YouthBuild Participants, Individual Interviews

Appendix M

YOUTH INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE

Public reporting burden for this collection of information, which is voluntary, is estimated to average 45 minutes per respondent, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information to Eileen Pederson, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Evaluation, Room N-5641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. Expiration Date xx/xx/20xx.

XII. Individual Youth Interview

Name of site:

Site code:

Name of site visitor:
Date of site visit:

Tips for Individual Interviews

• Find a quiet and private space to conduct interview.

• Introduce yourself; tell them why you are there. Give the youth an opportunity to ask you questions about the study and about yourself.

• Assure youth that the information that they provide is private to the extent permitted by law, in that their name will never be used or associated in any report with what they say. Stress that their input on the program is very important and is taken seriously by the study team. Read the participant the Public Burden Statement which appears on the cover page for this questionnaire.

• Ask permission to tape record, if you choose to do so.

Background

1. Tell me something about yourself—how old are you? How long have you lived in this community?

2. How did you find out about YouthBuild? What made you interested in it?

3. Do you know of any other programs like YouthBuild in your community? Which ones?

4. Why did you choose to enroll in YouthBuild rather than those other programs?

5. Are there jobs available for youth in your community? Explain.

6. What was school like for you prior to coming to YouthBuild? Describe.

Youth Perspective on the Enrollment Process

7. I would like to hear what you think about what it was like to get into YouthBuild.

1. Did you attend an orientation to learn about YouthBuild? (not Mental Toughness) What did you learn about YouthBuild during the orientation?

2. What happened next?
   
   
   

3. Were you interviewed to get into YouthBuild? Describe.

4. Did you have to take any tests to get into YouthBuild? Describe.

8. As you know, this YouthBuild program is participating in a study that requires that participants go through a lottery-like process to get into the program.

1. When did you first hear that there would be a lottery-like process to get into the program? (recruitment materials? During orientation? During Mental Toughness?)

2. Did the lottery process influence whether or not you wanted to apply to the program? If so, how? Explain.

9. Did you go through a Mental Toughness Orientation? If so, describe it to me. (How long was it? What did you do during mental toughness?).

3. Was Mental Toughness before or after the lottery process?

4. Do you think mental toughness prepared you for the YouthBuild program? If so, how?

Feedback on Program Components

10. What do you think about the academic classes at YouthBuild?

11. Do you feel like you are learning more or less than you have in other schools? Explain.

12. What kind of work/vocational skills are you learning at YouthBuild? Do you think these skills will help you achieve your work goals? If so, how?

13. Are you interested in construction training? Why or why not?

14. Does YouthBuild prepare you to get a job? If so, how?

15. What kind of community service do you do in YouthBuild? Do you think the community service helps you reach your goals? If so, how?

16. Are there opportunities for you to be a leader in the program? Explain.

Overall Assessment

17. What are the best things about the YouthBuild program?

18. What are the worst things about the YouthBuild program?

19. What are your life goals? How is YouthBuild helping you to reach your goals?

20. How could YouthBuild be better in helping youth get ahead?

Individual Youth Interview
XII-0