Major Projects
Below are some of the specific learning and action projects that are under way to advance the mission of the Center for Spiritual Development:
NEW: With Their Own Voices: A Global Exploration of How Young People Experience and Think About Spiritual Development
Released November 5, 2008, this study integrates key findings from the variety of projects under way into a descriptive exploration of how young people understand and engage in spiritual development in 17 countries around the world. It is the first of an anticipated series of reports that share findings from our research.
Download the report
Building Shared Understandings of the Definitions, Dimensions, and Measurement of Spiritual Development During Adolescence
A primary focus of this start-up phase is to advance basic issues of definition and theory in the domain of spiritual development. By working broadly to clarify and build consensus around these issues while paying close attention to cultural, religious, and international differences, the center will play a vital role in advancing the science of spiritual development. Researchers are analyzing existing theoretical and empirical literature on spiritual development and related areas and are engaging advisors and other interested leaders in working toward a broad consensus on the dimensions of spiritual development that are relevant across cultures and traditions. Check the Latest update to review the introduction to the theoretical framework that emerged from the advisors' input.
Exploratory International Survey of Spiritual Development
The center, together with research partners, is conducting an exploratory study of spiritual development that builds on its definitional and theory-building work. The study—which was shaped with input from advisors and previous literature—is international in scope, with samples drawn from eight countries on multiple continents to provide diversity in geography, social location, and religious tradition. The total sample size across the sites will be close to 8,000 youth, ages 12 to 25. We anticipate that this initial study will set the stage for more rigorous and comprehensive research in the future. Latest update
Implicit Understandings of Spiritual Development: Perspectives of Young People, Parents/Guardians, and Adults who Work with Youth
The first new, international data collection by the center is a series of more than 80 focus groups in 13 countries on multiple continents that explore how young people, parents/guardians, and adults who work with youth understand spiritual development. The information from the focus groups is informing our efforts to clarify definitions of spiritual development, develop measures of spiritual development, and strengthen a theoretical foundation for the field. Focus groups were conducted with research partners in late 2006 and early 2007, with results being released throughout 2008. Latest update
Preliminary findings: How young people define and think about spiritual development.
Preliminary findings: How parents understand and nurture spiritual development.
Exemplars of Spiritual Thriving in Adolescence: An Exploratory Study
Led by Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King of the School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, this study seeks to identify core principles of spiritual development found in youth who are recognized in their culture for being spiritual. The study involves in-depth interviews with more than 30 youth from around the world nominated for their extraordinary spiritual life. The study involved establishing nomination criteria, recruiting subjects through an international network of diverse leaders, and extensive interviews. The study aims to build upon existing theoretical work and advance an understanding of spiritual development, dimensions of spiritual thriving, and multiple pathways toward spiritual thriving among adolescents. Data collection was completed in January 2008. Findings will be released at the end of 2008. Latest update
Secondary Analyses of Existing Data on Spiritual Development
Search Institute researchers are conducting analyses of national and international studies of adolescents and young adults that include items and scales related to spiritual development. These analyses will contribute to the overall process of defining and naming the dimensions of spiritual development. Findings from these analyses will be posted on the Web site as they become available. If you have data sets that should be considered for examination in this project, please contact us.
Spirituality and Adolescent Well-Being: Analysis of Search Institute data on U. S. youth
Religion and Spirituality in a Global Context: Selected results from the World Values Survey
Early Spirituality and Religious Participation Linked to Later Adolescent Well-Being: Analysis of Search Institute data on U. S. youth
Spiritual Development Research Instruments and Online Bibilography
The center is collecting and creating an online bibliography of existing research related to young people's spiritual development. The bibliography includes more than 2,000 entries (and growing), and is available to scholars through the center's searchable database. In addition, existing measures related to spiritual development are cataloged and described as a service to scholars in the field.
Equipping Youth Workers to Nurture Young People’s Spiritual Development
A training development and field-testing project
Search Institute’s Center for Spiritual Development has brought together a group of leaders from different contexts and traditions to assist in developing and piloting a training program focused on nurturing spiritual development in youth ages 12-18. The project builds on emerging insights from center’s emerging international research on spiritual development to develop and pilot new, hands-on training experiences that equip youth workers from a variety of backgrounds and contexts to more effectively talk about and engage in this dimension of life. Training partners are:
Inspired to Serve: Youth-Led Interfaith Action
Search Institute, in partnership with Interfaith Youth Core, received a Learn and Serve America grant in September 2006 to design and implement a three-year pilot project that integrates service-learning, interfaith action, and Search Institute's framework of Developmental Assets. The initiative provides an opportunity to examine the links between engagement in service-learning and spiritual development among diverse young people in four cities in the United States: Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and St. Paul. This initiative will build the capacity of faith-based institutions and networks to:
- Engage young people in effective asset-based service-learning and interfaith action;
- Provide a model for positively engaging religiously diverse young people; and
- Build replicable models, research, and motivation to fuel a movement encouraging religiously affiliated young people to participate in asset-based service-learning.
Visit the Inspired to Serve project web site.
Is There Common Ground? An Exploratory Study of the Interests and Needs of Community-Based and Faith-Based Youth Workers
Conducted with the National Collaboration for Youth and supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., this study examined the possibilities and challenges of building bridges between community-based and faith-based youth workers in the United States. Among other questions, it asked about the priority they place on spiritual development as well as their interest in training and professional development related to spiritual development. Download the report, or see a "fast fact" that focuses on the spiritual development findings in the survey.
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