After School Research Paper

Many people ask me what are my plans after high school? Luckily, I have come to the decision to be in the military and attend a postsecondary education and major in Nursing with the intention of becoming a Pediatrician or becoming an Architect.

After school programs such as Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) help mold the young minds of the communities’ youth with the developing process of fun and interesting activities. Additionally, this stimulation is also supported by local college students who are fulfilling their community service hours at the center.

The overview of these three programs and attaining them is optimal, essentially a cycle of opportunity. By providing these services it develops a base for a long-term goal of achieving self-sufficiency and out of poverty. However, the accessibility of these beneficial resources may be difficult to obtain based on eligibility. New ideas that may help improve or reduce disparities in future programs can begin by concentrating on and expanding educational resources. For instance, a program that holds educational sessions on a monthly base, targeting communities, informing families of available resources and assisting with the application process. Another idea would be collaborating with the school system, specifically low-income based communities. After school program can be initiated to target parents that need assistance with extra resources and services. Lastly, innovating a classroom setting program for the duration of one-year, furthering educational and leadership ability for

The New Jersey State Department of Education received government, state, and local funding for youths ages 5-17, as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. The question is; how can the states revise and disperse the amount of funding allocated for after-school programs for the current number of children enrolled? How can we raise awareness about the higher enrollment after-school programs offered for children of all ages? The current data shows the ratio of children enrolled versus the number of children not enrolled, offset the amount of dispersed funds, and varies state to state. The New Jersey Department of education allocates the funded money towards after-school programs housed at public schools with a high enrollment rate while other states do not. This leaves a huge gap in society with not enough funds creatively used towards youth programs. Children of all ages should have access to an after- school educational program and support from within their community. Common motivational goals set forth in the evaluation for this program are, for children to receive the enhancement of moral values, equality, and diversity through after-school educational programs within their local school districts. This evaluation is based on the logic model format and designed to meet the needs and demands assessment criteria. Weighing the outcome of an economical developed society in which graduation rates will increase. While, in past the government started

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This quote from Nelson Mandela always clicked with me, because while many things can change the world, education is always at the root of it. The Ottawa County Early College program is an opportunity for me to practice with this essential tool. I feel that I am a good fit for the program because I have passion for my studies, am proactive in them, and I flourish under challenge. This amazing program excites me because it will help me to achieve my overall goal for my education; to positively impact the world. While I have many different ideas with what I want to do with my education, Early College will allow me to explore many different paths within a budget I

In NYC, access to after-school programs remains a problem for many children especially those from low-income/unstable families due to the lack of funding by the government. After school programs are slowly diminishing in the city and many people are not interested in reviving them. Over the years, many people have downplayed afterschool programs and their benefits to children especially those that come from low-income/unstable families. The social development of children from unstable backgrounds could greatly improve by the promotion and valuation of afterschool programs. They offer activities, memories, and a sense of community all of which these kids need to excel and gear away from the negativity that surrounds them.

Education-based intervention and prevention play a crucial role in influencing young children from at-risk communities. Many researchers have concluded that early interventions improve the child’s academic performance, behaviours and learning abilities in the short and long term (McMahon, Washburn, Felix, Yakin & Childrey, 2000). Based on developmental and social theories, the child’s experiences in the earlier years have great impact on their future achievement. In turn, the foundation of a child’s academic success is formed at a very young age, before they enter the school system (Ansari & Gershoff, 2015). Intervention strategies that target young children, have a greater impact for future development since they provide them with guidance,

While living in the Residence, we will be working with the Boys and Girls Club of the Cedar Valley in Waterloo. They offer a safe and educational environment to kids, specifically those at-risk, to spend time with their friends and participate in activities put on by staff and volunteers. This gives these kids opportunities that they might not have had access to elsewhere, and it prevents them from finding more dangerous activities in some of their communities. In a bigger city like Waterloo, there is a higher population of at-risk children and teenagers who choose to go to an after-school program like the Boys and Girls Club instead of doing more dangerous activities. Statistically, there are more lower-income families with children who are a part of after-school programs like this because parents are not always available to provide after-school care, which makes them more likely to fall into trouble. We became aware of the need for volunteers in places like the Boys and Girls Club through our own experiences working with teenagers who have gotten into trouble because they did not have this resource.

The United States Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and local departments provide financial support for the GREAT program, which enables this intervention to function at its full capacity. A supporter agent for this particular program is the school’s administrators because this intervention can possibly lower discipline issues within school grounds and create a safer atmosphere for students to learn. A third benefactor and strong supporter of the GREAT intervention are the participant’s parents or guardian. The parents are extremely likely to support this intervention because it can potentially help their child if they are at risk of joining a criminal gang, which can negatively impact their child’s life and future. Also, the GREAT intervention teaches its participants other important life skills that parents may want their child to

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).

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.

For those who are growing up in the Corner neighborhood, truancy is a common factor among several teens and young children. The Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and its frequent visitors could benefit from a prevention/promotion program that focuses on graduation incentives for students. While the MLK Jr. Center is an appropriate outlet for after school, a program that expands the center past its current

This alliance of assorted members: activists, professionals from non-profits, scientists, social workers, academics, experts, and media, result in a high degree of stability for the coalition (Jenkins-Smith, Nohrstedt, Weible, & Sabatier, 2014). Such is illustrated in Brecher, Brazill and Weitzman’s (2010) discussion of coalitions formed in reaction to the disputed roles of after-school programs in the 1990s. The Academic Coalition, comprised of members from professional positions, i.e. the U.S. Department of Education, public school leaders, and teachers’ unions, supports the belief that the purpose of after-school programs is to provide additional academic assistance (Brecher, Brazill and Weitzman, 2010, p.343). In opposition, the Developmental Coalition, composed of supporters who held community positions in voluntary agencies, community organizations, welfare agencies, libraries and the parks department, supported the notion that after school programs should seek to “promote happiness and self-confidence” in students (Brecher, Brazill and Weitzman, 2010, p.343). In both cases, these two groups formed a varied network of constituents to advocate for their beliefs in academics and development. As participants pull together for a cause, as demonstrated above, their resources and respective networks culminate, resulting in a strong united

After- school programs have been around for long time. However, their initial purpose was different than what is demanded in today’s society. The after school program was originally developed in urban communities in response to the decline in child labor and the rise in mandatory schooling. This combination altered the day of an urban child. The child would go to school, and come home with nothing to do. They could not work anymore because of child labor laws. With this being a new law, parents did not know what to do with their children because they had to work into the late hours of the evening. Also, urban housing had unkempt, undesirable conditions for living. This caused many

Even when children have a stable home there are other family life factors that can affect their progress at school. Child neglect, drugs, alcohol, gangs, violence, and hunger can all have a significant impact on how children learn both at school and at home. A child’s first educational experience should be at home, however with increasing use of drugs and alcohol, and sometimes unintentional neglect from not being able to afford quality daycare means that some children entering the classroom are woefully unprepared.