When delivered in a safe space, programs effective in promoting positive youth development (PYD) involve key features termed the Big Three:
(1) Positive and sustained adult-youth relationships
(2) Life-skill-building activities; and
(3) Opportunities for youth contribution and leadership. However, no measures exist in the literature for assessing the Big Three.
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These results provide information about the usefulness of a measure assessing the Big Three attributes of effective PYD programs. We discuss how future research using this approach to understanding the content of youth development programs may provide evidence of how PYD may be promoted.