Ⅲ Participation is a key issue in youth development organizations. In fact, research suggests that youths who attend the programs offered by these agencies will experience numerous benefits. One such youth development organization is the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). A R T I C L E JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 31, No. 1, 39-55 (2003) © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/jcop.10036 Youth development programs provide important contexts for promoting the positive, healthy development of young people. There are 17,000 youth development organizations, both public and private, active in the United States in the 1990s~Quinn, 1999!. Participation in the programs offered by these agencies is associated with positive outcomes for youths. For instance, involvement in high quality after-school programs, as well as in other extracurricular activities, is related to improved school attendance and performance, more involvement with adults, better peer relations, and enhanced prosocial behaviors~Huang, Gribbons, Kim, Lee, & Baker, 2000;Posner, & Vandell, 1994;Riley, Steinberg, Todd, Junge, & McClain, 1994;Schinke, Cole, & Poulin, 2000; U.S. Department of Education, 2000!. As well, participation is linked with lower incidences of problem behaviors such as decreased academic failure, substance use, and delinquency~Anderson- Butcher, 2000;Holland & Andre, 1987;Larson, 1994;Mahoney & Cairns, 1997;Posner & Vandell, 1994;Riley et al., 1994;Schinke, Orlandi, & Cole, 1992!. Participation is a key issue in youth development programming~Quinn, 1999!. Simply put, if youth do not attend, they will not experience the positive benefits these programs are known to provide. Many challenges to participation exist. For instance, youths' involvement in these programs is typically voluntary, and youths indicate their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the activities by "voting with their feet." The desired outcomes of these programs require long-term participation and youths must attend with sufficient frequency and duration. Maintaining this involvement over time is especially challenging among adolescents, as participation tends to decline as youths age~Gould, 1987; Quinn, 1999!. Additionally, the way in which youths participate is important, that is, especially in programs offering a variety of activities and programs. To highlight, youths may engage in structured, outcomes-based prevention and educational programs, or may participate in less structured, drop-in recreational based activities. Because of these challenges, it is important for youth development organizations to understand the various factors associated with participation and the outcomes associated with the involvement in the various types of programs offered. BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBSMany researchers have discussed the importance of participation in activities offered at the Boys and Girls Clubs of America~BGCA!. The BGCA is a community-based nonprofit organization that seeks to improve...

Recent research shows that camp counselors, including those in 4-H, benefit from the experience by developing important life skills. However, because research regarding the perception of workforce skill development in this context has yielded inconsistent findings, the present study used focus groups to examine 4-H camp counselor alumni perceptions about the skills gained and transfer of these skills to other settings. Overall, 4-H camp counselor alumni thought their experience was fun and enjoyable, yet challenging. They believed they developed important life and workforce skills. Not only did alumni learn these skills, but the skills transferred beyond the camp setting. Leadership was noted as the skill most frequently applied to other contexts. Alumni believed that their counseling experiences had both indirect and direct impacts on their career choice. This study suggests many practical applications for those who work with camp programs.

There is widespread concern that youth lack the skills essential for job success and are entering the workplace unprepared. To address issues of workforce preparation, Extension educators at an urban 4-H education center created the Job Experience and Training (JET) program, a work-based learning program for teens. JET is conducted over a six-month period, culminating in an eight-week summer work experience in collaboration with a local park district. Supervisors and teens completed a performance appraisal measure based on SCANS workforce skills at two points during the program. Both teens and supervisors provided written comments addressing teens' strengths and areas for growth, as well as comments on their satisfaction with the program itself. Overall, the experience appears to have produced improvements in teens' workforce skills, as evidenced by their own self-assessment and that of their supervisors. We conclude with implications for conducting work-based learning programs.

For years, 4-H has struggled with the complex issue of membership retention, especially among older youth. However, little research has been done concerning why 4-H members choose to leave the program. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the reasons for leaving 4-H with the ultimate goal of improving retention of older members. Specific objectives of the study were to (a) explore reasons why youth chose not to re-enroll in the program, (b) identify barriers to participation, and (c) determine what conditions would facilitate participation. Focus group participants consisted of older youth (n=16) who were enrolled in 4-H in a community club in 2007 in Erie County (Ohio), but who did not re-enroll in 2008. Significant findings from the study concerning the retention of older 4-H youth were related to (a) experiences with adult leaders, (b) experiences with competition, and (c) conflicts with other activities. Recommendations for theory, research, and practice are offered.

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This article highlights a study which explored youths’ perspectives on their long-term involvement at Adventure Central, a comprehensive 4-H youth development program based at an urban park facility. We conducted four focus groups with 16 youth between the ages of 12 and 16 who had participated in the program between three and seven years. The youth experienced a wide range of opportunities including nature-related activities, jobs at park facilities, and travel. They spoke positively of their experiences and described how they benefited from their participation. Novelty, challenge, and leadership were key features of these opportunities. The youth noted the connection between learning and fun. In the process, they learned new skills, such as teamwork and public speaking, and developed personal qualities, such as responsibility, that helped them as they were growing up, transferred to other settings, and would benefit them in the future. Findings from this study suggest some clear implications for youth development professionals.

Military youth have unique challenges, particularly when a parent is deployed. Camp participation has been linked to multiple positive outcomes, thus camps have become popular as a setting for addressing these youth's unique needs. With limited existing research on outcomes related to participation, this study explored to what extent participation in OMK camps affected military youth's self-efficacy for communication, coping, and social skills. Participants responded to an online instrument three months after camp. Both campers and parents reported the largest increase in self-efficacy for communication skills, followed by social skills, and then coping skills. Open-ended responses overwhelmingly supported that developing friendships was one of the greatest benefits of attending a camp. The results are consistent with the literature regarding the importance of connectedness. Recommendations for conducting camps are offered. These finding may also be useful to those working with other special populations in the camp setting.