There have been numerous programs created that involve engaging adolescents in community service or other volunteer activities. However, few evaluate the programs for effects on later positive citizenship, instead focusing on other positive outcomes such as an increase in school engagement, a decrease in school drop-outs, a reduced rate of teen pregnancy and substance use, and an increase in high school graduation. One high quality program that experimentally evaluated positive citizenship at program follow-up is the Quantum Opportunity Program (QOP), a multi-service, four year, year-round demonstration project that was conducted in five cities (San Antonio, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Saginaw, and Oklahoma City). The program was designed to serve disadvantaged youth by giving youth a supervised and safe place after school in which to do homework, learn to use computers, take field trips to museums, hear speakers on different health topics and participate in volunteer activities. Learning life skills is also part of the curriculum. An older mentor was paired with the youth to mentor them during the four-year period that started in ninth grade and continued through high school. Students were given a small stipend for participating in program services and given bonuses for completing program segments. Each of the sites had a relatively small number of participants (N=25 per site) because of the cost of compensating the participants.

By aggregating across sites, and using a randomly assigned experimental/control group design, Hahn, Leavitt and Aaron (1994) were able to determine the effectiveness of the program, including the post-high school effectiveness. Along with a plethora of positive impacts (e.g., increased rates of high school graduation and post-secondary education, reduced rates of high school drop-outs, and increased number of students with the attitude of being "hopeful about the future"), the experimental group donated significantly more time to a nonprofit, charitable, school, or community group in the six months after leaving the program than the control group. In the six months before the program ended and the six months after it ended, the experimental group participants were also significantly more likely to have served as volunteer mentors, tutors or counselors. There was not, however, a follow-up beyond the six month follow-up.