Sense of Self, Empowerment, and Interpersonal Skills Among African American Teens in East Cleveland, Ohio

This study explores the extent to which teen participants in a youth development program had a greater empowerment self-connectedness, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills after participating in the program. Findings from 2 years of a youth development program in East Cleveland, Ohio, are reported. A collaborative health navigator model was used to increase connectedness, empowerment, improve health care access, and ultimately prevent health disparities. Pre-test and post-test surveys covering two 10-month periods for two cohorts of teens collected standardized data on teens’ (N = 31) senses of empowerment and connectedness. Focus groups were conducted with both health navigators and teen ambassadors about their experiences with the program and its impact. The quantitative findings were mixed, but qualitative findings suggested that the program helped the teens develop a sense of personal empowerment through increased intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. While long-term research including control groups is needed, the findings suggest that targeted teen programming can be a useful tool in the battle against health disparities.