Feasibility of a Social-emotional Learning Curriculum in an After-school Program for Youth

Overview

The goal of this cluster randomized trial is to: 1\. primary purpose: to determine the feasibility of a novel social-emotional learning curriculum when implemented in the beyond 3:30 after school program; 2a. secondary purpose: to determine whether the novel social-emotional learning curriculum has positive effects youth social emotional learning skills; 2b. secondary purpose: to determine whether the novel social-emotional learning curriculum has positive effects on youth resilience and overall functioning. Participants: 1. Beyond 3:30 facilitators 2. Youth aged 11-14 who participate in the beyond 3:30 program 3. Parents of youth who participate in the beyond 3:30 program The main questions this study aims to answer are: Primary Objectives: 1. Is the novel social-emotional curriculum feasible within the beyond 3:30 after school program? 2. Is the novel social-emotional curriculum acceptable within the beyond 3:30 after school program? 3. Is the novel social-emotional curriculum appropriate within the beyond 3:30 after school program? Secondary Objectives: Social-emotional learning skills 1. Have youth social-emotional learning skills improved as a result of participating in the novel social-emotional learning curriculum? Secondary Objectives: Resilience and overall functioning 1. Have youth resilience abilities and overall functioning improved as a result of participating in the novel social-emotional learning program? Comparator: Primary objective: Feasibility - There is no comparison group for the feasibility objectives. Secondary objective: Social-emotional learning skills * The investigators will compare the intervention arm \[10 sites within the beyond 3:30 program who will implement the EMPOWER social-emotional learning curriculum\] with the usual programming control arm \[10 sites within the beyond 3:30 program who will implement the usual beyond 3:30 program\] Secondary objective: Resilience and overall functioning \- The investigators will compare the intervention arm \[10 sites within the beyond 3:30 program who will implement the EMPOWER social-emotional learning curriculum\] with the usual programming control arm \[10 sites within the beyond 3:30 program who will implement the usual beyond 3:30 program\] Measures: Primary Objective: Feasibility After school program staff participants in the intervention arm will be asked to complete: \- 3 feasibility measures (feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness of intervention) every 4-weeks after each social-emotional module they complete teaching. \- weekly fidelity checklists to assess feasibility. Youth participants in the intervention arm will be asked to complete: \- the intervention appropriateness measure during the post-curriculum data collection time point. Secondary Objective: Social-emotional learning skills After school program staff participants in both intervention and usual programming arms will be asked to complete the following measure pre- and post-curriculum implementation: \- social-emotional learning skills measure for each youth aged 11-14 years in their class. Youth participants in both intervention and usual programming arms will be asked to complete the following measure pre- and post-curriculum implementation: \- social-emotional learning skills measure Parents participants whose youth are in the intervention arm will be asked to participate in an interview. Secondary objective: Resilience and overall functioning After school program staff participants in both intervention and usual programming arms will be asked to complete the follow measures pre- and post-curriculum implementation: \- overall functioning measure for each youth aged 11-14 years in their class. Youth participants in both intervention and usual programming arms will be asked to complete: * resilience measure