Positive Mentor Relationships Predict Better Outcomes for Girls

By Angela Henneberger, YN researcher (PhD, Applied Developmental Science, ’12)

Group of YWLP girls

Related posts are available under Research and Community.

Nancy Deutsch has been Director of Research for the Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP) a combined group and one-on-one mentoring program for middle school girls, since 2004. She is interested in the contextual study of adolescents’ lives and identities.

In a recent paper on YWLP (Deutsch, Wiggins, Henneberger, & Lawrence), to be published in The Journal of Early Adolescence, she uses a mixed methods approach to examine group processes that contribute to mentees’ satisfaction with their one-and-one mentoring relationships and their mentoring groups. Interestingly, there were no differences between groups on girls’ reports of how satisfied they were with their experiences in their mentoring groups. Continue reading

Critical Considerations in a Capability Focused Approach to Intervention Design and Evaluation – YN Panel Video

Nancy Deutsch

Related posts available under YN Working Conference April 2012

View the video for this discussion looking at methods, broadly and integratively, through a Positive Youth Development lens.

Panelists used four guiding questions:
1. How do we bring in developmental theory as we design evaluations of programs? Specifically, how do we relate Positive Youth Development processes and constructs to expected outcomes. How do we resolve the tension between evaluating competencies— promotion, and measuring problem behavior—prevention? Continue reading

Lessons from Settings and Programs for Adolescent PYD – YN Panel Video

Jacqueline Lerner


PYD as meritorious science; Jacqueline Lerner kicks off the panel discussion.

Related posts available under YN Working Conference April 2012

YN brought together 23 scholars at the University’s beautiful Morven Farm this spring, to advance further scientific knowledge and to formulate a framework for promoting effective youth development. Listen in on this panel discussion with leaders in the field: Jacqueline Lerner (chair), Dale Blyth, Nancy Guerra, Reed Larson, and Jean Rhodes. Video. Continue reading