Description
TitleAre they getting the main idea?
Date Created2010
Other Date2010-10 (degree)
Extentvii, 259 p. : ill.
DescriptionThis dissertation relied on a case study format to document the process of consulting to the Main Idea summer camp organization, located in the Northeastern United States, in order to evaluate its Leadership Bunk, a program that aims to enhance low-income adolescent female participants’ psychosocial development in the areas of leadership, resiliency, self-esteem, communication skills, teamwork and problem-solving abilities in ways that foster ongoing connection with the camp and that can generalize within and beyond the camp setting. In the dissertation the Leadership Bunk program is described while the five guiding program evaluation questions are delineated that examine: (a) whether the program is serving the population it believes itself to be serving, (b) whether the program’s goals and objectives are being met, (c) what factors and program components may be associated with the changes documented for participants over time, (d) what improvements could be made to the program’s design, and (e) what enhancements could be made for future similar program evaluation efforts. Then, relevant psychological literature is presented to provide theoretical grounding for the case study investigation and findings. A description is provided of the quantitative and qualitative consultation methods utilized to formulate and structure the program evaluation plan, including participant-observation, permanent product review, interviews, focus groups, surveys, and ratings scales along with the Resiliency Scale for Children & Adolescents, Self-Esteem Questionnaire and Assertiveness Scale. The program evaluation findings are then documented, indicating that the program is generally serving the target population that it is supposed to be serving and that participants are attaining stated program goals. In addition, the findings identify factors that may contribute to the changes observed and also offer recommendations for improvements and enhancements to the program’s future design and evaluation. The dissertation concludes by addressing the contributions of the project to the Main Idea summer camp organization, the psychological literature and the consultant’s professional development.
NotePsy.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Laura Curtiss Feder
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.