Network
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ThisreportwasproducedbytheMidwestCenterforNonprofitLeadership(MCNL) forYouthVolunteerCorps(YVC).Theevaluationteamincluded:
MidwestCenterforNonprofitLeadership
CindyLaufer,ProgramCoordinator
MonicaRezac,Ph.D.,ResearchCoordinator
YouthVolunteerCorps
SarahMiller,AffiliateProgramsandGrowthManager
TracyHale,ChiefExecutiveOfficer
AboutYouthVolunteerCorps
YouthVolunteerCorpswasfoundedin1987togiveyouthachancetogivebackto theircommunity.WhatbeganasasummercampexperienceinKansasCityhas sinceevolvedintoaninternationalnetworkofyear-roundservice-learning programs YVCprogramsdevelopyouthages11-18throughstructuredteam-based serviceopportunitiesthatappealtoawidevarietyofyouthinterestsand schedules.
AbouttheMidwestCenterforNonprofitLeadership
TheMidwestCenterforNonprofitLeadershipisaserviceandoutreachunitofthe DepartmentofPublicAffairsintheHenryW.BlochSchoolofManagementatthe UniversityofMissouri-KansasCity ThemissionofMCNListoenhancethe performanceandeffectivenessinthenonprofitsectorthroughhighquality community-orientededucation,appliedresearch,problemsolving,andservice. MCNLappliestheresourcesandtalentsoftheUniversityandthesectortothe problemsandissuesfacingthenonprofitsectorsoitsmembersarebetter preparedtoservetheircommunities.MCNLcreatesopportunitiesfortheleadersof thisvitalcommunitytocometogetherascolleaguestolearn,networkandsupport eachother,andtoencouragepersonal,professional,andorganizationalrenewal andeffectiveness
ReportcreatedbyMidwestCenterforNonprofitLeadership
PhotographsprovidedbyYouthVolunteerCorps
IconscreatedbyVectorsMarket
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Thisevaluationexploreslifeandcareerskills,buildinguponthe2018evaluation, andalsoinvestigatestwonewfactors:academicsandmentalhealth.Theresearch questionedtheextenttowhichYVCparticipationaffected18indicatorsinlifeand career,5inacademics,and4inmentalhealth.
Theresearchinstrumentsforyouthanddirectorswereonlineorpapersurveys FromApriltoOctober2024,1,138youthparticipated.Ofthe1,138surveyed,957youth wereparticipantsinYVCprogramming,and181werenotparticipantsinYVC. ThroughoutSeptemberandOctober2024,43YVCProgramDirectorsandExecutive Directorsrespondedtothesurvey.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
Life&CareerSkills
18skillsinsixdifferentcategoriesweremeasured;all18skillsshowedimprovement. Thegreatestamountofimprovementwasinthecommunityandstewardshipskills category.AfterYVCparticipation,youthhaveabetterunderstandingof communities,howtheywork,andhowtheycanmakeadifferenceintheir communities.
53%ofyouthunderstandtheneedsoftheircommunity. 57%ofyouthtakeactiontomeettheneedsoftheircommunity.
Averageimprovementsforeachcategory–%ofyouthwhoimprovedand%of improvement:
Initiative&self-direction~67%,12%
Flexibility&adaptability~65%,12%
Leadership&responsibility~60%,10%
Productivity&accountability~65%,10%
Social&cross-culturalskills~57%,12%
Communitystewardship~70%,18%
ComparisonofYVCandnon-YVCYouth
Thepointofpositiveimprovement inlifeandcareerskillsis20hours, withskillimprovementpeakingat 30hours.
Thepercentageofyouthwhoreported“verytrueofme”wassignificantlygreater in13of18LifeandCareerSkillindicatorsforyouthwhoparticipatedinYVCas comparedtoyouthwhodidnotparticipate(p<0.01).Thegreatestdifferences recordedwereinallthreecommunitystewardshipindicators,furthersupporting thefindingthatYVChelpsyouthunderstandtheircommunitiesandhowtomake adifferenceinthem.
Academics~All5indicatorsshowedimprovement Thegreatestamountof improvement,91%ofyouth, wasinleadershipskills.Further,58%ofyouthreported improvementininvolvementwithschoolactivities.
MentalHealth~All4indicatorsshowedimprovement.Onaverage,theaggregate percentageofimprovementofallmentalhealthindicatorswashigherfor underservedyouththantheirpeers.Underservedyouthsaw63%improvementand well-servedyouthsaw53%improvement.
AsignificantlyhigherpercentageofYVCyouthreportedabeliefintheirabilityto makeadifference(p<0.01)andintheirabilitytoconnectwithpeers(p<0.01) comparedtonon-YVCyouth.Thesetwocriticalindicatorsofmentalwell-being suggestthatparticipationinYVCprogramsfostersasenseofagencyand belonging,equippingyouthwithskillsnecessarytonavigatechallenges,build resilience,andcontributepositivelytotheircommunities.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AFFILIATES
AffiliatePractices
100%feelthatYVCbenefitstheyouth,theirorganization,andtheircommunity. 90%feelthatYVCheadquartersalwaysprovidesexcellentsupport.
88%ofaffiliateshaveyear-roundprogramming.
80%alwaysuseYVC’sdatabase,Ydat.
60%alwaysattendSummitandfeelitisimportanttocontinuetherelationships andcollaborationstheyhavemadetherewhentheyreturnhome
ProgrammingPractices
90%regularlyincludeservice-learningandmeaningfulreflection.
85%includeicebreakersorteambuilders.
72%regularlyincludeyouthinleadershiproles.
FuturePractices
Communicationwithyouthhasbeguntochange.Leadersmainlyusetextand email,buttheymustcontinuallyadapttoyouthneeds,communicatingin innovativeways
Careerpreparationskillshavebeen requestedandarebeingadded.
Affiliatesareexploringtheirroleinyouth mentalhealthawarenessandsupport.
INTRODUCTION
YouthVolunteerCorps,apremierservice-learningorganizationengagingyouth ages11-18,hasaffiliateprogramsinlocationsacrosstheUnitedStates,Canadaand Uganda.MostYVCaffiliatesoperateasprogramsunderhostorganizationslikethe YMCA,UnitedWay,Boys&GirlsClub,parksandrecreationdepartmentsandschools. OtherYVCaffiliatesareoperateddirectlybyYVCHeadquarters,andstillothers operateindependently,withoutsupportofahostorganization
YVCaffiliatesimplementprogramsthatvaryindurationanddesignthroughoutthe schoolyearandsummer.Volunteerprojectsrangefromacoupleofhourstoone week.Programmingisofferedduringschool,afterschool,intheevenings,on weekends,onschoolholidaysandatalltimesduringthesummer,oftenincamp formats.
YVCconsistentlymonitorsprogramsuccesstocontinuallyimprove.Inadditionto annualprogramevaluationsimplementedbyYVCHeadquartersstaff(YVCHQ),YVC hiresindependentevaluatorstoassessitsprogramsevery5-6years.Questions exploredinthisevaluationfollow.
DoesparticipationinYouthVolunteerCorps:
Increaseayoungperson’slifeandcareerskills?
Educateandempowercommunitystewardship?
Positivelyaffectayoungperson'sacademicachievement?
Positivelyaffectayoungperson’smentalhealth?
DoesYVCHeadquarterssupportandenableaffiliatestoservetheircommunities better?
Mission:Weengageyouthinteam-basedserviceexperiencesthatbuildlifeand workskillswhileinspiringalifetimeethicofservice.
Vision:Communitiesdefinedbycompassion,selflessness,andrespectforothers.
FundamentalGoals
1 Engageyouthinserviceprojectsthatarechallenging,rewarding,and educational
2.Servetheneedsofthecommunityanditsresidents.
3.Cultivateagreaterunderstandingandappreciationfordiversity.
4.Promotealifetimeethicofserviceamongyouth.
ProgramStandards
1 Conductfrequent,supervised,team-basedserviceprojectsaddressingavariety ofimportantcommunityneeds
2.Recruityouthages11-18whorepresentthediversityoftheprogram’s community.
3.Assignaprogramdirectorresponsibleformanagingtheprogram.
4.Establishanintegratededucationandreflectionprocessforparticipants.
5.Provideleadershipopportunitiesforyouthvolunteers.
6 UsethetrademarkYouthVolunteerCorpsnameandlogoprominentlyinclose coordinationwiththenameandlogooftheYVChost
7.Providenofinancialinducementforyouthvolunteerparticipation.
8.ParticipateintheYVCevalautionprocess.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
Methods
Toremainconsistentwiththepreviousevaluationconductedin2018,evaluation instrumentsfocusedoncareerpreparedness.Thesurveyinstrumentwasbased ontheP21Frameworkfor21stCenturyLearninglifeandcareerskillsandYVC’s communitystewardshipmissionoutcomes.Atotalof18indicatorswereusedto assesslifeandcareerskillsandcommunitystewardship Inadditiontothe indicatorsassessinglifeandcareerskills,additionalquestionsofself-reported perceptionofacademicachievementandoverallwell-beingwereaddressed. Thelifeandcareerskillssectionofthesurveyisprovidedwitha4-pointscale, excludinganeutraloptionandencouragingyouthtodetermineaclearerposition tomeasuretheirexperiences.Questionsofself-reportedperceptionofacademic achievementandoverallwell-beingareprovidedona5-pointscalewitha neutraloption
ForcomparisonsacrossYVCandNon-YVCyouth,achi-squaretestforstatistical significancewasconductedtocompareanddetermineifanydifferencesin scoresbetweenthetwogroupsweremeaningful.
Forstatisticalanalysisofthepre-andpost-tests,anon-parametrictestallowed foranalysisofnon-normallydistributeddataandtookintoaccountthatyouth participateatvaryingnumbersofhoursandwithdifferingexperiencesandoffer anestimateofthedifferencebetweenpre-andpost-scorestakingthose variationsintoaccount.Thethresholdforstatisticalsignificancewassetatp<0.01.
Life&CareerSkills
Thesurveyincludedtwotofour indicatorsforeachlifeandcareerskill:
1FlexibilityandAdaptability
2InitiativeandSelf-Direction .
3SocialandCross-CulturalSkills .
4ProductivityandAccountability
5LeadershipandResponsibility
CommunityStewardship
Threeindicatorswereincludedinthe surveytoassessthefollowing outcomesofcommunitystewardship:
1AwarenessofCommunityNeeds .
2CapacitytoAddressNeeds
3PreparednessforWork .
Participation
AcademicIndicators
Thesurveyincludedfiveindicatorsfor academicsuccess: 1Grades
2SchoolAttendance . 3Leadership . 4AttentioninSchool 5InvolvementinSchoolActivities
MentalHealth
Thesurveyincludedfourindicatorsto assessmentalhealth:
1Well-being
2Self-worth . 3Beliefintheabilitytomakeadifference . 4Connectiontotheirpeers
FromApriltoOctober2024,1,138participatedinsurveys 957youthparticipatedin programmingthrough22YVCaffiliatesintheUnitedStates,Canada,andUganda SomeyouthvolunteerswerenewtoYVC,andothershadcompletedmanyservice hourswithYVC.Theywerefirstaskedtorespondonhowtheyfeltattheendoftheir service(post-test)andthentoreflectonhowtheyfeltatthebeginningoftheir serviceexperience(reflectivepre-test).Alsotakingthesurveywere181youthwho hadnotparticipatedinYVC.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
KeyFindings
Pre-testandpost-testresultsshowedstatisticallysignificantimprovementsacross all18indicators(p<0.01)amongyouthvolunteers.Indicatorsrelatedtocommunity stewardshipskillsshowedthegreatestincreases
Thefiveindicatorshighlightedbelowhadthelargestincreaseinthepercentageof youthreportingthehighestimpactfromYVCparticipation.Thefiguresrepresentthe percentageincreasefrompre-topost-testinyouthselecting“verytrue”forthese indicators.
130%improvement
Itakeactiontomeettheneedsofmycommunity.
115%improvement
Iunderstandtheneedsofmycommunity.
92%improvement
Iunderstandwhatjobsareavailableinmycommunity.
90%improvement
Ieasilymanagemytime.
83%improvement
IreflectonmyexperiencessoIperformbetterinthefuture.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
LifeandCareerSkills
Youthvolunteersreportedimprovementsinallfivelifeandcareerskills categories.
Eachlifeandcareerskilliscomprisedoftwotofourindicators.Thebarchart belowdelineatesyouthvolunteerswhoimprovedacrosseachcategory.The amountofimprovementwascalculatedbycomparingthereflectivepre-and post-testsofyouthvolunteers
TheYouthOutcomessectionprovidesthetotalproportion,orpercentage,of youthwhoreportedapositivechangeontheseindicators.Thepercentincrease onaverageisalsoprovidedtoshowtheincrementatwhichtheseoutcomes improved.
InitiativeandSelf-Direction Managegoals,time;workindependently;beaself-directedlearner.
Overall,67%ofyouthvolunteersimprovedinatleastoneofthefollowingareaswith anaverageincreaseof12%.
Initiativeandself-directionsawthegreatestamountofimprovementinthelargest numberofyouthvolunteerswhencomparedtootherlifeandcareerskills
FlexibilityandAdaptability
Adapttochange;beflexible.
Overall,65%ofyouthvolunteersimprovedinatleastoneofthefollowingareaswith anaverageincreaseof12%.
IAMCOMFORTABLEWITHUNCERTAINTY.
ICANEASILYHANDLECHANGINGPRIORITIES.
LeadershipandResponsibility Guideandleadothers;beresponsibletoothers
Overall,60%ofyouthvolunteersimprovedinatleastoneofthefollowingareaswith anaverageincreaseof10%. %ofyouthwhoimproved
ICANMANAGEMYWORKTOACHIEVE HIGH-QUALITYRESULTS.
IAMABLETOACTPROFESSIONALLYINALLSETTINGS.
IMEETTHEGOALSISETFORMYSELF, EVENINTHEFACEOFOBSTACLES.
ProductivityandAccountability Manageprojects;produceresults
Overall,65%ofyouthvolunteersimprovedinatleastoneofthefollowingareaswith anaverageincreaseof10%.
SocialandCross-CulturalSkills
Interacteffectivelywithothers;workeffectivelyindiverseteams
Overall,57%ofyouthvolunteersimprovedinatleastoneofthefollowingareaswith anaverageincreaseof12%.
ICANWORKEFFECTIVELYWITHPEOPLEWHO ARENOTLIKEME.
IKNOWWHENTOLISTENANDSPEAKWHEN WORKINGINGROUPS.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
CommunityStewardship
Theabilitytounderstandandtakeactiontomeettheneedsofthecommunity.
Communitystewardshipskillssawthegreatestamountofimprovementamong youthvolunteersoutofalltheskills.
ThestrongconnectiontoYVC’smissioncouldbewhycommunitystewardshipskills, particularlyunderstandingandtakingactiontomeetneedsofthecommunity,saw greaterimprovementthanthelifeandcareerskillareas.
Overall,70%ofyouthvolunteersimprovedinatleastoneofthefollowingareaswith anaverageincreaseof18%
%ofyouthwhoimproved %ofimprovement
IUNDERSTANDWHATJOBSARE AVAILABLEINMYCOMMUNITY.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
YVCImpactonYouth
YVCyouthreportedhigherresponsesof“verytrueofme”thannon-YVCyouthinlife andcareerskills.In13of18oftheseskills,thedifferencewassignificant*(p<0.01) indicatingthatparticipationinYVCprogramsisassociatedwithstrongerselfreportedlifeandcareerskillsdevelopment.
YVCYouth&Non-YVCYouthComparison
MANAGEMYWORKTOACHIEVE HIGHQUALITYRESULTS.* ACTPROFESSIONALLYIN ALLSETTINGS.*
EASILYHANDLECHANGING PRIORITIES.*
REFLECTONMYEXPERIENCESTO PERFORMBETTERINTHEFUTURE. WORKEFFECTIVELYWITH PEOPLENOTLIKEME.*
YVCyouthparticipatedinapre-andpost-surveymeasuringtheirexperiences,whileyouthnot participatinginYVCreceivedasinglesurvey Additionally,thesampleofYVCyouthismuchlarger thanthesamplewhocompletedthesinglesurvey Thesedifferencesshouldbetakenintoaccountas anycomparisonsaremade.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
YVCImpactonYouth
YVCyouthreportedhigherresponsesof“verytrueofme”thannon-YVCyouthinlife andcareerskills.
YVCYouth&Non-YVCYouthComparison
EASILYMANAGEMYTIME.*
COMFORTABLEWITH UNCERTAINTY. HANDLECRITICISMWELL. MEETGOALSISETFORMYSELF, EVENWITHOBSTACLES.*
TAKEACTIONTOMEETTHE NEEDSOFMYCOMMUNITY.*
UNDERSTANDTHENEEDSOF MYCOMMUNITY.*
UNDERSTANDWHATJOBSARE AVAILABLEINMYCOMMUNITY.*
YOUTH OUTCOMES
UnderservedYouth
YVCusesthetermunderservedtodescribeyouthwhofacesystemicbarriersto opportunitiesandresources.Thisincludesyouthwhoareeconomicallyunderserved and/oryouthwholiveinunderservedgeographicalareas(e.g.ruralcounties,the innercity).YouthidentifiedasunderservedexperiencedincreasedbenefitsfromYVC programmingwhencomparedtotheirpeers
Thefindingsbelowhighlightimprovementinallsixlifeandcareerskillscategories.
Onaverage,theaggregatepercentageofimprovementofallindicatorsfor underservedyouthwashigherthantheirpeers.
Underserved:63%improvement
Well-served:53%improvement COMMUNITYSTEWARDSHIPSKILLS
YOUTH OUTCOMES
VolunteerHours
30hoursofserviceappearstohavethegreatestimpactonpositiveyouthoutcome scores.
Thedurationofaservice-learningprogramimpactstheamountofchange observedinyouthvolunteers.Youthvolunteerswhoreportedpositivechange betweenthestartandendofservicewereanalyzedtodeterminethetippingpoint, orthemediannumberofcompletedhoursnecessary,beforeachangeoccurred. Theresultsindicatethat20hoursofserviceyieldsasignificantincreasefroma startingpointof10hoursofservice 30hoursincreasesthemeandifferencein positivescoresoverallandthenpeaksafterapproximately30hours.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
AcademicImpact
Youthvolunteersratedleadershipandacademicconfidencehighaftervolunteer service.
Thenumberofhoursservedvaried,butoverall,youthexpressedpositiveresultsin theirleadershipskillsandacademicoutlook
%ofyouthwithpositiveincrease %ofpositiveincrease
LEADERSHIP
INVOLVEDIN SCHOOLACTIVITIES
ATTENTIONINSCHOOL
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
YOUTH OUTCOMES
YVCyouthweremorelikelythannon-YVCyouthtorateacademicimpact indicatorsas“excellent”or“good.”Foreachindicator,thepercentageofYVC youthprovidingpositiveresponseswassignificantlyhigher*(p<0.01) comparedtoyouthwhodidnotparticipateinYVC.
PositiveresponsesofacademicimpactforYVCYouthandNon-YVCYouth
GRADES*
SCHOOLATTENDANCE*
Academic Narrative Review
TheimpactonacademicsisanewinquiryforYVCevaluation.YVCimplements service-learninginschoolsettingsthroughclasscurriculumandafter-school clubs,alongwithprogrammingincommunitysettingsoutsideofschool Thedata fromthisevaluationsupportsexistingresearchontheacademicbenefitsof service-learning,showingthatYVCyouthreportgreaterimprovementsingrades, attendance,leadership,andschoolinvolvementthannon-YVCyouth(p<0.01). Thisalignswithstudieslinkingservice-learningtoincreasedengagement, motivation,andacademicsuccess(Celioetal.,2011;Furco&Jones,2016).YVC’s modelfostersstudentownershipofprojects,enhancingleadershipandcritical thinkingskills(Prentice&Robinson,2010).
Researchshowsthat,aftertimeinvolvedinservice-learningactivities,students exhibitamorepositiveattitudetowardschoolandeducation(Celio,Durlak, Dymnicki2011) Service-learninghasalsoledtoincreasedpersistence, engagement,belonging,andmotivationforlearning(Furco&Jones2016) All youthengagedinservice-learningthroughYVChaveopportunitiestoselect volunteerprojectsaboutwhichtheyarepassionate.Thisallowsthemmore agencyandownershipofthevolunteerprogrammingavailable,withsometaking onadditionalleadershiprolesinprojectdevelopment.Service-learningalso increasesattachmenttotheschool–studentsdevelopasenseofconnectedness (Billig&Sordel2003).
Thisevaluationfoundthat18%ofyouthreportedincreasedattendanceand42% increasedinvolvementinschoolactivities.Feelingtheprideofinvolvementin planningandimplementationandthedirectresultofaservice-learning opportunitycouldbepartofincreasedmotivationandasenseofresponsibility
Furtheracademicimprovementsarealsoseenthroughservicelearning Research indicatesimprovedgradesandincreasedknowledgeretentionarelinkedto service-learningexperiences.Asnotedpreviously,service-learninginvolvement leadstoanincreaseinattendance–this,inturn,helpsgrades.Beyondthebasics ofattendingclass,service-learningputsstudentsinreal-lifesituationsthatallow themtothinkcriticallyandlogicallyaboutanoutcome.Inastudyconductedin 2010,overthreeyears,service-learningparticipantsscoredsignificantlyhigher thannon-service-learnersincriticalthinking,communication,teamwork,civic responsibility,and ( ntice,Gail Robinson,2010).
Academic Narrative Review (Continued)
Service-learningthroughYVCinvolvesyouthinreal-lifelearningsituationsthat applyacademicknowledgeinhands-onandpracticalsettings.Knowledge retentionisincreasedbecauseyouthlearnbydoing,notbylecture(MaryPrentice, GailRobinson,2010).Throughthisevaluation,19%ofyouthreportedanincreasein gradesafterinvolvementinYVC.Byapplyingwhatislearnedinschoolinreal-life settings,studentsimproveinacademicsettings.
Implementingservice-learningprogramsforunderservedyouthisespecially important.Onaverage,growingupwellismorechallengingwhenyoulivein poverty.Lowsocioeconomicstatusisnegativelylinkedtoawiderangeofchildand adolescentwell-beingindicators (Roehlkepartain,EugeneC,2008) Research showsthatyoungpeoplefromdisadvantagedcircumstancesbenefitfrom participationinservice-learninginseveralways,includingagreatersignificant commitmenttolearningandbetterschoolattendance,grades,andacademic successthanlow-incomestudentswhodidnotparticipate.Disadvantagedyouth participatinginservice-learningactivitiesarealsomorelikelytobelievetheyare contributingtothecommunity,engagedinlearning,andhaveotherpositive outcomes.Theyalsotendtodemonstratemorepositivecivicattitudesand characteristicsthanyouthfromtheirpeerswhodonotvolunteer(Roehlkepartain, EugeneC.,2008).
Additionally,servicelearningrequirescollaborationwithpeers,sharingideas,and workingthroughtrialanderror–allpracticeshelpyouthleadershipskillsand confidencerisetotheforefront Leadershipandconfidence,pairedwithmotivation, asenseofresponsibility,retentionofknowledge,andimprovementingrades,are trendsthatbuildupononeanothertoimpactyouthinacademicsettingspositively. Researchshowsthatstudentsinvolvedinservicelearninghavehighergraduation rates(Mungo2017).Service-learningconnectsreal-lifeexperienceswitheducation, andstudentsgainanddevelopskillsassociatedwithimprovedacademic performance.
YOUTH OUTCOMES
MentalHealthImpact
YVCvolunteersshowedthattheirtimewithYVCpositivelyimpactedindicatorsof emotionalwell-beingandself-worth.Specifically,two-thirdsofyouthvolunteers reportedthattheiremotionalwell-beingandself-worthhadincreased,withnearly halfindicatingithadsignificantlyincreased
ThegraphshowstheimpactofYVConmentalhealth.Thenumbersrepresentan aggregatescoreforthefourmentalhealthindicatorsforallyouth.63%reported improvedmentalhealth,and33%reportednochange.
“Giventhesignificanthealthconsequencesoflonelinessand isolation,wemustprioritizebuildingsocialconnectionthesame waywehaveprioritizedothercriticalpublichealthissuessuchas tobacco,obesity,andsubstanceusedisorders.Together,wecan buildacountrythat’shealthier,moreresilient,lesslonely,and moreconnected.”
- U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy
YOUTH OUTCOMES
YouthparticipatinginYVCandthosenotparticipatinginYVCwereaskedthesame fourmentalhealthindicators:emotionalwell-being,self-worth,beliefintheirability tomakeadifference,andconnectingtopeers YVCyouthscoredhigheracrossall fourindicators,whicharegenerallydifficulttoimprove,makinganypositivechange meaningful.Twoindicators beliefintheirabilitytomakeadifferenceandpeer connection weresignificantlydifferentbetweenYVCandnon-YVCyouth(p<0.01). ThesefindingshighlightYVC’sroleinfosteringagencyandbelonging,equipping youthwithresilienceandtheskillstopositivelyimpacttheircommunities.
ComparisonofMentalHealthIndicatorsforYVCYouthandNon-YVCYouth
ABILITYTOMAKEA DIFFERENCE
SELF-WORTH
Mental Health Narrative Review
Giventheincreasingprevalenceofmentalhealthchallengesamongyouth,YVC hasincorporatedmentalhealthasanewinquiryintoitsevaluationframework.The findingsfromthecurrentreportfurtheremphasizehowservice-learning experienceslikeYVChelpmitigatethedeclineinyouthmentalhealth.The significantlyhigherpercentageofYVCyouthwhoreportedabeliefintheirabilityto makeadifferenceandstrongerpeerconnections(p<001)alignswithresearch showingthatsocialconnectednessandpurposecontributetopositivemental well-being.
BeforetheCOVID-19pandemic,youthmentalhealthwasdeclining.From2009to 2019,oneinthreehighschoolstudentsreportedpersistentsadnessand hopelessness(USSurgeonGeneralUS21).Thepercentageofyouthreportingmajor depressivedisorderrosefrom8%in2009to16%in2019(MentalHealthofAmerica 2020) Between2007and2018,suicideratesamongindividualsaged10-24inthe USincreasedby57%,withover6,600suicidedeathsinthisagegroupin2020. (Curtinetal.2020).
Thepandemicamplifiedthecausesofmentalhealthissues–studentswerenot attendingschoolinpersonwiththeirpeers,andmentalhealthtreatmentinthe schoolsettingwasnolongeravailable(MentalHealthofAmerica2020).Through schoolclosures,thepandemicchangedhowyouthattendedclassesandhowthey interactedwithfriends Feelingsoflonelinessincreased,youthexperienced changesinhowtheyvisitedfamily,andaccesstohealthcareinschoolsettingswas nolongeravailable(SurgeonGeneralReport2021).Manyyouthstrugglingwith mentalhealthissuesalsobegantoseeadiminishedviewofself-worth.
In2021,agroupoftoppediatrichealthexpertsinthecountrydeclaredanational emergencyinchildandadolescentmentalhealth Thenegativeeffectsofthe pandemicwereespeciallysevereforthosealreadyatrisk,includingyouthwith disabilities,racialandethnicminorities,LGBTQ+youth,andthosefromlow-income backgrounds.(SurgeonGeneralReport2021).Althoughmentalhealthservicesfor youthareavailableacrossthecountry,theyarestrugglingtomeetthegrowing demandcausedbythepandemic,especiallyforunderservedyouth.Therefore, strategiesaimedatstrengtheningyouthmentalhealth suchasenhancing protectivefactors,fosteringschoolconnectedness,andboostingcommunity engagement—areessentialinaddressingtheongoingyouthmentalhealthcrisis andtheshortageofresources.
“…thechallengestoday’sgenerationofyoungpeoplefaceareunprecedentedand uniquelyhardtonavigate.Andtheeffectthesechallengeshavehadontheir mentalhealthisdevastating.”
VivekMurthy,U.S.SurgeonGeneral.ProtectingYouthMentalHealth,2021.
Asyoungpeoplegrowanddevelop,theyreachimportantmentalandemotional milestones.Thisprocess,knownasachievingdevelopmentalcompetence,involves handlingvarioussocial,emotional,cognitive,andbehavioraltasksatdifferent stagesofdevelopment.Partofthiscompetenceincludesconformingtocultural andsocialnormsandcultivatingapositivesenseofidentity,confidence,andwellbeing.Variouscontextualfactorscaneithersupportorobstructthisprocess,often referredtoasprotectiveandriskfactors (Eccles,J,andJAGootman,2002) Protectivefactorsarecharacteristics,conditions,orbehaviors eitherindividualor environmental thathelpreducetheimpactofstressfullifeevents,enhancea person’sabilitytoavoidrisksordangers,andfostersocialandemotionalskills necessaryforthrivinginallareasoflife,bothnowandinthefuture.TheCDC DivisionofAdolescentandSchoolHealthsuggestsservice-learningasaneffective strategyforpromotingtheseprotectivefactorsinyouth.
Mental Health Narrative Review (Continued)
Service-learningexperiencessuchasYVCprovidewaystomitigatethedeclinein youthmentalhealth.Throughteam-basedserviceexperiences,youthincrease theiropportunityforsocialconnectionandconnectionstothegreatercommunity. Studiesshowthatthepositivesocialoutcomesofvolunteeringencourageother positivehealthandwell-beingoutcomes.So,increasingconnectednesscan positivelyimprovementalhealth(NicholB,WilsonR,etal,2023) Thisevaluation corroboratesthesefindings Forexample,71%ofsurveyedyouthengagedwithYVC reportedfeelingagreaterconnectiontotheirpeers.Buildingpositiveconnections candecreasetheeffectsoflonelinessandfosteragreatersenseofbelonging.
YVCallowsyouthtobuildnewskills,workwithothers,connectvolunteer experiencestoeducationalcoursework,andseethedirectimpactoftheirwork. Overtime,thisincreasesconfidenceandpositiveself-worth InYVC’ssurvey,55%of youthengagedwithYVCreportedincreasedself-worth Alongwithself-worth,other researchhasindicatedthatvolunteering“mayhelptoprovideasenseofpurpose” andhelpstosupportpro-socialbehaviorsamongvolunteering,including increasedreportsofhappiness(Lawnton,R.N.,Gramatki,I.,Watt,W.etal.,2020).In YVC’ssurvey,73%ofyouthreportedtheynowunderstandthattheycanmakea differencethroughYVC’shands-onservice-learningexperiences.Youthinstantly seetheimpactoftheirvolunteerwork,whichincreasestheirsenseofpurpose.
Overall,servicelearningcanenhancesocial-emotionaldevelopment.Activities associatedwithservicelearningcanfosterresilienceinwaysthatreduce emotionalproblemsandenhanceproblem-solvingbyincreasingmotivationfor learning,doing,andbeing(Adelman&Taylor,2018).Service-learningthroughYVC allowsyouthtoworkthroughproblem-solvingasateam.Thisteachespatience andempathyandallowsyouthtolearnhowtoworkthroughdifficulties,whichare alltoolsinresiliency-akeycomponentofstrongmentalhealthskills(Yeh2010)
“Volunteeringorservice-learningforyouththatregularlyengages[involunteering] ispositivelycorrelatedwithhappiness,indicatingvolunteerservicemaybean equitablestrategyforpromotingpositivementalhealth”(Bogonov2008).This evaluationshowsthatindicatorsofemotionalwell-beingandself-worthwere positivelyimpactedbytheirtimeinYVC.Forexample,55%ofsurveyedyouth reportedincreasedemotionalwell-being
Whenoneoutcomeisstrengthened,othersarestrengthenedaswell.Emotional well-beingpositivelyaffectsacademicachievement,whichisanotherinquiryof thisevaluation.Whenmentalhealthisstronger,itiseasiertofocusonacademics, andstudentsperformbetter(Hurbet&Hauf2015).Service-learningenhances learning,fostersstudentengagement,andproducesgainsinsocial-emotionaland academiclearning(WilczenskiandCook2009) Whilethesemeasuresare independentlymeasured,onecannotignorethepositiveimpactsthatbuildupon oneanother.
Inanerawhereyouthmentalhealthchallenges,includinglonelinessandlackof agency,areontherise,YVCprovidesstructuredopportunitiesforyouthtoengage meaningfullywiththeircommunities,fosteringresilienceandemotionalgrowth.By allowingyouthtoseethedirectimpactoftheircontributions,YVCinstillsasenseof purposethatcombatsfeelingsofisolationandhelplessness Thesefindings reinforcethatservice-learningisnotjustameansofcivicengagementbuta powerfultoolforimprovingmentalhealthbystrengtheningagency,belonging,and overallwell-being.
YVC AFFILIATES
Methods
TheleadershipevaluationsurveyedProgramDirectorsandExecutiveDirectors usingquantitativeandqualitativemethods.93%ofaffiliatesresponded,and27% oftherespondingaffiliateshadbetween2and6respondents
Quantitativeandqualitativedatawascollectedinanonlinesurveyoverone month,fromSeptember15toOctober15.
Responseswereexaminedtoidentifyareasofexcellenceandareasof opportunity.
ProgramDirectorandExecutiveDirectortenurewiththeirorganization
ProgramsbytheNumbers
88%ofaffiliateshaveyear-roundprogramming
12%haveschool-yearprogrammingonly
ProgramDirectorsandExecutiveDirectorsspend23hoursonsummerprogramming.
ProgramDirectorsandExecutiveDirectorsspend20.6hoursonschoolprogramming.
Affiliatesreportutilizingtheonlineresourcelibrary,theservice-learninglibrary, monthlyProgramDirectorRoundtables, fundraisingsupportsuchasgrantassistance, Summitworkshops,andpersonalizedsupportfromYVCHQ.
YVC AFFILIATES
ValueofYVC
100%ofYVCleadershipfeelsthat:
YVCpositivelybenefitstheyouthparticipants.
YVCpositivelybenefitstheirorganization.
YVCpositivelybenefitstheircommunity.
YVCprojectparticipationdevelopsjobskillsforyouth.
90%ofaffiliatesfeelYVCHQprovidesexcellentsupport.
YVCPROGRAMHASBENEFITEDOUR ORGANIZATION. YOUTHVOLUNTEERSDEVELOPJOB SKILLSONYVCPROJECTS.
YVCHQPROVIDESEXCELLENTSUPPORT FOROURAFFILIATE. YVCPROGRAMPOSITIVELYBENEFITSYOUTH PARTICIPANTS. YVCPROGRAMPOSITIVELYBENEFITSOUR COMMUNITY.
YVC AFFILIATES
AffiliateSupport
80%ofaffiliatesuseallsupportservicesexceptvolunteerinsuranceandonline fundraisingmaterialsinsomecapacity.
60%ofProgramDirectorsandExecutiveDirectorsareresponsibleforfundraising fortheirprograms.
69%ofaffiliatescurrentlyusefundraisingsupportfromYVCHQ.
88%reportthattheyplantoutilizeonlinefundraisingmaterialsfromYVCHQ.
75%increaseinutilizingtheYVCwebsitesince2018
40%ofprogramdirectorsandexecutivedirectorsconnectwithotherYVCadult leadersonlyabouthalfofthetimeormore.YVCadultleadersareinterestedin collaboratingmoretogetherinthefuture.
YVC AFFILIATES
YVCModelFidelity
90%ofaffiliatesincludeservice-learningandmeaningfulreflectionmostofthe timeoralways.
85%ofaffiliatesincludeicebreakersorteambuildersandofferavarietyof projectsmostofthetimeoralways.
75%ofaffiliatestrackparticipationmostofthetimeoralways.
78%feelthatmostofthetime,youthcanexplainYVC.
72%ofaffiliatesregularlyincludeyouthinleadershiprolestohelpidentifyproject issueareas.
YVC AFFILIATES
SummitImpacts
83%ofaffiliateshaveattendedSummitinthelast3years.
Favorites
Learningfromandnetworkingwithotheraffiliates. Seeingtheirplaceinanationalmovementthatismakinganimpact Itismotivating,inspiring,andreinvigorating.
Bondingwiththeiraffiliateteamandwithotheraffiliates. MeetingHQstaff.
Hopes
Classesandworkshopscanvaryinvaluedependingonthedesignofthe YVCaffiliate.
DiscussionsatSummitaregreat,butdistancemakesithardtoturnthem intocollaborations.
Itisalsohardtostayconnectedafterward,eventhoughmanywouldliketo
“Summitisgreatforouryouthbecausethey
gettomeetyouthfromalloverthecountry whoarecommittedtoservice.Ibelieveithasa lastingimpact.”
YVC AFFILIATES
YVCTrends
Communicationinthelast5years
52%ofaffiliatesreportchanginghowtheycommunicatewithyouthinthelast5 years Affiliateshaveadaptedtoevolvingcommunicationneeds,leveraging technologytostayconnectedwithyouth.Textandemailremaintheprimary channels,withtextbeingthemostcommon.Directorsusevariousappssuchas SignupGenius,Mailchimp,Remind,What’sApp,GroupMe,BANDApp,GoogleVoice, customizedYVCapp,virtualmeetings,grouptexts,andmonthlynewsletters.Social mediaisusedbutislimitedinscopebecausemostyouthdonotutilizeFacebook, andsomedonotuseInstagram.
EmergingNeedsofYouth
Inrecentyears,therehasbeenasurgeinyouthwhoneedsupportinmental health,socialskills,academics,andcareerpreparation.Thepandemicfurther exacerbatedthesechallenges,leadingtoincreasedanxiety,isolation,and disruptededucation Youthhaveshorterattentionspans,requiringmore encouragementtostayfocusedandengagedonprojecttasks.Youthlack staminainsomephysicallyintenseprojects.Youthparticipationcanbe inconsistent,andmanyyouthregisterforprojectsbutstrugglewithcommitment andfollow-through.Thereisaneedforafocusonadvancedacademicskillsand STEM.Additionalskillsneededincluderesumewriting,interviewing,CPR,CERT financialliteracy,andcareerguidance.
Tocombatsocialanxiety,affiliatesarecreatingwelcoming,inclusive environments,facilitatingrelationships,andyouthpeermentors.Theyare providingmoredetailstotheyouthtoreduceuncertainty.Affiliatesarealso workingwiththeircountiestoprovideinformationtohelpguideteachersand leadersinassistingyouth.
YVC AFFILIATES
YVCTrends
NetworkEngagement
Engagement&ConnectingLeaders
AffiliatesheavilyfavornetworkingwithotheraffiliatesandpeersacrosstheYVC network.SummitprovestobeoneofthegreatestvaluesofferedthroughYVC.The eventallowslike-mindedleaderstolearn,shareideas,andbond.Leaders expressedtheneedtocontinuemaintainingconnectionsoncereturninghome. OnlinecollaborativeexperienceslikeProgramDirectorRoundtables,YVC Wednesday,andotherZoomsessionsshouldcontinuetobehostedthrough YVCHQ.
Emergingpracticesamongthenetworkincluderegionalvolunteereventsand daysinwhichaffiliatessimultaneouslyengageinthesameeventintheir respectivecommunitiesandshareexperiencesoversocialmedia.Affiliatesalso suggestedthatYVCHQprovidetoolsforcollaborativeprojectsandregionalevents andhostanannualprogramdirectormeeting,quarterlyZooms,andmore.
Engagement&ConnectingYouth
AffiliatesreportedthatyouthvalueincreasedconnectionsacrosstheYVCnetwork, similartoadultleaders.Suggestionsforconnectingyouthincluderegional volunteerevents,simultaneousvolunteerevents,andvirtualmeetings.Inaddition totheseideas,affiliatessuggestimplementingnon-volunteereventstoconnect andbond
EngagingAlumni
58%ofaffiliatesreportedthatalumnistayconnectedwithprogramsbyspeaking atcommunityevents,fundraisingevents,trainingmeetings,orfillingtherolesof TeamLeadersduringsummerprogramming Oneaffiliatereportedhavingan alumnigroupthathostsannualevents Theremaining42%ofaffiliatesreportthat theyhavedonenoworktoengagetheirprogram’salumsandexpressedthatitis achallengeduetocollegeplans.
YVC AFFILIATES
FuturePriorities
Toaddresstheseevolvingneeds,affiliatesshouldcontinuetoprioritizethe following:
StrengthenOrganizationalCapacity:Directorscitedmorestaffcapacityand fundingasbarrierstoconsistent,effectiveprogramming Affiliateswillrequirethe commitmentoftheirboardandstaffastheyworktoincreasestaffretention,raise necessaryfunding,anddesignaclearplanandroadmapformovingforward.
YVCAffiliatesMeetYouthWhereTheyAre:Duetotheeffectsofthepandemic andsocialmediaonyouth,affiliatesmustensuretheyareassistingyouthwith mentalhealthchallenges,career-connectedlearning,andleadership development
AdapttoChangingYouthNeeds:Directorsstatedthatyouthsometimesvolunteer tomeetrequirementsforhighschoolgraduation,schoolclubs,courtorders,or church.Theyalsovolunteertogainjobskillexperienceandenhancecollege applicationsandscholarships.Directorsreportthattransportationandbusy schedulesarethemostsignificantbarrierstoyouthparticipation.Affiliatesmust continuallydevelopcreativestrategiestoattractandretainyouth,especially thosewithbusyschedules Affiliateswillalsoneedtofocusonproviding meaningfulprojectsthatmeetcommunityneedswhilebeingengagingandfun fortheyouth.Affiliateswillneedtocontinuouslyassesstheevolvingneedsofyouth andadjustprogramsaccordingly.
LeverageTechnology:Utilizetechnologytofacilitatecommunication, engagement,andremotevolunteeropportunities.
Thesecurrentpracticesareessentialtocontinuetoempoweryoungpeopleand makealastingimpactontheirlives.
YVC AFFILIATES
Recommendations
YouthVolunteerCorpshasimpactedyouth'slivesforover35years.Thissuccessis partlyduetoconstantevaluation,review,learning,beingopen,andkeepingup withchangingtimes.Theserecommendationsareofferedwiththeintentto continuetokeepupandanswertheneedsofthetimesandtheyouth
ForOrganizations
Connectingwithandnavigatingvariousschoolsystemstocreatemeaningful collaborationcanbechallenging.However,YVCHQcanbridgethegapby providingvalidation,recommendations,andteachertraininghours
Changesinsocialmediahappenrapidly.Staycurrentonthebestsocialmedia channelstoreachyouth,parents,andguardians.Ensureyouthsafetyinallsocial mediadecisionsorrecommendations.
TheserecommendationsareofferedwiththeintenttoensureYVCremains relevantandresponsivetotheevolvingneedsofyouth
YVC AFFILIATES
ForMentalHealth
Systemicchangeisessentialforyouthmentalhealth,butindividualscandowhat theycan YVCcandeterminewhatroletheycanbestfillintheseeffortsand continueprioritizingmentalhealthtrainingforHQandYVCnetworkstaff.
YVCcancontinuetomakepositiveimpactstowardyouthmentalhealththrough teambuilding,icebreakers,buildingrelationshipswithyouth,andeducatingyouth onhowtonavigatechallenges.Whenyouthhaveadultswholisten,peerstoturn to,andaprogramtoengagewith,itmakesthemfeellesshopeless,builds resiliency,andhelpsthemfeelcapableoffacingchallenges
YVC’sroleinmentalhealthcanalsobecomepartofthesolution.Althoughsome mentalhealthconcernsaretreatable,allentitiesthatimpactayouth’s environmentcanplayapartinmakingpositiveimpactstowardmentalhealth: families,school,government,media,entertainment,healthcare,andmore.YVC canbeanintegralpartoftheyouth’senvironmenttomakeapositiveimpacton theirmentalhealth
YVCshoulddesignplanstohelpyouthadvocateformentalhealthreform.Provide resourcestoeducationyouthonhowtospreadawareness,leadtrainings,and supporttheimplementationofmentalhealthreforminschools.
ForYouth
Astheneedsandcultureofyouthchangeanddevelopovertime,YVCshould remaincommittedtoengagingyouthvoicestomaintainrelevancewiththeir participants OnewaytodothisistoutilizetheInternationalYouthAdvisoryBoard inbroadercontexts,consideringtheseyouthasexperts YVCshouldcommitto learningfromtheseyouthandremainopenandreceptivetotheirinformationand guidance.Tofurtherincreasetheextenttowhichtheorganizationengagesyouth voice,YVCshouldincorporateyouthinputintothedesignoftheirnextstrategic plan.
Theorganizationshouldalsoworktoincreaseyouthleadershipopportunities YVC shouldconsiderincreasingthesizeoftheInternationalYouthAdvisoryBoardor creatingotherspecializedyouthboards.YVCshouldalsoprovideyouthwithmore trainingandsupportincollegepreparation,careerexploration,andlifeskills.
ForAlumni
TasktheYVCAlumniNetworktohosteventseachyear.
Nonparametric analysis: Pgs 7-12 Youth Outcomes
Analysis of Post-Test for YVC Youth and Assessment for non-YVC Youth: Pgs. 13-15
Means-difference and t-test for the Volunteer Hours Threshold: Pg 16
Calculation of Percent Change: Pgs 17-18, 22
Nonparametric analysis description:
The indicators in the instrument used to measure youth experiences and outcomes of their time with YVC were analyzed utilizing a nonparametric test to account for a possible wideranging distribution of volunteer hours and experiences It allows for a holistic analysis of all indicators as an entire measure of the experience and provides a statistical estimate of the percentage who self-reported improvement. For all Youth Outcome measurement indicators, results were statistically significant at the p<.005 level.
Post-Test and non-YVC Assessment Analysis: YVC youth and non-YVC youth volunteers were provided with a set of self-assessment questions regarding academic and social impact indicators The reported percentages and differences between the two groups were summarized
Means-difference and t-tests to Assess Volunteer Hours Impact:
A means difference analysis compared the average (mean) values of volunteers' negative and positive score differences to the number of volunteer hours This determined that the number of hours and positive scores results in a meaningful threshold and is not by random chance This does not necessarily account for volunteers who would have positive scores regardless and/or volunteer for many more hours residing on the far tail of the dataset Still, it allows us to see what the average to expect is. Additionally, a t-test lets us see the difference between positive and negative scores across hours.
Adelman, H S & Taylor, L (2018) Improving School Improvement Los Angeles: Center for Mental Health in Schools and Student Learning Supports at UCLA. https//smhp psych ucla edu/improving school improvement
Billig, S H (2003) Using Evidence to Make the Case for Service Learning as an Academic Achieving Intervention in K-12 RMC Research Corporation https//www Seanetonline org/images/UsingEvidenceMaketheCaseforService doc
Borgonovi, F (2008) Doing Well by Doing Good: Benefits for the Benefactor Social Science and Medicine 66 (11) 2321-3
Celio, C I , Durlak, J Dymnicki, A (2011) A Metanalysis of the Impact of Service Learning on Students Journal of Experimental Education 34 (2) 164-181
Curtin et al. (2020) State Suicide Rates Among Adolescents and Young Adults Ages 10-24. National Vital Statistics Reports
Curtin et Al (2021) Provisional Numbers and Rates of Suicide by Month and Demographic Characteristics Vital Statistics Reports.
Daniello, Sydney, Gilberti, Mary, Howard, Karen, Reinart, Maddy, Counts, Nathaniel, Burrell, Ethan (2020)
Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis: The Urgent Need for More Education, Services and Supports Mental Health of America bing com/ck/a?!&&p=efb724bb9c12f356d1e7b0ac7621ece25c926f5621434938b3670b8702d8f676JmltdHM9MTc zNDU2NjQwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=19bac5e5-c182-60f4-0596d10dc0f7613b&psq=mental+health+of+america+addressing+youth+mental+health+crisis&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d 3cubWhhbmF0aW9uYWwub3JnL3NpdGVzL2RlZmF1bHQvZmlsZXMvRklOQUwlMjBNSEElMjBSZXBvcnQlMjAtJ TIwQWRkcmVzc2luZyUyMFlvdXRoJTIwTWVudGFsJTIwSGVhbHRoJTIwQ3Jpc2lzJTIwLSUyMEp1bHklMjAyMDI xLnBkZg&ntb=1
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Furco, A., Jones-White, D., Huesman Jr., R. Gorney, L. (2016) Modeling the Influence of Service Learning on Academic and Sociocultural Gains Findings from a Multi-Institutional Study Civic Engagement and Community Service at Research Universities 143-163
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