Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University and Catholic University of America recently implemented the YES program and studied its effects on racial tension and stereotyping in middle schools that have student populations that are divided between African American and Latino ethnicities.
In the study, published in the Journal of Youth Development, Fuentes and her colleagues, used an abbreviated version of the YES curriculum to facilitate inter-ethnic relationships and cultural awareness in 7th and 8th graders from two urban middle schools in the southeast region of the US.
Through interviews and surveys with the participating students, Fuentes et al. found that participation in the abbreviated YES program improved students’ awareness about African American and Latino cultures and cultural histories, and made them less inclined to stereotype other students based on their race.
