Prosocial & Pro-Student: An Evaluation of Act & Adapt in a Chicago Middle School
Location
SU-217
Start Date
1-5-2026 9:40 AM
Department
Social Work
Abstract
Research has consistently shown that having friends in middle school has long-lasting positive effects for teen mental health and self-belief, their connection and investment in their community, and their wellbeing into adulthood. For students showing early signs of depression and anxiety, participating meaningfully in their social milieu and accessing the benefits conferred by positive peer relationships can be nearly impossible. Act & Adapt is a Tier 2 group intervention that draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to teach students how to creatively solve their problems, challenge their cognitive distortion, and improve the quality of their relationships. This program evaluation was conducted as part of the author’s MSW practicum at a Chicago public elementary school. This year, the Act & Adapt group intervention is being delivered to 6 fifth- and sixth-grade students at a Chicago Public School, all of whom struggle with building and maintaining strong friendships. This project uses a pre–post program evaluation design to examine changes in student prosocial behavior following participation in Act & Adapt. For the purposes of this evaluation, prosocial behavior is defined as increased initiation with peers, increased cooperation with peers, and decreased incidences of interpersonal conflict with peers. Teachers and school social workers completed brief observational surveys assessing student prosocial behaviors before and after the intervention. Data collection is currently underway. Pre- and post-intervention observations will be compared to examine patterns of change in students’ prosocial behaviors. Results from these comparisons will be presented at the symposium.
Faculty Sponsor
Patricia Aguado
Prosocial & Pro-Student: An Evaluation of Act & Adapt in a Chicago Middle School
SU-217
Research has consistently shown that having friends in middle school has long-lasting positive effects for teen mental health and self-belief, their connection and investment in their community, and their wellbeing into adulthood. For students showing early signs of depression and anxiety, participating meaningfully in their social milieu and accessing the benefits conferred by positive peer relationships can be nearly impossible. Act & Adapt is a Tier 2 group intervention that draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to teach students how to creatively solve their problems, challenge their cognitive distortion, and improve the quality of their relationships. This program evaluation was conducted as part of the author’s MSW practicum at a Chicago public elementary school. This year, the Act & Adapt group intervention is being delivered to 6 fifth- and sixth-grade students at a Chicago Public School, all of whom struggle with building and maintaining strong friendships. This project uses a pre–post program evaluation design to examine changes in student prosocial behavior following participation in Act & Adapt. For the purposes of this evaluation, prosocial behavior is defined as increased initiation with peers, increased cooperation with peers, and decreased incidences of interpersonal conflict with peers. Teachers and school social workers completed brief observational surveys assessing student prosocial behaviors before and after the intervention. Data collection is currently underway. Pre- and post-intervention observations will be compared to examine patterns of change in students’ prosocial behaviors. Results from these comparisons will be presented at the symposium.