Impact Study of an “Action Leadership for Adolescent Approach” in Traditional Education Settings

Abstract

Action Leadership for Adolescents (ALA) is a cutting-edge inclusive approach to adolescent leadership development. The Self-Reflection Evaluation Inventory evaluated the growth of 21st-century skills taught through the five principles of ALA. The five principles: Brain Balance, Skill Development, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Innate Wisdom, and Cultural Responsibility; guided the curriculum of a course for seniors in a traditional high school and validated the hypothesis that the curriculum rooted in these principles ensured growth and empowerment for adolescents. ALA was born from a combination of Positive Youth Development and Transformational Leadership models and the efficacy of the approach was confirmed through the mixed- methods action research study presented in this article. Overall, the participants of the study demonstrated significant growth in the maturation of their 21st-century skills. The next steps for ALA include partnering with social researchers to continue analyzing the efficacy of ALA in all activities for adolescents.