-regulation, and hopeful future expectation.

Duration and Character Development


Youth interest, enjoyment, and commitment to the program.

• Individual engagement

• Pack-level engagement

Engagement


Individual-level engagement was significantly associated with cheerfulness, hopeful future expectation, helpfulness, kindness, and intentional self-regulation.

Pack-level engagement enhanced the effects of individual engagement on character development, especially for highly engaged youth.

Engagement and Character Development


Program Participation and the Character Development of

ScoutsIntensity

Duration

Engagement

Character development


Findings about ScoutReach Youth

• Higher levels of engagement associated with higher religious reverence, cheerfulness, intentional self-regulation, kindness, thriftiness, hopeful future expectation, trustworthiness, and helpfulness.


Conclusions and Next Steps

Scouting positively impacts youth character development, particularly for Scouts with longer duration, greater intensity, and higher engagement in the program.

We need to “dig deeper” into the ways in which BSA programs promote character among ScoutReach youth.


THANK YOU !

august 20, 20151 bsa top hands conference richard m. lerner, et al. richard m. lerner, rachel m....

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