Community Youth and Sport Development Laboratory (CYSD)
Students interested in the study of youth development programming have an opportunity to be engaged in a clinical experience called Project Effort’s Youth Leader Corps. Project Effort’s Youth Leader Corps is both on-campus and community-based after-school physical activity program that has served over 700 elementary, middle, and high school students.
The program provides an opportunity for students from an on-campus alternative high school to plan and teaching values-based physical activity lessons to elementary age children from various parts of the Greensboro community (called Project Effort). The majority of the kids served come from underserved areas of the community—many of them are where refugee families reside. Personal and social responsibility values are the centerpieces of the learning experiences.
Throughout its twenty-two year history, scores of undergraduate and graduate students have been intimately involved with various program elements through service course work, research, and volunteerism. Some of them have moved on to start similar programs at other universities and community sites.
In addition, research opportunities have been provided. Some of the products of this research has looked at leadership development, values transfer, resiliency enhancement, program commitment, school performance, and service learning outcomes.
LINES OF RESEARCH
- Pedagogical approaches to teaching life skills through sports.
- Leadership development through youth sports.
