Not all Extension professionals enter the workplace with knowledge and experience in program development. Some may possess extensive expertise in their subject matter but need additional training in teaching-related competencies for adult or youth audiences. Even educators with extensive skill and experience benefit from thoughtful and intentional…

Measurement-based care (MBC) is an evidence-based practice (EBP) focused on regularly administering outcome measures to clients to inform clinical decision making. While MBC shows promise for improving youth treatment outcomes, therapist adoption remains low. Clinical consultation is one strategy that improves MBC implementation, but our limited…

This study is an evaluation of the national youth service corps (NYSC) program of the federal government of Nigeria. It assessed the input, process and output indices of the programs to determine the extent to which the program has been successfully implemented and what it has achieved so far. To the researchers' knowledge this study is the first…

As research on summer camp continues to expand and both scholars and practitioners gain a better understanding of the impact of the experience, it has become important to explore how the experience of summer camp is connected to the larger ecology of youth development. This study explores strategies of Christian summer camps for impacting faith in…

There has been increased focus within the evaluation field on the value of community-engaged research (CER) methods; however, CER is not easily seen as compatible with experimental evaluation methods (or randomized controlled trial, RCT). For instance, in an experimental design, researchers leverage randomization to create a counterfactual; this…

CLOVER by 4-H is an online learning platform that creates a space for youth to explore interactive learning experiences across a range of 4-H program areas. This article provides an overview of a pilot conducted around the implementation of CLOVER by 4-H to provide positive youth-development experiences in 4-H programming. As a result of the…

Developing tailored implementation strategies to increase the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) requires accurate identification of predictors of their use. However, known difficulties with measuring EBP use complicates interpretation of the extant literature. In this proof-of-concept study, we examined whether the same predictors of use of…

As communities grapple with the harmful, inequitable effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been particularly hard on low-income and marginalized youth, renewed attention has been directed toward how out-of-school time (OST) programs can help youth reconnect and re-engage. In this article, the results of a systematic literature review on the…

Adolescents face many difficulties when transitioning to high school, particularly when it comes to their social circles and maintaining friendships. As these challenges can have long-term consequences, providing support to youth during this period is essential. The YWCA Youth Education Programs (YEP) in Vancouver, BC offer group-based,…

The Young Olympians Program was developed to further a partnership between a university and the local Boys and Girls Club in central Illinois. The program was developed to improve youth participants' academic efficacy and social and emotional learning, while also engaging them in physical activity. This article shares the project-management stages…

We examined the impact of 4-H participation on workforce readiness skill development, including personal, work, communication, and problem solving/decision-making. The study examined two levels of 4-H activities: county-level and state-level. The online survey instrument contained questions about demographics, skill development and 4-H…

Innovations in medicine have allowed children with cancer to attend school more frequently by increasing survival rates and improving access to outpatient therapies. Children with cancer still miss a significant proportion of school attendance and participation during treatment, thereby disrupting their educational experiences. "Monkey in My…

Numerous influential policy and scientific bodies are calling for more rapid advances in the scale-up of child and youth mental health services (CYMHS). A number of CYMHS innovations hold promise for advancing scale-up but little is known about how real-world efforts are progressing. We conducted a scoping review to identify promising approaches…

Youth substance use challenges their health and well-being. There is research and practical need for rigorous evaluation of substance use prevention programs in prompting positive youth development. This study examined the program effectiveness of Health Rocks!, a youth substance use prevention program, with a quasi-experimental two-factor mixed…

A growing divide in physical activity amongst youth, fueled by the privatization of youth athletic programs, most negatively impacts underrepresented students. Intramural-sports programs hold the potential to engage more of our youth in physical activity, including those from marginalized populations. Utilizing a collective impact approach,…