Is the Identity Project College-Ready? A Feasibility Pilot Study of an Ethnic-Racial Identity Development Intervention with U.S. College Students

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development promotes psychosocial and academic adjustment during adolescence and early adulthood. However, preventive intervention research into ERI promotion among young adults is limited. The current feasibility pilot study analyzed qualitative data (i.e. interviews, surveys, field notes) to explore the supports and impediments to implementing the Identity Project (IP), an ERI promotive curriculum developed for high-school aged adolescents, with college-going young adults at one U.S. university. Participants (N = 48; Mage = 19.52, SD = 1.56; 86.36% female or non-binary) were randomly assigned to participate in the IP curriculum or to only complete surveys; all participants were invited to participate in interviews. Axial coding and thematic analysis revealed that: (a) young adult developmental needs and the ubiquitous salience of ERI in college promoted demand for structured interventions like the IP; (b) college cultural norms and values (e.g., emphasis on instrumental educational aims and ERI not being universal) limited access to the resources necessary for the IP intervention to be practical in college; and (c) implementing the IP as an extracurricular activity is not feasible and should instead be done as a campus requirement. Implications for future IP studies and college-based ERI interventions are discussed.