Program Outcomes for Youth 
 
Youth will demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior necessary for fulfilling contributing lives
 
Development of Social Competencies in Youth: 
 
Reduction of Risk Behaviors in Youth: 
 
Welcome to the Youth NOWG Evaluation Resource site! We hope that the resources and materials available here will be helpful to community-based program developers and evaluators focused on the enhancement of social competency and the reduction of risk behaviors among youth. Here, and in the various other components of the CYFAR Evaluation website, you will find information on the topics associated with social competency and risk behaviors among youth, as well as materials and resources pertinent to the evaluation of these topics in the context of community-based youth programs. 

This workgroup came together as part of the CYFAR evaluation collaboration to support the evaluation capacity of the State Strengthening Projects focused on youth development. Since the majority of these projects broadly self-defined their objectives as asset building and/or risk reduction, we focused our efforts on two broad categories: The enhancement of social competency and the reduction of risk behaviors. Within these broad categories, we identified sub-topics or "indicators" of program and evaluation focus that appeared to encompass the diversity of youth programming found among State Strengthening Projects. Although clearly not exhaustive, this list allowed us to concentrate on developing resources directly applicable to the youth projects associated with this initiative: 

Social Competency     
Relationships     
Conflict Resolution     
Decision Making       
Social Responsibility       
Communication       
Goal Setting      
Problem Solving       
Social and Environmental Navigation     
Valuing Diversity      
Risk Taking
Substance Abuse 
Sexual Activity (inc. Teen Pregnancy & STDs) 
Academic Risk (inc. Academic Failure, Drop-out, Absences,       Suspensions, Alienation & Grade Retention 
Delinquency 
Violence 

At each of the above sites you will find materials defining the topic and relating it to youth programming. In the first section of each site, there is an introduction, component elements, and a summary, followed by an annotated bibliography and a review of existing measures/instruments on that topic. We recognize the many challenges associated with the development and evaluation of community-based youth programs. Because of this, these materials should be used in conjunction with the Evaluation Guide and qualitative evaluation resources found at other sites within this CYFAR Evaluation Collaboration website. Together, it is our hope that these resources will strengthen the capacity of the CYFAR State Strengthening Projects to measure the impact of their programs; thus allowing for the Cooperative Extension Service to remain a leader in research, program development, and evaluation of community-based youth programming.  
 
You can help us keep these resources up to date! We have tried our best to collect useful information on these topics, but we recognize community-based program development and evaluation is a rapidly emerging field. To keep these materials up to date and to help us add any important materials/resources we may have missed, could you send us your suggestions? 
 
Bill Evans, Facilitator University of Nevada, Reno 
Bonnie Barber University of Arizona
Susan Barkman  Purdue University
Teresa Booth  University of Arkansas
Laura Dehaan North Dakota State University
Karen Hoffman  University of Arizona
Lucia Orcutt University of Minnesota
Roselyn Polk University of Nevada, Reno
Dawn Scott University of Nevada, Reno
Ben Silliman University of Wyoming
Michelle D. Sims University of Minnesota
Hannah Speaker Purdue University 
 
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