Program Evaluation
Student Satisfaction
Students gave the program very high ratings, with an average score of 3.7 out of 4.0. In nearly all cases, students were pleased with the classes, teachers, schedule, field trips, and residence life. They felt enriched by the academic program and socially connected to their fellow Young Scholars. They commented on their greater confidence, especially regarding public speaking. Students enjoyed the in-depth lessons on topics that went beyond their usual school curriculum, opening their eyes to new perspectives. The students’ exposure to diverse experiences and opinions led to stimulating discussions, which the instructors encouraged. The lessons in leadership and youth activism were particularly impactful, helping them recognize their own ability to act on problems that mattered to them.
Increased Content Knowledge
All Optimist Project students completed open-ended pre- and post-test assessments to measure gain in knowledge acquisition during the two-week program. Items assessed how well students could apply the Integrated Threat Theory, their understanding of the core attributes of conflict, their ability to transfer understanding from the past to the present, and their knowledge of leadership and change. Responses were scored using a rubric, with varying point values assigned based on the complexity of each question. The students demonstrated significant gains in content knowledge from pre-test to post-test in each year of the project, with a large effect size. Students were able to define the Integrated Thread Theory and interpret conflicts in American History through that lens. They identified with the role of change agent in the contemporary world.
Change in Content Knowledge
|
|
Pre Test |
Post Test |
|
|
|
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Mean |
SD |
Mean |
SD |
t-test |
df |
p |
d |
Cohort 1 (n = 41, scale 1-28) |
9.00 |
3.65 |
11.95 |
3.48 |
-3.68 |
77 |
.001 |
3.56 |
Cohort 2 (n = 53, scale 1-15) |
2.26 |
1.24 |
6.32 |
1.81 |
-15.03 |
49 |
.001 |
2.13 |
In Their Own Words
"I really like the topic of colonization! The teacher did go really in deep to the topic. I think that these topics are very important to be discussed and to be exposed to. Teachers don’t normally go this deep or into real-world situations, so it was a great eye-opening experience."
"Making the final project a required process made me actually think through the plan & realize that it is possible to achieve all these big things. I think this realization was important."
"I learned that people have different personalities and specialized in different fields. We need to adapt to people's needs"
“I want to be, like, a brave leader who, like, stands up for the people causing these problems.”
“I want to be a leader that helps people and is empathetic.”
"I want to fight for what I believe in and change the world for the better"