The Compassion International (CI) Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD)
The Compassion International (CI) Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD)
Project Summary
The CI Study of PYD is a three‐nation, cohort comparative longitudinal study of the use of the R. Lerner and J. Lerner model of Positive Youth Development (PYD) for understanding the bases of PYD among some of the world’s poorest youth enrolled in Compassion’s child development centers. Compassion International (CI) is a faith-based child‐sponsorship organization that partners with over 8,000 churches to promote thriving in over 2.1 million children living in poverty in 25 countries located in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.
The project includes both quantitative (in El Salvador, Rwanda, and Uganda) and qualitative (in El Salvador) research studying the development of youth involved in CI’s programs.
Approach
While many youth development programs are in place around the world, CI recognizes the need to evaluate the core components of their programming. This project assess CI youth and non-CI youth in an effort to highlight program components and how they are fostering the positive development of CI youth.
Measurement & Metrics
The quantitative work involves a longitudinal study of the development of youth using a counterfactual causal modeling design to compare the development of CI program participants to youth who are not participating in CI’s programs. This design enables the researchers to identify specific facets of the CI program that work, with specific children, in specific contexts, over specific time periods. The identification of such specific findings is enhanced by our measure‐development work. We undertake theory‐predicated, measurement invariance testing of the constructs involved in the Lerner and Lerner PYD model including constructs related to faith and spirituality. These constructs are emphasized as key strengths in the lives of youth in CI’s theory of change as well as in the model of Lerner and Lerner.
We measure spirituality through use of measures developed by Professor Pamela Ebstyne King and her colleagues at Fuller Theological Seminary. In Uganda, to provide heretofore unavailable person-specific information about character virtue development among youth within the CI intervention, we will employ an idiographic, person-specific intensive-measurement longitudinal “burst” design with a randomly selected subsample of youth from both groups (n=24; 50% CI).
Integrative Data Analysis will be used to compare idiographic trajectories within and across groups and, as well, to contrast person- centered findings vs. variable-centered findings (e.g., involving variance accounted for and predictive validity). The qualitative work explores cultural and local meanings about beliefs and experiences related to PYD, thriving, spiritual development, and features of effective youth development programs (termed the Big Three), and to gain greater insight into concepts that have arisen since the start of our work with CI (e.g. joy, purpose, being known and loved, mattering) in the context of CI programming in El Salvador.
Key Findings
- In quantitative analyses with the Salvadoran youth, Compassion International (CI) supported youth show higher levels of Spirituality and Character than Non-CI youth
- CI-supported youth report experiencing higher levels of the positive elements of youth development programs than non-CI youth. These 3 elements are called the Big 3 and are:
- 1) Life Skill Development
- 2) Sustained and caring relationships with adults, and
- 3) opportunities for leadership in the program and the community
- In qualitative analyses, CI youth highlight the importance of the CI program in supporting their positive development
- To test the predictive validity of the Big Three measure, we used a measure of youth contribution/generosity, an expected outcome of effective Positive Youth Development (PYD)programs. The Big Three constructs were positively correlated with youth contribution suggesting moderate predictive validity of the Big Three measure on youth PYD
Facts & Figures
888
Salvadoran Youth have been assessed for 2 years beginning at age 11 and will continue for at least 2 more times of testing.
50%
of the youth come from the community and are not involved in CI programs.
Project Support
It is funded by Compassion International. We work alongside Alistair Sim, Ph.D. who serves as the Program Effectiveness Research Director. Other Co-PIs include Richard M. Lerner, Ph.D., Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science Director, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, and Pamela Ebstyne King, Ph.D., Peter L. Benson Associate Professor of Applied Developmental Science Thrive Center for Human Development at the Graduate School of Psychology Fuller Theological Seminary.