Perspectives on Positive Youth Development in Adolescent Black Girls From Low-Income Communities

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Perspectives on Culture and Bias in Out-of-School Time

Abstract

We conducted a year-long qualitative research study on the perceived afterschool needs of adolescent Black girls from low-income communities who live in a small city in the Southeastern part of the U.S. Our research was grounded in the theory of Positive Youth Development (PYD), but we specifically focused on the characteristics of self-advocacy and the integration of families, schools, and communities as essential, an often under researched or overlooked, tenet of PYD. Based on our findings, we present recommendations for further PYD research and for individuals who hope to create new programs for the benefit of adolescent Black girls.

Author

• Abigail Akosua Amoako Kayser, California State University - Fullerton