Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences

This study examines the cultural and contextual factors that influence Latino participation in youth programs. Although youth programs are increasingly recognized for their positive influences, little is known about the factors that influence a young person’s decision to participate. In this study, 67 Latino youth were asked about the reasons youth choose to and choose not to par-ticipate. Utilizing the Concept Systems method, youth participated in three phases of data collection—brainstorming, sorting, and ranking—to provide an in-depth understanding of reasons for and barriers to participation. Overall