Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration
Safety, security, freedom of expression, love, and support are critical components
for adolescent youth that encourage growth and development. This study explored how
Black girls make sense of their educational experiences while partnering with school staff
through the RoyalSapphires program. Children must be in relationships with well-
intended caring adults to facilitate adolescent growth and leadership. This study included
a focus group with school administrators in charge of the curriculum for the afterschool
program; members participated in semi-structured interviews and focus groups with
members of RoyalSapphires.
The findings suggest that members felt safe with the coordinators of RoyalSapphires, which was critical in sharing and learning through the afterschool program. Additionally, participants enjoyed these curated spaces dedicated to girls being in fellowship with each other. Finally, the time spent with RoyalSapphires was a source of validation and joy at the end of the school day. The program coordinators outlined their intentions to create a welcoming program for members facilitated by adults with their best interests at heart. The themes from this study were instrumental in creating an
action plan grounded in creating a curriculum designed with the needs of participants at
the forefront and led by a 3–5-member advisor board.
The advisory board will seek representatives who are trailblazers in education, business,
and leadership domains to create programming to share with middle school administrators to pilot this afterschool curriculum in their location. Using Yosso's (2005) six types of Community of Cultural Wealth as an asset framework when working with students from marginalized backgrounds, the curriculum will be instrumental in creating practical programming relevant to participants while providing assessment throughout the program. Ultimately, this afterschool curriculum seeks to partner with Black girls to enhance their skills (open full item for complete abstract)
... More
Committee: Elizabeth Essex Ph. D. (Committee Chair); Lauren Mims Ph. D. (Committee Member); Matthew Witenstein Ph. D. (Committee Co-Chair)
Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; African American Studies; African Americans; African History; African Literature; African Studies; American History; American Studies; Behavioral Psychology; Black History; Black Studies; Communication; Cultural Anthropology; Cultural Resources Management; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Demographics; Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Elementary Education; Experimental Psychology; Experiments; Families and Family Life; Gender; Gender Studies; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Inservice Training; Mass Communications; Peace Studies; Political Science; Psychobiology; Psychology; Public Administration; Public Health; Public Health Education; Public Policy; School Administration; School Counseling; Secondary Education; Social Psychology; Social Research; Social Structure; Social Work; Sociology; Womens Studies