Previous research indicates that involvement in curricular and co-curricular activities are important and necessary components of student development and academic success (Astin, 1999; Komives & Johnson, 2009). Through involvement, students can lead, engage others, learn and practice new skills. Students can develop a sense of agency and…

Background: Obesity continues to afflict adolescents in underserved communities. It is difficult to understand how adolescents perceive empowerment over their health and the health of their communities. The purpose of our study was to describe the impact of the Healthy Heart Ambassador program on adolescents' perceived empowerment through the…

Physical activity and sport programs offer great opportunities for youth to develop important life skills, including leadership. High school physical education leadership courses are one way to develop leadership and pedagogy skills in students. Leadership courses are also a great way for aspiring physical education teachers in training to gain…

Facebook is a frequently accessed social networking site with more than one billion active users worldwide. Although there are numerous studies on its impact on teenagers, none have investigated its impact on gifted and talented girls. This study's aim was to understand the social media experiences of talented female student leaders. A qualitative…

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to create a student leadership development model specific to secondary students in a private Christian Hawaiian school system. The paradigm that guided this study was Kouzes and Posner's (2012) transformational leadership theory as it provides a framework of leaders equipping, encouraging,…

This chapter discusses the transition from high school to college for student-athletes. The concepts of athlete identity and leadership development are discussed through the lens of the high school athlete who attends college as a collegiate athlete and those students who are dealing with a loss of their high school athlete identity.

A growing body of school improvement research suggests that engaging all members of the school community, including community members and leaders, provides an essential foundation to successful school improvement efforts. School climate surveys to date tend to recognize student, parent/guardian, and school personnel voice but not the voice of…

This multiple case study examines practices of educators in high schools called "odds-beaters". These schools are exemplary in that they consistently achieve better-than-predicted graduation outcomes among economically disadvantaged, African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and English language learners. Findings from this study revealed…

The Global Graduate initiative was developed to help Houston Independent School District (HISD) students be successful in college and in the global workforce upon graduation. The program emphasizes six characteristics in its Global Graduate Profile: (1) A Leader; (2) Adaptable and Productive; (3) A College-Ready Learner; (4) A Critical Thinker;…

As she reviewed participant feedback from the out-of-school time (OST) youth development program she managed at the New-York Historical Society Museum and Library (N-YHS), the author was excited to recognize a pattern. Many of the teen participants wrote responses like "I am proud of what my team was able to accomplish" and "I…

This study investigated the effects of the GLAMA (Girls! Lead! Achieve! Mentor! Activate!) and BLAST (Boys! Lead! Activate! Succeed Together!) controlled 8-week peer-led stealth intervention on school connectedness and physical activity self-efficacy (PASE). The GLAMA and BLAST sessions were conducted during curriculum time in an Australian state…

Bullying prevention and intervention are ongoing challenges for all educators, school psychologists included. A lack of research exists regarding the potential role of middle school students as direct actors in bullying prevention and intervention. This article describes a novel student leadership group for seventh graders in which the primary…

This present phenomenological case study explored collective class actuation as experienced by a seminary teacher in a Western State. Collective class actuation results when teachers or students perceive their class group as being in an optimal performing state of dynamic equilibrium. The participant of this present study sought dynamic…

Increasingly, education policymakers are touting restorative justice as a way to interrupt the "school-to-prison pipeline," which disproportionately impacts students by race, sexuality, and disability. A small but growing research literature suggests that restorative justice decreases suspension and behavioral incidents, while improving…

This study was designed to examine and intervene into student behaviours to promote a democratic, inclusive and participatory focus within Sport Education. To achieve an increased understanding of and changes within student behaviours, a collaborative participatory action research methodology was applied to provide voice to students as agents of…