Research on outdoors youth development programs documents positive outcomes for disadvantaged young people. This research, however, has generally not focused on young people experiencing homelessness. This study addresses this vulnerable population.
Fifty-four young people (age 16-24) participated in this study. The time they spent living in a housing organization prior to the study ranged from 1 week to 14 months. The majority (58.7%) of participants identified as male; one as transgender. Their support needs included being unemployed (38%), unable to work (14.3%), and having a learning difficulty (57%). All of the study participants had attended Phase 1 of a youth development program referred to as “My Strengths Training for Life” (MST4Life). Phase 1 consisted of 10 life skills workshops which, according to related research, were highly effective in improving participants' perceptions of resilience and well-being. Phase 2 of MST4Life – of which all study participants were engaged – consisted of a 4-day residential outdoor adventure education (OAE) course delivered by OAE instructors and MST4Life facilitators. Activities during the OAE course included canoeing, raft building, a mountain hike, high and low ropes courses, mountain biking, caving, and structured reflections. OAE participants were also invited to participate in an interactive diary room each evening. This optional activity was designed to encourage personal reflections on the OAE experience. All 54 study participants took part in the diary room experience. Twenty-nine did so by individually reflecting on a series of questions without an interviewer and in front of a camera; 14 opted to have a researcher present to ask questions; and 3 chose to give handwritten responses. The oral responses were recorded and transcribed verbatim. All narratives were used in the data analysis.
In analyzing the data, researchers focused on OEA's role in promoting positive changes for the participants. They determined that growth in the five Cs of youth development (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) “emanated from feeling socially competent, most typically reflected in experiences of giving and receiving social support.” The data also showed that the preceding life skills program played a role in psychologically preparing the participants to thrive in the unfamiliar outdoor setting with its related challenges. Longer-term benefits for the participants were also noted, especially in relation to improved well-being and resilience and in being intrinsically motivated for positive change beyond the OEA course.
These findings indicate that the needs-supportive intervention used by MST4Life's OAE course can be effective in fostering improvements in personal growth in a diverse sample of young people experiencing homelessness. The findings also suggest that OAE-based programs may help alleviate some of the health inequalities experienced by disadvantaged young people.
Research Partner