An examination of the GPS for SUCCESS program

Today's youth face multifaceted challenges in a time when society is more aware of the consequences of unhealthy decision-making. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of an emerging intervention, GPS for SUCCESS, a classroom-based 5-week program that helps students build their purpose in life while securing a commitment to achieve it. We employed a quasi-experimental study that included a nonrandom assignment to a treatment and comparison group. Findings indicated that the treatment group had statistically significant higher posttest scores on measures of meaning in life and personal growth initiative when compared to the comparison group and while controlling for their pretest scores. We discuss these findings and their implications for theory, practice, and future research.