Lyndsey Del Castillo
Research Mentor(s): Denise Jones
Mentor Department: Combined Program in Education and Psychology (CPEP)
Authors:
Session: Session 3 (11:00am – 11:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 86
Abstract
Possible selves, a motivation theory, represents an individual’s perception of their future self, including what they imagine they are doing, and who they are as a person (Halfond, Corona, & Moon 2013). Possible selves are particularly important for youth, they serve as a framework to evaluate behavior, success, and failure (Markus & Nurius, 1986; Oyserman, Terry, & Bybee, 2002). Out-of-school time contexts are particularly relevant to the development of possible selves, where flexibility and individualized support allow students to have higher self-esteem and academic outcomes alongside developing their unique identities and passions (Wistoft 2012; Hull & Zacher 2010). However, possible selves research is understudied within the out-of-school time context, where current research focuses on youth in school, family, and community or neighborhood contexts. To understand how youth conceptualize their future possible selves in out-of-school time contexts, the current study investigates how youth from Youth Enrichment Services, a community-based non-profit offering enrichment programming, describe their hopes and aspirations for their future. Qualitative data was collected through four open-ended survey questions (N=73) and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis through a case study approach. The findings suggest that youth-serving Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) should focus on aligning youths’ future possible selves to relevant programs and mentorships that support possible selves development. Furthermore, the responses portray intense fears associated with urban emerging adults’ physical realities, which emphasizes the importance of place in perceptions of the future. This important work has the potential to be used in praxis to inform summer youth employment programs in similar social contexts, including the development of possible selves training, goal-setting curriculum, and experiences that are relevant to youth (i.e., place-based experiences through mentorships with local peers, community-based projects, and exploration outside of the community).
