Creating a Moral Empowerment Program in Lewiston, ME

Department or Program

Interdisciplinary Studies

Abstract

Morality is the domain of good and bad, of right and wrong. To move humanity towards what is good and right and away from what is bad and wrong has been the perennial and perplexing challenge of moral education since its inception. This subject of study continues at Tree Street Youth, a local youth center in Lewiston, ME. As the Intern Coordinator of this organization, I initiated a moral empowerment program to strengthen the character of its interns and the K-12 youth that they serve. Based on the moral psychological research of Narvaez and Diessner and on the society-building activities of the Bahá’í Faith, I designed and implemented this moral program, one that could adapt to the needs and population at Tree Street. Starting in September 2014, I guided the program’s development and tracked its progress. Program participants, facilitators, and a Tree Street staff member partook in formal interviews to generate insights about the project’s growth and effectiveness. Grounded theory methodology was used to organize the knowledge accumulated from these interviews and my observations regarding positive outcomes, effective practices, obstacles, and opportunities for development. Results are overwhelmingly positive in terms of programmatic progress and its effect on youth development. Using the frameworks that guided the project, an immediate and long-term plan for the advancement of moral education at Tree Street is proposed.

Level of Access

Restricted: Archival Copy [No Access]

First Advisor

Fraser-Thill, Rebecca

Date of Graduation

5-2015

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

132

Components of Thesis

1 pdf file

Archival Copy

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