After-School Programs: Guiding the Path of At-Risk Youth Essay

Also, it was found that 86 percent of respondents felt that after-school programs are a necessity. They felt that it is absolutely imperative that children are taken care of after-school. Finally, in the interview, elementary school principals were interviewed and 75 percent of those principals felt that after-school programs are extremely important. Principals see the importance in having these programs, and they see the positive effects they have on the students. (Ansell, 2004).

It is essential to consider the interconnectedness of the system from an ecological perspective, contemplating the involvement of the system parts, which include the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. Characteristics such as the neighborhood in which the adolescent lives, their socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic background, play a role in their development. A spectrum that considers a multifaceted framework, provides a platform to enhance one’s understanding of the assessment outcomes. According to Hill, Bromell, Tyson & Flint (2007), the stages of adolescent development from ages eight to sixteen, involve biological, social, and cognitive components. Adolescents move through phases of identity development which encapsulates changes within relationships of friends, peers, family members, and parents. Within that timeframe, approximately two transitions occur between educational facilities in the adolescent’s life. The biological shift occurring, involves hormonal changes and affects the adolescent’s mood. Behavioral changes are expressed through heightened anxiety, the onset of depression, and extreme high mood levels followed by extreme low levels. The identity development phase involves self-conscious behavior, self-centeredness, and questioning one’s ability to be successful.

The breadth or narrowness of goals espoused by 21st Century programs (and how well these goals align with centers’ activities) is likely to exert a strong influence on the types of effects achieved by individual centers and the program as a whole. While programs can produce a range of unintended results, it is reasonable to assume that programs will effect changes in the specific outcomes they seek to influence, rather than those they see as outside their mission or current capability (Jason, 2008). For example, programs that concentrate on improving reading achievement and exclude areas of creative expression may see some improvements in achievement, but they are unlikely to show very many other intermediate or long-term effects (for example, higher aspirations). Importantly, this implies that after-school programs more closely approximating the broad mix of emphases defining the 21st Century “intended program” are likely to exhibit impacts across a broader range of outcomes (Bryant, Clifford, Early, & Little, 2005).

Youth engage in an after school program to develop their life skills. The after school program focus on youth obtaining skills to manage their life (Harvey & Coleman, 1997). These skills includes conducting business, expanding education and; self-awareness and spiritual balance. Youth are taught self-determination to express their creativity. They are instructed to think innovatively to build within the areas they are interested rather than destroy their community (Harvey & Coleman,

The goal of the Marcy’s Youth Center  is to help at risk students living within Marcy Housing with low school performance in reading, writing, and math to improve their abilities to the point where they can succeed in school and develop the skills that will prepare them for high school. Studies have shown student who live in Public Housing are more likely to drop out of high school, score lower on standardized exams, and less likely to graduate in four years than those who do not live in public housing. Given this, the Marcy’s Youth Center seeks to achieve the following objectives:

Social support, or lack thereof, can have an impact on the decisions that individuals within a city make, affecting the overall health of a city. The creation of the Worcester Recovery High School is the creation of a form of social support that was not previously available to the teenagers who will be attending. Increased availability of social support can increase the health of citizens by encouraging healthy decisions and making it easier for them to cope with struggles. The high school also places students in an environment with different social norms than their previous high school. The norm at the school will be sobriety. At other high schools, other students may use drugs which can increase pressure on the students trying to recover to start using drugs

Children who are subject to negative or bad environments are more prone to engaging in drugs and alcohol. There are many programs that bring awareness and prevention to alcohol and drugs. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance program provides groups and organizations with an effective after-school program plan. The after-school programs are essential in promoting awareness and prevention of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, abstinence, and violence to young children or adolescents.

When people think of a day in the life of a teenager they imagine a young adult going to school, playing video games, and having endless lazy days. What they do not see is a frazzled youth running from early morning club meetings, to school, to practice, to work, and finally, to their homes. These hectic days do not just happen every once in a while, they occur daily. According to the Public Agenda Press Release, fifty-seven percent of teenagers participate in a non-school related activity every day (Rizzolo). The real question is: how overscheduled can our teens get before they break?

18.5 percent of teens in America struggle with obesity. Most teenagers struggle with addiction to alcohol and tobacco. The cause of this is a lack of involvement. In America, we need more after school activities because it is a great way to get kids involved in, helps students find their interests, and creates more ways to have fun in schools.

There is a solution to assisting the needs of unsupervised children in the hours after school. With effort, there is a place that can provide a fulfilling and nurturing environment for the children that could otherwise be left in danger. After- school programs are increasing in number, and are catering to different children’s interests and needs. After- school programs, such as The Bridge Project are important for children ages 6-17 because they are cost effective, reduce juvenile crime rates, and raise academic success. These results are granted through attendance, providing enriching experiences, and extending academics into the after- school hours.

The mass majority of individuals past the age of thirty seem to trivialize problems that a plethora of American youth suffer from today. Simply put, the French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry describes it best in his book, The Little Prince, in the quote, “All grown-ups were once children…but only few of them remember it.” We are inordinately exhausted from classes and extracurricular activities that promise college appeal, we are emotionally inept from the expectations of our family’s and peers, and we are despondent from the inability to caste away anxiety filled doubt at a future that seems implausible. My greatest contribution to my school and my community is my dedication to establish compassion and comfort for an improved quality of life. The known establishment of my human gifts to my region came about from my own experiences that caused a realization that various students in my community feel outcasted by our society. By creating a persona that promotes nondiscriminatory listening while also creating three clubs that perform as a safe space, I believe my greatest attribute to my small town of Forest City will endure the hardships of time.

With causes, then, come consequences, and poverty is no exception. According to Maurice Badon of Southeastern Louisiana University, “poverty is an insidious evil that robs families of the necessities we take for granted” (M. Badon, personal communication, November 19, 2001). For example, the poor are generally deprived of educational opportunities and, as a result of social stresses and a lack of adequate health care, are also highly susceptible to mental and physical illness. In addition, these groups tend to live in areas where crime is prevalent, creating another social stress with which to contend. Poverty is also tough on working parents because difficulties in finding adequate, affordable child care create consequent difficulties in maintaining employment (Coleman & Cressey, 1999). Furthermore, as a result of their parents’ struggles,

The group will be comprised of eight sessions meeting every Thursday subsequent to four surveys over the interval of one year to monitor the personal growth within the group. After doing research in the four main counties of Georgia, I noticed a trend in the graduation rate of the Low SES communities compared to moderate to high SES communities. This intrigued my interest, which prompted the creation of the group to discuss prevention for the youth and intervention for adolescents.

Within this review of literature, this writer concentrated on an assessment of the four sub-categories of intrinsic motivation, alternative education, academic motivation, and adjudicated youth. Throughout this review of literature it is suggested that students who are motivated for academic excellence will do better in their grades. The review of literature will also examine how students in secured care struggle with building motivation in academic excellence. Comparably, all four sub-categories agree that academic achievements and behaviors seem to separate the students who will graduate from high school and move onto college. The major gap in all the presented research is attributed to the lack of exploration in the area of behaviors and grade assessment.

and social skills, “There is strong public support for afterschool programs, particularly from working parents who cannot be with their children immediately after school.” These parents work hard to provide their families with a