Possessing leadership skills has beneficial effects on youth and their life trajectories, making leadership training through effective programming a critical aspect of youth development. This study addressed the deficiency of leadership traits and characteristics in at-risk youth that are necessary for their social, academic, and future success. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand parental perceptions of the Leadership SOAR youth leadership mentoring program's effectiveness through a positive youth development framework. The study sought to answer two questions: "Based on parents' perceptions, was Leadership SOAR effective in developing leadership skills, behaviors and competencies in the youth it served?" and "What are the perceptions of parents regarding the leadership skills, behaviors, and competencies that youth exhibit after participating in the Leadership SOAR program?" Purposive sampling was used to identify 12 parents of past program participants who shared their perceptions about the program's effectiveness through individual and focus group interviews conducted over Zoom using a semi-structured interview protocol and questionnaires. Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis procedure was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that parents perceived that Leadership SOAR had been effective in developing leadership skills, behaviors, and competencies in their youth. Additionally, parents perceived their youths' stronger leadership efficacy, heightened confidence and self-esteem, and increased academic achievement were directly attributable to their youth's participation in Leadership SOAR. Study results suggest that Leadership SOAR's programming and curriculum have been effective in developing the at-risk youth it serves. Findings support the literature, which has consistently found advantages associated with positive youth development-centered programs and strengthens positive youth development theory by providing further evidence for its effectiveness as a framework for youth programming. A recommendation for future practice is for program coordinators to re-examine and refine the components of their programming that are designed to develop youths' emotional self-regulation and maturity skills to make them more effective. Recommendations for future research include increasing the sample size to cover a broader number of parental perspectives, including the perceptions of the youth in the data collection, and incorporating quantitative survey into the data collection process. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]