The impacts of an outdoor education program on young disabled people’s peer relationships, prosocial behaviors, and personal development.

Aim: Participation in outdoor education activities as means to build paths of integration for disable people and, more in general, for socially disadvantaged groups has often been promoted in the literature and in the strategy of social interventions. However, robust evaluation of sport-based program impacts is limited. This study reports on an evaluation of a project - known as “Compagni di Cordata” (“Rope-party Mates”) - implemented in 10 Italian cities with the aim to use sport as a means to support the personal development, resilience, social inclusion and peer relationships of 120 disable young people (15-30 y.) Methods: a mixed qualitative method design was employed. Face-to-face interviews were undertaken with a purposeful sample (n= 30) of participants, selected to provide a diversity of age, gender and cultural backgrounds. Focus-group (n=5) were undertaken with project managers (n=10), activity leaders (n=8) and volunteers (n=10). Direct observations of the activities (n=10) were undertaken in combination with a in-depth analysis of the social and cultural background in which the activities were implemented. Finally, a survey was periodically undertaken (3 times) with project managers with the aim to monitoring the correct implementation of the actions. Results: Interviewed participants, at the end of the activities, showed significantly higher levels of other-group orientation. They reported less peer problems and higher pro-social behaviours if compared with their aptitude before the beginning of the project. These results are supported by data analysed from the focus-groups and the direct observations. Positive changes in the personal development were associated with regularity of attendance at “Compagni di Cordata” activities. Conclusions: The study provides evidence of the effects of the project on key domains of peer and prosocial relationships and other-group orientation for disable people in the program sites studied. The impacts of such a kind of programs on the broader process of integration require further investigation.