Cool Girls, Inc.: Promoting the Positive Development of Urban Preadolescent and Early Adolescent Girls

Abstract

The past two decades have seen a transformation in youth programming toward a comprehensive positive youth development (YD) framework. Cool Girls, Inc., a YD program, focuses on improving girls' life chances by promoting positive behaviors and attitudes in multiple domains. These include self-concept, academic orientation, future orientation, and healthy behaviors. The present study uses a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent comparison group design to examine short-term effects of participation in Cool Girls, Inc. on multiple indicators of each of these domains. Participants were predominately African American and included 86 program participants and 89 comparisons in grades 4-8. Self-report questionnaires were administered at pretest (September-October) and posttest (April-May) of the 2005-2006 academic school year. We hypothesized that program participants would show improvements across domains of self-concept, academic orientation, future orientation, and healthy behavior. Relative to comparisons, program participants experienced gains in scholastic competence, hope for the future, and physical activity. Cool Girls participants with a mentor experienced significant gains in social acceptance and body image relative to other Cool Girls and were more than four times as likely to have expectations of avoiding drug use in the future. The role of mentoring as well as the study's practical significance, strengths, and limitations are discussed.

The effects of Positive Youth Development interventions on substance use, violence and inequalities: systematic review of theories of change, processes and outcomes

“…Cool Girls, Inc. 95 was delivered mainly as an ASP with weekly meetings, although it included additional weekend activities. Cool Girls, Inc. consisted of a life skills curriculum with academic support and specific programme-relevant academic and social activities, and was delivered solely to girls at local grammar schools.…”

“…Five studies 79,86,95,111,112 were prospective studies with non-random matched control groups. The evaluation of MAP 93 included both a randomised trial component and a non-randomised matched comparison component, with data from both being analysed together.…”

“…In all four randomised trials 78,90,98,112 and three non-randomised trials, 86,93,95 comparison groups did not receive alternative programming, although control group participants in All Stars 90 were offered monthly 'fun' activities with generally low uptake. Control groups for evaluations of Stay SMART, 111 YPDP 112 and the PYDC 79 were recruited from similar settings and programmes, which generally involved some baseline level of intervention, which did not offer the additional PYD component.…”

“…The six non-randomised evaluations 79,86,93,95,111,112 included in this project all recruited comparison groups, making blinding difficult, if not impossible. Of the four randomised trials included, two randomised students within schools 78,90 and two randomised at the point of sign-up for the intervention.…”

“…We were unable to assess selective outcome reporting for 6 of the 10 included studies 77,78,90,93,95,96 owing to inadequate information on pre-planned outcomes or the absence of a study protocol. The remaining four studies 79,86,111,112 had a high risk of bias on selective reporting.…”