ACHIEVES Program Evaluation

Abstract

ACHIEVES is a twel-week program run by the John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington & Area for youth experiencing challenges with behaviour and social skills. The program offers engaging activities related to healthy relationships, decision-making, conflict resolution, anger management, and healthy social media use. This project aims to evaluate the intended outcomes of the program (assisting with the transition to high school, increasing soft skill development and sense of belonging, reducing behavioural issues and increasing awareness of post-secondary pathways). The information gathered in this report was intended to help John Howard better understand what is going well in their program and what could use improvement. The research team conducted focus groups with current ACHIEVES program participants, interviews with the ACHIEVES program staff and management, and analyzed surveys completed by past participants, as well as their parents and teachers, to obtain this information.