Developing a Youth Entrepreneurship Program to Reach Latinx Youth

Youth development programs designed for Latinx youth remain understudied. However, some research reports indicate that having bilingual and bicultural facilitators and developing culturally-infused programs may be effective. Extension educators developed a hands-on youth educational program specifically designed for Latinx youth. Educators hypothesize that adapting programs for Latinx youth will increase the knowledge and confidence levels of Latinx youth compared to their non-Latinx youth counterparts. Results from our study revealed Latinx youth reported greater knowledge gain in most concepts compared to their non-Latinx youth counterparts who simultaneously participated in the same program. In addition, Latinx youth were significantly more likely to understand what can be challenging when starting a business and the skills needed to be an entrepreneur. Findings also indicated that all youth, regardless of identified race and ethnicity, showed positive learning outcomes when programs were culturally adapted. More research on Latinx youth program development and implementation is needed to further understand successful strategies for improved program effectiveness for participants