Pathways to Youth Empowerment and Community Connectedness: A Study of Youth-Adult Partnership in Malaysian After-School, Co-Curricular Programs

Abstract

After-school programs are prevalent across the world, but there is a paucity of research that examines quality within the "black box" of programs at the point of service. Grounded in current theory, this research examined hypothesized pathways between the experience of youth-adult partnership (youth voice in decision-making; supportive adult relationships), the mediators of program safety and engagement, and the developmental outcomes of youth empowerment (leadership competence, policy control) and community connectedness (community connections, school attachment). Surveys were administered to 207 ethnically diverse (47.3 % female; 63.3 % Malay) youth, age 15-16, attending after-school co-curricular programs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Results showed that youth voice in program decision-making predicted both indicators of youth empowerment. Neither youth voice nor supportive adult relationships was directly associated with community connectedness, however. Program engagement mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and empowerment. In contrast, program safety mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and community connectedness. The findings indicate that the two core components of youth-adult partnership-youth voice and supportive adult relationships-may operate through different, yet complementary, pathways of program quality to predict developmental outcomes. Implications for future research are highlighted. For reasons of youth development and youth rights, the immediate challenge is to create opportunities for youth to speak on issues of program concern and to elevate those adults who are able and willing to help youth exercise their voice.

Validation of an abbreviated Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth among a sample of underresourced urban youth of color

“…Numerous investigations show the relationship between intrapersonal PE and neighborhood SOC (i.e., collective efficacy and neighboring or sharing among neighbors and mutual assistance; Perkins & Long, ) intrapersonal (Lardier, ; Lardier, Garcia‐Reid, et al., ), community participation intrapersonal (Christens et al., ; Eisman et al., ; Lardier, ; Speer et al., ), and ethnic identity intrapersonal (Hipolito‐Delgado & Zion, ; Lardier, ; Lardier, Garcia‐Reid, et al., ). For instance, recent studies indicate that youth of color living in low socioeocomic status communites may have diffuclty cultivating empowerment because they have limited access to both organizations and resources (Kirshner & Ginwright, ; Speer et al., ); however, when provided access to empowering community activites, youth have been found to report higher rates of community belongingness and intrapersonal PE (Lardier, ; Lardier, Garcia‐Reid, et al., ), particularly in the presence of supportive youth–adult partnerships (Zeldin, Krauss, Kim, Collura, & Abdullah, ).…”

Validation of the Brief Sense of Community Scale among youth of color from an underserved urban community

“…Moreover, the ways in which SOC is theorized to promote social participation and empowerment is a critically important area to understand, particularly today in the United States, where youth are engaging in social activism and change at higher rates than in past decades (Forenza, Rogers, & Lardier, ). Youth who have opportunities to engage in roles traditionally reserved and maintained by and for adults within the community, or in organizations, are likely to develop a greater SOC or organizational belongingness, as well as a perceived sense of agency and empowerment (Zeldin, Krauss, Kim, Collura, & Abdullah, ). For instance, Whitlock () found that youth who had opportunities to exercise influence, engage in social change, and perceive that they had power in decision making had a greater sense of community connectedness.…”

Empowerment in the Lifelong Learning Perspective. Example from the “ICT Guides” Project

“…What is characteristic of youth-adult partnerships is the fact that they build both emotional and instrumental relationships between youth and adults. Advantages of such partnerships for youth include positive youth development, health and empowerment (Camino, 2000;Serido et al, 2011;Li and Jullian, 2012), a greater sense of community attachment and belonging, confidence, and civic empowerment (Zeldin et al, 2015).…”

“…Relationships of this kind also showed resilience and reduced problem behaviors in adolescents (Allen, Kuperminc, Philiber & Herre, 1994), positively influenced youth development, (Camino, 2000;Serido et al, 2011;Li and Jullian, 2012), and fostered greater degree of community attachment and belonging, confidence, and civic empowerment (Zeldin et al, 2015). The project idea is unique thanks to the "bottom-up" perspective of empowerment programs supporting growth and change (Shah, 2016) within both youth and senior groups.…”