A program evaluation of the 'ECO' project: services for troubled adolescent girls and their families

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of the Enviros Community Outreach Project, for adolescent girls at-risk and their families. Six adolescents and their parents participated in a 12 week project at Enviros Wilderness School Association in Calgary, Alberta. It was hypothesized that participation in the program would improve family and individual functioning. Adolescents were administered the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (Fitts & Roid, 1991), and the Rotter Locus of Control Scale (Rotter, 1966); both parents and adolescents completed the Self-Report Family Inventory (Beavers, Hampson & Hulgus, 1985) pre- and post-intervention. Focus groups provided qualitative information. Statistically significant differences (at .10 and .05 levels) were found using the paired t-test. The results indicated that project participation positively influenced parental perceptions of conflict, health, and cohesion and adolescent perceptions of conflict within the family. Additionally, the post-intervention focus groups indicated favorable impressions of the ECO Project by both adolescent girls and their parents.