ERIC Number: EJ1380155
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Apr
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1085-4568
EISSN: EISSN-2380-8144
Improving Outreach Activities -- Mentoring Youth in a Structured Skills-Based Development Program Increases Personal Growth of College Students Studying Abroad
Lily Z. Zhao; Katherine E. Keil; Brittany L. Flittner; Samantha D. Farquhar; Edward H. Allison
Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, v35 n1 p224-248 Apr 2023
As study abroad education becomes increasingly common, so does the need to understand how different outreach opportunities alter the study abroad experience. To determine how outreach program design links to perceptions of personal growth, we surveyed 72 college students who participated in different youth outreach activities while studying abroad. Being a mentor in a sequenced, active, focused, and explicit (SAFE) youth outreach program increased the probability of perceived personal growth in college students by 27% relative to unstructured outreach activities in the same location. Thus, we suggest the SAFE framework be considered when designing youth outreach activities. Additionally, 44% of respondents considered outreach options as a factor when selecting a study abroad program. Combined, these findings provide an incentive for study abroad organizations to invest in structured youth outreach opportunities for their clientele--in what may be a triple-win opportunity for study abroad organizations, their students, and youth in host country locations.
Descriptors: Outreach Programs, Service Learning, Mentors, Skill Development, College Students, Study Abroad, Program Design, Conservation (Environment), Marine Education, Youth Programs, Student Development
Frontiers Journal. Dickinson College P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013. Tel: 717-254-8858; Fax: 717-245-1677; Web site: https://www.frontiersjournal.org/index.php/Frontiers
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A