ABSTRACT
The literature on promoting positive youth development emerged out of the recognition that interventions targeting troubled youth need to do more than "treat" problem behaviours or "prevent" negative developmental outcomes. Despite the consistent pattern of overall positive findings in the literature, important gaps in research-based knowledge with respect to the impact of youth development interventions exist. The emphasis on short-term outcome studies using quantitative measures and variable-oriented data analytic strategies that characterizes the literature on treatment, prevention, and positive development intervention programs is useful in many ways. Although a literature on interventions that promote positive development has begun to emerge, important gaps concerning these interventions continue to exist. Intervention also appeared to foster positive changes in identity. With the goal of program evaluation, we made a systematic effort to document qualitative life course change in our school based intervention in terms of the expressed meaning and significance of the life course experiences of participants in the intervention.
