Case Study of the Minority Scholars Program Through the Lens of Positive Youth Development and Sociopolitical Development

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to examine the Minority Scholars Program (MSP) in light of the program goals and through the lens of two theories: positive youth development (PYD) and sociopolitical development (SPD). MSP focuses on youth of color in a large suburban district. It is a school-based, student-led program that seeks to elevate student voice, student leadership, and student activism in its efforts to close the opportunity gap and positively change school cultures so that success and achievement are no longer predictable by race and ethnicity and other demographic factors. This study employed explanatory case study methodology to (a) provide an in-depth description of the design and implementation of the program between July 2019 and March 2020; (b) examine MSP interns’ response to the program and their reasons for those responses; and (c) explore whether and how MSP fostered positive youth development and sociopolitical development.

This study found that while students operated in the ongoing context of race-based barriers to their education, MSP programming provided opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences and develop and implement initiatives to address those barriers. These initiatives hinged largely around raising awareness and generally aligned with the program’s Five Keys of MSP: academic achievement, student voice, leadership development, enhancing cultural capital and sense of belonging, and community engagement.

Furthermore, this study found that, on the whole, MSP interns’ response to the program included gains in their own individual development including knowledge, leadership skills, friendships and community building, confidence, and identity formation. Interns attributed the personal growth in these areas to (1) interactions and conversations with peers and adults; (2) instruction about topics related to the opportunity gap and leadership; (3) direct experience leading groups and facilitating conversations; (4) sharing a common purpose with peers; (5) having a safe space to be vulnerable and engagement in activism. In addition, the opportunity, support, and feedback from MSP participants by and large helped MSP interns develop their sense of agency and engage in civic activism primarily through raising awareness.

This study suggests that the program’s theory of action and the findings from this study are not only basically consistent with the theories of PYD and SPD, but also, they potentially extend each theory. Recommendations are made for refining youth development theories and the theory of action of the program. For example, I suggest elevating the importance of contextual considerations in youth development and further examining PYD using the Freirean (2009) reflection -action cycle. While PYD would benefit from incorporating social analysis and contributions through civic actions engagement to disrupt barriers to youth education, SPD would benefit from attending to the personal elements of development that give youth the connections, skills, and confidence to carry out actions. My primary suggested revision to the MSP theory of action involved adding a new key of “raising critical consciousness” to the Five Keys of MSP. According to Watts and Hipolito-Delgado (2015), critical consciousness includes critical social analysis, or learning to think critically; collective identification; sense of agency including a sense of confidence and capability to make social change; and action in society.

The study contributes to youth development literature through examining a youth development program with students of color and combining the two youth development theories of positive youth development and sociopolitical development.