The Impact of a Youth Development Program on Secondary Students' Career Aspirations

This study's purpose determined the extent to which adolescents' participation in a youth development program may be linked to the participants' post-secondary education and career aspirations. One hundred and seven adolescents, ages 14-19 in grades 8-12 completed Holland's Vocational Interest Survey and the 4-H Career Decision Survey. Ordinal regression analysis indicated participation in 4-H had a positive impact on career decisions for students who participated in 4-H for two years (p<.038) and six years (p<.001). Significant differences were apparent with 80% of the racial/ethnic groups surveyed concerning a college fair's impact on career choice and college major determination.