Maximizing the Contribution of After-School Programs to Positive Youth Development: Exploring Leadership and Implementation within Girls on the Run.

AUTONOMY (Psychology); CHI-squared test; CHILD development; CONFIDENCE; CONTENT analysis; STATISTICAL correlation; FOCUS groups; LEADERSHIP; LONGITUDINAL method; RESEARCH methodology; SENSORY perception; PROBABILITY theory; SCHOOLS; SELF-esteem testing; SELF-perception; SOCIAL workers; SURVEYS; T-test (Statistics); MATHEMATICAL variables; QUALITATIVE research; SOCIAL support; SOCIOECONOMIC factors; LEADERS; HUMAN services programs; PRE-tests & post-tests; PHYSICAL activity; DATA analysis software; MEDICAL coding; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; INTRACLASS correlation

CANADA; UNITED States

As school social workers partner with, or work within, after-school physical activity-based positive youth development (PA-PYD) programs, questions remain regarding how to maximize the impact of these programs on youth outcomes. This mixed-methods study sought to (a) qualitatively explore whether program leaders' perceptions of youth benefits from participation in Girls on the Run (GOTR), a PA-PYD program, align with one particular positive youth development framework, as this has implications for how leaders implement these programs, and (b) quantitatively examine how implementation fidelity and perceived program leader autonomy-support influenced changes in participants' self-esteem across a season. Data were collected through focus groups, site visits, and pre/post surveys. Thirteen leaders and 330 participants from 30 GOTR sites within one GOTR council participated. Qualitative data were deductively analyzed. Quantitative data were analyzed using two-level random intercept linear multilevel models. Leaders' perceptions of GOTR benefits aligned with the five Cs framework. Participants' perceptions of their leader's autonomy-support was a significant predictor of self-esteem (β = .1293, p < .0001). Implementation fidelity was not a significant predictor (β = -0.003, p = .1023). Findings are discussed in relation to how school social workers can maximize the impact of PA-PYD programs on positive youth development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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