Description
Abstract
Purpose: Positive Youth Development (PYD) originated in the west as a pragmatic approach to teaching youth skills and attributes to develop into healthy, productive, and engaged adults. This approach proposes that youth with more developmental resources experience increased academic success, better economic prospects, are more civically engaged, and experience optimal well-being and functioning in the long term. Over time, the need for administering evidence-based interventions was felt by practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. With this background and the absence of research in PYD in India, the present research was carried out to develop and test an intervention module for its effectiveness in bringing about a positive change among youth.
Approach: The present research is quantitative in nature with pre-test post-test control group design. The PYD intervention program included activities, non-profit visits, community building exercises, and mentoring programs, creating self-actualizing youth. The paper deliberates on the findings of a six-month interventional program based on the Six C’s model of Learner (2005).
Findings: The independent sample t-test was significant, for overall PYD, t (98) = 3.45, p < .001. and on all the dimensions of PYD, indicating that intervention was effective as there are statistically significant differences among experimental and control groups.
Value: The intervention was experientially positive for the students, valued, and commended by the school authorities. The paper recommends enhancing psychological intervention research in school settings, including multiple approaches to address holistic student development, facilitating peer relationships and mentoring, developing resources, and enhancing growth opportunities.
Keywords: Positive youth development, adolescents, India, intervention, positive psychology
