scholarly journals Reframing After-School Programs as Developing Youth Interest, Identity, and Social Capital

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine D. Philp ◽  
Michele Gregoire Gill
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Students Of Color ◽  
After School Programs ◽  
After School ◽  
Marginalized Youth ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Academic Benefits ◽  
School Programs ◽  
Equitable Outcomes

An increasing focus on academics in after-school programs overlooks the substantial potential for such spaces to support populations of students who are also most likely to disengage from traditional schooling, including low-income students of color. This misplaced focus further ignores significant disparities in the types of services offered after-school. For wealthier students, after-school programs often serve as enrichment experiences in preparation for college and career, not as extended forms of child care or schooling. All students deserve access to after-school spaces that support individual interest and identity development and link them to the social resources that can promote upward mobility. Given their non-academic benefits, we recommend that policy makers and researchers reframe their understanding of after-school programs to support more equitable outcomes for marginalized youth.

Expanding after School Program Access for Vulnerable Students: Examining the Efficacy of Federal Policy and Funding

2021 ◽  
pp. 001312452110045
Author(s):  
Susan K. Klumpner ◽  
Michael E. Woolley
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
After School Programs ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
After School ◽  
School Program ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
School Programs ◽  
After School Program ◽  
Low Income Families

After school programs provide low income students and students of color with learning opportunities across both academic and non-academic domains that such students would otherwise not get. In this study, we examined the intersection of school characteristics (e.g., enrollment size, percent minority enrolled, and percent eligible for FARM) and the types of after school programming schools offered (e.g., fee-based, 21st CCLC, and other types) using binary logistic regression models. I n a sample of schools ( n = 1,601) surveyed by the National Center on Education Statistics 2008 FRSS, we found that under-resourced schools had lower odds of having a 21st CCLC program and higher odds of having a fee-based after school program (than schools with a lower percentage of students receiving FARM). That is counter to the stated goals of the 21st CCLC program. These findings highlight the need for a re-prioritization of 21st CCLC funding such that financial assistance provided to schools to support after school programs is allocated to schools serving students from low income families and communities.

scholarly journals Healthy Food Access and Low-Income Teens: A Photovoice Approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 019394592096380
Author(s):  
Vicki Simpson ◽  
Lindsey Pedigo ◽  
Muna Hamdan Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Access ◽  
After School Programs ◽  
After School ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
School Programs ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Healthy Food Access

Lack of access to healthy foods disproportionately impacts adolescents. This mixed-methods study used photovoice to explore everyday lived experiences of food access among teens from low-income families, empowering them to share their stories. Sixty-three diverse teens (12–17 years) from across one Midwest state took images and created narratives to support community presentations. Independent content analysis identified themes. Researchers used t tests to compare pre-post differences ( p < 0.05) for two scales related to empowerment and positive youth development. Themes suggest teens take on adult responsibilities relative to food access, generally selecting unhealthy foods. Families and after-school programs were critical to food-related experiences, with cultural differences noted. A statistically significant increase, t(58) = -2.225, p = .032, was noted for “most community leaders in my city would listen to me.” Findings support the need to address factors contributing to difficulties accessing healthy foods in home and community settings.

scholarly journals The Complexities of Student Engagement for Historically Marginalized Youth in an After-School Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 105-121
Author(s):  
Ashlee L. Sjogren ◽  
Theresa N. Melton
Keyword(s):  
After School Programs ◽  
After School ◽  
Marginalized Youth ◽  
School Program ◽  
School Based ◽  
School Programs ◽  
After School Program ◽  
Program Content ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
School Programming

As researchers continue to address issues of equity within educational settings, it is important to also consider the role of equity in high-quality after-school programs. Evidence suggests that families from communities with fewer resources, along with families that identify as Black or Hispanic, report less access to quality after-school programming for their youth (Afterschool Alliance, 2020). This is especially problematic, as after-school programming has been associated with a number of positive outcomes for youth. In this study, researchers highlight youth perspectives to illuminate the challenges related to engaging historically marginalized youth in a school-based after-school program. Findings suggest that youth from marginalized backgrounds typically discuss engagement in terms of behavioral and affective experiences. Further, youth identified a few barriers to engagement, including repetition of program content and disruptive behavior. As a result of these findings, researchers suggest that practitioners integrate youth perspectives, work collaboratively to develop curriculum that fosters growth, and adopt policies and training that support staff in implementing culturally appropriate discipline approaches in after-school programs.

scholarly journals After-School Centres for 6–9 Year Olds in Reykjavik, Iceland

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kolbrún Þ. Pálsdóttir
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Development ◽  
After School Programs ◽  
After School ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
School Programs ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Control ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Out Of School

This article discusses a) the institutional development of out-of-school services for schoolaged children in Reykjavik, Iceland and b) provides some insight into how the children themselves experience the difference between after-school and school. The status of out of-school programs in the school system is weak and receives scarce attention from researchers and policy makers. In Iceland, there is no clear framework for the service and lack of policy concerning quality and control of the service. Together school and after-school centre frame children’s institutional lives in their first years in elementary school. For many children, participationin after-school centre is a positive experience which provides opportunity to play and to be with friends. Children seldom get the chance to decide what they do in school. I argue that after-school programs should be considered an integral part of the educational system and thus, further development of the professional underpinnings of such services are necessary.

scholarly journals Fitness, PA, Perceived Competence, Parental Support, and Literacy Outcomes in the REACH After-School Sports Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-234
Author(s):  
Risto Marttinen ◽  
Kathleen Wilson ◽  
Kelly Johnston ◽  
Ray Fredrick III ◽  
Silvia Battistella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Perceived Competence ◽  
After School Programs ◽  
After School ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
School Sports ◽  
School Programs ◽  
School Differences

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the REACH program in increasing physical activity (PA) levels, cardiorespiratory fitness, perceived competence, self-efficacy, parental support, and literacy across a year-long after-school PA intervention. Participants (N = 78) were students who volunteered from after-school program at either one of the two intervention schools or the control schools. Data are presented from two time points: Baseline (Aug/Sep 2017), and Post (end of the school year in May 2018). Data consisted of PA levels measured by PAC-Q, PACER test, Harter’s Perceived Competence questionnaire, parental support, and literacy tests. School differences in post-intervention scores were found in three (parental support, literacy, PACER) of seven intervention-related measures. Most notably parental support was higher in intervention schools over the control and PACER scores were higher in one intervention school than the control. The results demonstrate that data collection methods may need to be reconsidered in diverse low-income schools. The dramatic amount of missing data and lack of student effort points to students perhaps being overwhelmed with standardized tests and performing tasks for researchers. This leads to a dilemma in data collection in after-school programs in low-income schools: researchers need data to understand what is happening but how are students being served by the data collection process? Researchers should consider new approaches to collect data in low-income urban after-school programs to limit loss of data and to make the data collection meaningful to student participants.

scholarly journals Community-Based After-School Inclusive Programs for Low-Income Minority Youth and Their Families: the Disability Specialist Approach

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-30
Author(s):  
Donald G. Unger ◽  
Tara Woolfolk ◽  
Vanessa Harper ◽  
Teresita Cuevas
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
After School Programs ◽  
After School ◽  
Community Centers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Center Staff ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
School Programs ◽  
Local Parent ◽  
Educational Advocacy

Intervention for helping community based after-school programs become more responsive to youth with disabilities and their families is presented in this manuscript. The Disability Specialist intervention utilized a variety of approaches, including: a) increasing awareness of disabilities and services by providing learning opportunity sessions for families and staff, and outreach activities to youth through interactive theater; b) developing in house “disability specialists” to offer ongoing leadership and technical expertise for after-school programs and their community centers; c) developing a network of technical consultants in order to connect families and after-school programs to specialized community resources; d) providing financial assistance to enable community center staff to allocate time to outreach activities; and e) providing families with support in educational advocacy efforts by partnering with a local parent mentoring program. The success of the project depended upon building partnerships with families, community centers, human service agencies, schools, and local funding sources.

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