An exploratory study of the Five Cs model of positive youth development among Indiana 4-H youth

Positive youth development (PYD) is a research prospective grounded in finding ways to improve adolescent development and to aid youth so that they may reach their full potential. The general focus of the study of PYD is on the characteristics of development that lead to positive rather than negative outcomes for youth. PYD is organized from a framework known as the “5 Cs” of Positive Youth Development: Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring. The theoretical framework guiding this study was based on the principles of Developmental Systems Theory (DST) and Developmental Contextualism which is a core feature of DST. The purpose of this exploratory descriptive study was to investigate the levels of PYD among Indiana 4-H club, 4-H camp and 4-H afterschool participants. The questionnaire used for this study was the short-form version of the original measure of the Positive Youth Development Student Questionnaire (Lerner et al., 2005) which was designed to measure the Five Cs. Questionnaires were collected from a convenience sample of Indiana youth (n = 453). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages. Independent samples t-tests were used to describe mean differences in positive youth development as measured by the Five Cs between 4-H and non 4-H participants as well as gender and a one-way Analysis of Variance was used to describe mean differences among the Five Cs and Total PYD across grade levels. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to describe the relationships among positive youth development as measured by the Five Cs, 4-H club and 4-H afterschool participation. Findings indicated that youth who participated in the 4-H program reported significantly higher total positive youth development than those who had never participated in 4-H. Youth who participated in the 4-H program also reported significantly higher scores on four of the Five Cs (Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring). The findings of this study contribute to Developmental Systems Theory by confirming the role that 4-H has in contributing to positive youth development. Recommendations are provided to guide future research related to the Five Cs aspect of positive youth development among 4-H youth