Intervening with at-risk youth: evaluation of the youth empowerment and support program.

This study evaluated a community-based intervention, the Youth Empowerment and Support Program (YES-P), a theoretically-based program designed to decrease drug use and strengthen connections to school in at-risk youth living in high-risk environments. The YES-P included several interventions, such as providing mentor support and social skills training; growing a positive peer culture; and developing youth in leadership roles for community service. These interventions were delivered by 10 nursing students in a weekly, after school, 2-hour, group activity for 20 weeks for 13 inner-city youth ages 10-12 years (7 girls, 6 boys). One girl identified herself as Hispanic and the others as Caucasian. Using a pre/post one-group design, data were collected in 1999 from program participants to evaluate the YES-P. Results of a 1-year pilot study suggest that the multilevel interventions were associated with positive effects on at-risk youth. In particular, respondents at the posttest reported higher levels of self-esteem, mentor support, positive peer bonding, social skills attainment, and school attachment. Attitudes against underage drug use decreased from pre-test scores revealing areas for strengthening the program. These results lend empirical support to the positive evaluation of the YES-P with at-risk youth living in high-risk environments.

Mentoring youth: a service-learning course within a college of nursing.

Faculty at the University of Southern Maine College of Nursing and Health Care Professions developed a service-learning course that connected students and faculty with at-risk children in a local community. Nursing students, with faculty supervision and support, developed, implemented, and evaluated interventions to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors to build and strengthen the participants' resiliency. Students enrolled in the service-learning course worked in the community where they gained an understanding of what it was like for children and adolescents to live in an impoverished community setting with disorganized family units and weak community support. The students learned to collaborate with police, schools, public health nurses, and churches, as well as students in other major programs. The benefits of this course for students and the community were far reaching and even life changing.