The Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong: Work Done and Lessons Learned in a Decade

Abstract

The Project Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs is a positive youth development program initiated and financially supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Since 2005, the project has gone through several phases, including the initial phase (2005-2012), school-based extension phase (2009-2016), and community-based extension phase (2013-2017). In the initial phase, with the involvement of academics from 5 universities in Hong Kong, the research team developed youth enhancement programs for junior secondary school students (20 hours per grade), trained the program implementers (20 hours per grade), assisted in the implementation in more than 250 schools, and evaluated the program using multiple evaluation strategies, including a 5-year longitudinal experimental study. In the school-based extension phase, the project was implemented for another cycle (2009-2010 and 2011-2012 school years) and a 6-year longitudinal study was conducted to understand the psychosocial development of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. In the community-based extension phase, the programs were administered by social workers in the community settings. Generally speaking, different evaluation findings showed that the programs in Project Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs promoted positive development and reduced risk behavior in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Positive youth development attributes and family functioning also have positive contributions to adolescent developmental outcomes over time.

Changes in the Participants in a Community-Based Positive Youth Development Program in Hong Kong: Objective Outcome Evaluation Using a One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design

“…for young people was introduced in 2005 (Shek and Wu 2016). Designed by Shek and his collaborators Shek et al 2012a, b;Shek and Sun 2012a), the program incorporated a wide range of PYD constructs proposed by Catalano and his colleagues (Catalano et al 2004).…”

“…In 2013, a community-based extension phase of the project was launched (Shek and Wu 2016). The community-based design has several advantages.…”

Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Mainland China: Findings Based on Student Diaries

“…In contrast, the Tier 2 program was specifically designed for students having greater psychosocial needs (Shek & Wu, 2016). Findings based on different evaluation strategies consistently showed that the project promoted multiple psychosocial competences and reduced risk behaviors in adolescents (e.g., Ma & Shek, 2017;Shek & Sun, 2012b;Shek & Wu, 2016;.…”

Objective outcome evaluation of a leadership course utilising the positive youth development approach in Hong Kong

“…Bonell et al 2015;Taylor et al 2017) have shown that positive youth development can foster positive developmental outcomes and buffer negative outcomes. Young people who experience positive development are more likely to take positive actions and are less likely to perform problematic behaviours (Shek, Siu, and Lee 2007;Shek and Wu 2016).…”