Strong Girls Mentors: An Investigation of How Identity of Mentors Change in the Strong Girls Program

This two-study dissertation examines how positive youth development (PYD) programs impact the mentors who participate in these programs. The first study is a scoping review that explored 13 articles that met inclusion criteria. The purpose of the scoping review was to explore mentors’ perspectives regarding their experiences participating in female-to-female PYD programs. Results were synthesized according to program characteristics, theory, benefits, and ethical considerations. The results were limited around female-to-female PYD programs. However, there were many benefits that were found in the literature that need to be explored. Due to study one’s findings, the second study focused on one PYD program, Strong Girls. In this study, I utilized photovoice and semi-structured interviews were utilized to explore the salience of mentors’ identities to their participation in the Strong Girls program. Seven Strong Girl mentors were interviewed about their identities, their experience in Strong Girls, and their perspectives on mentorship. Results indicated that gender, race, religion, athlete status, mental health, family, and community membership were salient identities for Strong Girls Mentors. Findings are consistent with Achievement Goal Perspective Theory (AGPT; Nicholls 1984, 1989), indicating that caring and task-involving climate (CTIC) may positively influence mentors. The importance of mentorship, connection to existing literature, future research directions, and practical applications of findings are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Counseling Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Gray, Randi Christine

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ghosh, Arpita

• college student
• female
• identity development
• mentorship
• photovoice
• Strong Girls

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

https://www.proquest.com/LegacyDocView/DISSNUM/32114517

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/37734