Exploring 21st Century Skills and Learning Environments for Middle School Youth

Resiliency research and strengths-based perspectives highlight the importance of understanding the protective factors that aid youth in overcoming adversity. Likewise, current research identifies the characteristics and skills youth need to be successful in post-secondary education and the workforce. These growing bodies of research emphasize cognitive and noncognitive skills that support youth development and academic success. This exploratory study sought to develop two distinct measurement instruments: (1) the 21st Century Life & Career Skills scale (21C-LCS); and (2) the 21st Century Skills Classroom Environment scale (21C-CE). We also examined students’ perceptions of their own skills in these areas. The measures were developed and tested using survey data from 262 middle school students. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to examine the factorial structure of the measures and descriptive statistics were used to summarize student perceptions. Results indicated that the 21C-LCS and the 21C-CE are brief psychometrically sound measures. The 21C-LCS assesses students’ leadership and responsibility; working with others effectively; and, adaptability. The 21C-CE is a reliable measure of students’ perceptions of the ways in which their classroom environments support their development of 21st century life and career skills. Students reported moderately high perceptions of their skills in all areas. This study is an important step in measuring 21st century life and career skills and 21st century learning environments. Researchers, youth development professionals, educators, and other service providers can utilize these measures in ongoing investigation, assessment, and progress monitoring to foster and advocate for 21st century life and career skill development among youth

Lessons Learned from the LiFEsports Initiative: Facilitators and Barriers to Successful Community Partnerships

The Learning in Fitness and Education through Sports Initiative at The Ohio State University (Ohio State LiFEsports) fosters community positive youth development (PYD). Youth growing up in urban settings are disproportionally confronted with a wide range of risk factors and need more opportunities for healthy development. Due to encountering such risk factors, urban youth are more likely to develop behavioral health problems that may compromise their long-term development. Community PYD programs are often designed to promote psychological, social and physical health outcomes. Furthermore, community PYD programs partner with other community partners to provide additional program support and development. Established in 2006 through a unique partnership between the College of Social Work and the Department of Athletics, LiFEsports aims to promote health and wellness for Columbus city youth. Each year, LiFEsports serves more than 900 youth through programs such as the LiFEsports summer camp and the LiFEsports clinics. The success of the program would not be possible without collaborations with more than 20 key university and community partnerships. Key university partnerships with Recreational Sports and Transportation and Traffic Management help to provide facilities and transportation to 23 zip codes. Community partners such as Dannon provide support for 10,500 meals for the 600 youth who participate in the LiFEsports camp during the summer months. Marathon Kids helps campers track the mileage of each group, some completing more than 104 miles. Additionally, community partnerships have been established with After-School All-Stars Ohio, Pickerington School District, and the YMCA. These partnerships have allowed the LiFEsports model to expand into 13 before- and after-school programs where an additional 1,100 youth are served throughout the school year. LiFEsports has been able to positively impact the health and wellness for Columbus city youth due to valuable partnerships. Specifically, LiFEsports youth have demonstrated significant growth in life skills such as self-control, effort, teamwork, and social responsibility as well as physical activity, self-efficacy, and cardiovascular fitness. At the conclusion of LiFEsports summer camp, 74.8 percent of youth indicated it was "pretty true" or "really true" that because of LiFEsports they were more likely to engage in at least one hour of physical activity each day. In sum, this poster will discuss the facilitators and barriers to developing community partnerships as well as highlight the contribution such partnerships have had on youth health and wellness, while also giving an outline of community partners that LiFEsports has been or is currently engaged with. This poster serves to enlighten an audience of student, colleagues and community partners about what it takes to charter successful community partnerships.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Professor, College of Social Work, LiFEsports, CAYCI, [email protected] (Corresponding Author); Jerry Davis, Executive Director of Service and Outreach, LiFEsports Intiative; Tasha Henderson, Student Research Assistant, CAYCI, LiFEsports Initiative; Carly Kimiecik, Student Research Assistant, CAYCI, LiFEsports Intiative; Tarkington Newman, Graduate Research Associate, LiFEsports Intiative; Stephen Moore, Program Coordinator, LiFEsports Initiative.The Learning in Fitness and Education through Sports Initiative at The Ohio State University (LiFEsports) fosters community positive youth development (PYD). Each year, LiFEsports serves more than 900 youth through programs such as the LiFEsports summer camp and the LiFEsports clinics. Due to valuable partnerships, LiFEsports has been able to positively impact the health and wellness of Columbus city youth. University partners, such as the department of Athletics, Recreational Sports and the College of Nursing, provide resources that directly impact youth outcomes. Community partners including Dannon and Marathon kids help showcase the important of healthy lifestyle choices and habits that begin in childhood. Sharing the experiences of LiFEsports, the poster will assist the audience in fostering partnerships in relation to their own organizations and programs. Partnerships will highlight a range of impact on the health and well-being of 900+ youth each year

Tailoring Supports to Youth in Schools: One Approach to Identifying Needs and Targeting Intervention

Youth experiences intersect along their race, gender, language and socioeconomic status, schools must consider the intersectionality in order to improve outcomes. The current study sought to understand if, and to what extent, different clusters of youth in one large urban high school perceive their psychosocial behaviors as well as social and interpersonal skills. Cross-sectional survey data from 1,164 high school youth were collected using four valid scales: Internalizing Behaviors, Externalizing Behaviors, Peer Relationships, and Social Skills. The analytic strategy was twofold. Cluster analysis was used to form homogeneous clusters of the 1,147 complete responses based on a combination of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English language learner status, and gender. Next, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANCOVA) was used to compare cluster profiles on the aforementioned measures. The cluster analysis revealed a 5-factor solution. Findings of the MANCOVA showed that the clusters differed significantly on the set of psychosocial behaviors, social skills, and peer relationships variables (p\u3c0.05, η2= 0.08), with significant univariate differences (p \u3c 0.05) emerging on all four variables. Results point to cluster analysis as an emerging way to identify needs and tailor supports to youth in schools. Youth with identified needs could receive more specialized Tier II and III interventions aligned with their intersecting cultural and personal experiences, in addition to universal interventions to meet school wide priorities

A Comparative Examination of How Program Design Components Influence Youth Leadership-Skill Development

A growing interest in how adolescents can prepare for the workforce has contributed to the development of positive youth development (PYD) programs focused on youth leadership. This study explored what mechanisms and design components support leadership skill development among youth participating in 3 different PYD leadership programs. All of these programs involve high school students, have a focus on leadership, and emphasize college and workforce readiness. The aims of the study were to (a) examine what commonalities and differences in program design components contribute to skill development, (b) identify what leadership skills youth develop by participating in PYD leadership programs, and (c) explore what underlying mechanisms youth perceive contribute to their skill development over time. A total of 3 focus groups were conducted, each lasting 90 minutes, with a total of 18 youth (i.e., 6 youth per program). Nvivo, a qualitative software, and thematic analysis were used to distill common and differential themes related to the program design components the participants recognized as integral parts of the programs that contributed to their leadership skill development. Common skills developed across all 3 programs included working in groups, public speaking, and problem solving, yet differences in skills were also reported and linked to differences in program design. Additional findings showed several underlying mechanisms supported leadership skill development among youth participants. Findings can inform the development of effective youth leadership PYD programs, thereby further supporting youth in achieving their goals; avoiding harmful behaviors; and developing the competencies, confidence, and values youth need to successfully transition to adulthood

The LiFEsports Initiative Service Learning Course: A University-Community Partnership

The Learning in Fitness and Education through Sport (LiFEsports) Initiative at Ohio State aims to enhance youth development, social skills, and physical well-being through sport. The initiative works to create and maintain unique partnerships within Columbus to improve sports-based youth development (SB-PYD) programs. LiFEsports serves 900 youth each year through programming such as a summer camp, and strategic community partnerships to implement before- and after-school programs. One partnership example is the LiFEsports service learning course, a pilot implementation model in a neighboring Columbus school district. The LiFEsports service learning course involves multiple partners such as LiFEsports, the school district, and the YMCA. The collaboration among LiFEsports, the YMCA, and a local school district, allows for multiple levels of learning and serving through SB-PYD. In the model, social work interns and the district social worker oversee the implementation of a service learning course at the high school level. Throughout the year, high school service learners develop leadership skills, learn about SB-PYD, increase community engagement, and serve as co-facilitators of LiFEsports curricula in elementary before-school programs. Service learning, a form of experiential learning, improves academic motivation, develops stronger social skills, and promotes stronger community involvement (Conway, Amel, & Gerwein, 2009). Moreover, academic motivation and school connectedness are strong predictors of academic achievement (Chase, Hilliard, Geldhof, Warren, & Lerner, 2014) and protective factors against high school dropout. Although programming occurs in school settings, the program also aims to positively influence the surrounding community. As such, the service learners complete a culminating event at the end of the year where they present their work to the community through the Healthy Kids Day (HKD) hosted at the YMCA. Here, high school youth practice presentation and leadership skills as they lead activities and present their work to HKD participants. Sustaining the successful implementation of the program involves sharing of resources and responsibilities for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders. The intended audience of the poster are current leaders in the community and the university who seek to enhance the well-being and resiliency of at-risk youth in the community, or who want to better understand the intricacies of a complex collaboration among three stakeholders, including students, professors, community members, or directors at community-based organizations. After engaging with the poster, the audience will understand an overview of the partnership, mutual benefits of the program for the high school service learners and elementary school participants, and for all key stakeholders, and how existing resources can work to positively influence youth of various ages and the surrounding community.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Erica Magier, doctoral student, Ohio State College of Social Work, [email protected] (Corresponding Author); Tasha Henderson, gradaute student, Ohio State College of Social Work; Rebecca Wade-Mdivanian, director of operations for the LiFEsports Initiative, Ohio State College of Social Work; Dawn Anderson-Butcher, professor, Ohio State College of Social WorkThe Learning in Fitness and Education through Sport (LiFEsports) Initiative at Ohio State has partnered with a local school district and YMCA to create a high school service learning course. Alongside YMCA site leaders, high school students implement sports-based positive youth development (SB-PYD) curricula created by the LiFEsports Initiative at the before-school program at two local elementary schools. Through this model, youth of varying ages are able to benefit from SB-PYD through growth in leadership, sport skills, and social skills such as self-control, effort, teamwork, and social responsibility (SETS). The poster will outline the unique partnership created and how it works to foster health and wellness and create resilient youth in the Columbus community

Afterschool Sustainability

Youth participation in quality extended learning opportunities (ELOs) results in positive academic, physical, mental health, and social/emotional outcomes. Funding is essential to implementing and sustaining quality ELOs; however multiple funding barriers and challenges exist. Understanding the types of funds available for ELOs and the factors that influence sustainability is critical. Through surveys and telephone interviews of ELO providers, this descriptive study identified and examined ELO funding streams, the ways ELO providers use these funding streams, and the barriers and challenges to sustainability. ELO programs often relied on one major funding stream coupled with nutrition supports as well as in-kind resources. Barriers to sustainability included year-to-year funding, transportation costs, reducing community partnerships, and difficulty in diversifying funds. Recommendations to enhance ELO sustainability are offered, particularly in relation to overcoming the challenges to diversification of funding resources and establishing mutually supportive partnerships and collaboration

Navigating Autism: Parent Experiences with Coping and Service Connection

This presentation shares findings from a qualitative study exploring the experiences of parents of youth and young adults with ASD and service providers. Themes from interviews and focus groups are discussed. The presenters explore the implications of the study for providing services to individuals with ASD in relation to research, policy and practice

Developing Today's Youth Leaders to be Tomorrow's College Graduates

Since 2013, the Learning in Fitness and Education through Sports (LiFEsports) Initiative at Ohio State has implemented a curriculum-based leadership program for youth ages 14-18. This program emerged because youth who attended the traditional LiFEsports summer camp (ages 9-14) wanted to "give back" and "stay involved" after they had aged out of the traditional camp. Given their interest and the program's desire to support these students’ to achieve college graduation or other post-secondary educational opportunities, the LiFEsports Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) was developed. The YLA was designed to expand upon the social skills taught at the LiFEsports summer camp and clinics (i.e., self-control, effort, teamwork, and social responsibility) by providing high school youth with additional educational experiences that will help them gain 21st century skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Additionally, the program strives to prepare youth with the knowledge and skills to be active in their community (citizenship). Over the last five years, the YLA included educational opportunities such as guest speakers, college access education, one-on-one mentoring, financial literacy and college tours and visits. At the conclusion of the 2017-2018 program, two Ohio State faculty members worked with program staff to design and implement a series of focus groups to illicit feedback from mentors, activity facilitators, and the youth themselves as to the impact of the program, opportunities for program improvements, and program successes. This poster will present the findings from these focus groups and how program staff utilized this data to enhance the overall YLA logic model and add additional program design features, such as youth-led committees, academic supports, and career exploration with community partners, to further the program impact on youth. Additionally, strategies will be shared for aligning key community partners to focused impact areas within the logic model and program design.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Rebecca Wade-Mdivanian, director of operations, LiFEsports, OSU Extension, [email protected] (Corresponding Author); Stephen Moore, program manager, LiFEsports, OSU Extension; Dawn Anderson-Butcher, professor, Ohio State College of Social Work; Jerome Davis, director of staff professional development, Ohio State Department of Athletics; Alicia Bunger, associate professor, Ohio State College of Social WorkThe LiFEsports Youth Leadership Academy (YLA), first implemented in 2013, is designed to support high school youth who participated in the LiFEsports summer camp to achieve entrance and graduation into college and/or post-secondary educational opportunities. After five years of program implementation, two Ohio State faculty members worked with program staff to design and implement a series of focus groups to gather feedback from mentors, activity facilitators, and the youth themselves about the impact of the program, opportunities for program improvements, and program successes. This poster will present the findings from these program evaluation focus groups and how program staff utilized this data to enhance the overall YLA logic model and add additional program design features. Strategies also will be shared for aligning key community partners to focused impact areas within the logic model and program design

Heart Valve Tissue Engineering: Concepts, Approaches, Progress, and Challenges

Potential applications of tissue engineering in regenerative medicine range from structural tissues to organs with complex function. This review focuses on the engineering of heart valve tissue, a goal which involves a unique combination of biological, engineering, and technological hurdles. We emphasize basic concepts, approaches and methods, progress made, and remaining challenges. To provide a framework for understanding the enabling scientific principles, we first examine the elements and features of normal heart valve functional structure, biomechanics, development, maturation, remodeling, and response to injury. Following a discussion of the fundamental principles of tissue engineering applicable to heart valves, we examine three approaches to achieving the goal of an engineered tissue heart valve: (1) cell seeding of biodegradable synthetic scaffolds, (2) cell seeding of processed tissue scaffolds, and (3) in-vivo repopulation by circulating endogenous cells of implanted substrates without prior in-vitro cell seeding. Lastly, we analyze challenges to the field and suggest future directions for both preclinical and translational (clinical) studies that will be needed to address key regulatory issues for safety and efficacy of the application of tissue engineering and regenerative approaches to heart valves. Although modest progress has been made toward the goal of a clinically useful tissue engineered heart valve, further success and ultimate human benefit will be dependent upon advances in biodegradable polymers and other scaffolds, cellular manipulation, strategies for rebuilding the extracellular matrix, and techniques to characterize and potentially non-invasively assess the speed and quality of tissue healing and remodeling