Youth development programming in El Salvador: Interrogating program duration and youth perceptions of program quality

Youth development programs can equip young people with the skills and competencies they need to thrive, and thus, are ecological assets supporting youth, particularly those living in Majority World countries, such as El Salvador, where young people are exposed to high rates of poverty and violence. The programs of Compassion International (CI), an international faith-based youth organization, serve more than 2.4 million youth across Majority World countries. Although past research established the positive impact of CI programming on Salvadoran youth, the role of specific program doses involved in CI programs and youth perceptions of program quality are unknown. Using a sample of 564 Salvadoran youth (ages 10 to 16) involved in CI programs in El Salvador, we investigated: (1) Do program duration (i.e., years of enrollment) and youth perceptions of program quality (i.e., positive and sustained youth-adult relationships, life-skill-building activities, and opportunities for leadership/contribution) directly account for variation in positive youth development (PYD)? and (2) Are youth perceptions of program quality associated with program duration? Results from structural equation modeling indicated that there was no significant association between youth perceptions of program quality and program duration. Both variables significantly accounted for variation in PYD, with distinct effects: program duration negatively predicted PYD, whereas perceived program quality positively predicted PYD. These findings highlight the critical role of youth perceptions of program quality in promoting PYD.