Transforming Adolescent Development with Strength-Based Approaches

Adolescence is not a time of inevitable risk — it’s a period of extraordinary opportunity.

Award Canada’s position paper, Delivering Youth Development Outcomes the Award Canada Way, draws on leading developmental and neuroscience research to highlight a powerful truth: between the ages of 14 – 24, the experiences and influences that a young person has directly impact their long-term future, their aspirations and hopes, and more fundamentally, how their brain develops. Scientists refer to this brain development period most simply as the period of ‘use it or lose it’. This means cognitive, emotional, and social development is highly responsive to the environments and experiences young people encounter during this stage. What young people do, and how they are supported, matters.

The Science Behind the Award Canada Way

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has leveraged these insights since the 1960s, and the framework has shaped a strength-based, experiential model that aligns with what science tells us about how young people grow best. With new insights on the most impactful program interventions, Award Canada has refreshed its approach, the Award Canada Way, that empowers and engages youth to build on their strengths, passions, and personal contexts – in a simpler more meaningful delivery approach.

Research Into Real-World Impact

Scientific and longitudinal studies referenced in our position paper show that:

• Positive reinforcement of strengths contributes to improved confidence, resilience, and emotional regulation – far greater than a focus on weakness and gaps.
• Goal-setting and autonomy-focused programs are critical to self-awareness, reflection, and self-worth leading to improved motivation and emotional well-being.
• Success-based learning environments enhance and support stronger, longer-term learning outcomes through greater student choice and decision-making.

These findings inform how Award Canada structures its approach. Our framework centres on seven core elements — such as progressive challenge, self-directed learning, and adult mentorship — that provide the kind of real-world, structured experiences known to drive long-term development.

Studies included in our review show that strength-based models of youth development can:

• Increase motivation and engagement by up to 40%
• Improve academic and social outcomes
• Strengthen emotional regulation and decision-making skills

A Powerful Tool for Equity and Inclusion

This approach is particularly important for youth from marginalized communities, where the level of benefit is significantly greater than in areas where resources are more plentiful. Research demonstrates that culturally responsive, asset-based programs have greater impact on young people who may not see themselves reflected in dominant systems of education or leadership.

Case Study: Francophone Project in Northern Ontario

In northern Ontario, Award Canada’s Francophone Project supported Indigenous youth to complete their Award journey in a way that honoured their culture, community values, and personal assets. Youth reported increases in cultural pride, confidence, and future aspirations. Rather than imposing external benchmarks, the program centered on their lived experiences, illustrating the adaptability and impact of strength-based development when implemented with intention.

As our paper states:

“The Award Canada Way provides an additional support for educators as a catalyst for youth engagement, student achievement, providing enhanced future employability, and improved mental health and well-being.”

Building a Generation Ready for Tomorrow

Given that today’s young people face complex global challenges from mental health crises to economic uncertainty, strength-based development is not just good practice. It’s essential.

That’s what the Award Canada Way delivers.

By grounding our framework in evidence-backed principles and real-world application, we are helping to shape a generation that is not only ready for today but prepared to lead tomorrow.

Explore our full position paper to learn more about how Award Canada is aligning with the latest youth development research to meet the needs of young people in a rapidly changing world.

Read the full Position paper here

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