After-school programs can help show students how academics are relevant to their personal interests, and serve as training grounds for future teachers. This article features LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program whose mission is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment, and recreation program for children ages 5 to…

There would appear to be an enduring belief that successful sportsmen and women can act as powerful motivational role models for young people, especially disaffected, disadvantaged or disengaged youth. In the UK, for example, this belief has been expressed recently in the development of programmes, such as changingLIVES, the Respect Athlete Mentor…

Regular participation in out-of-school time activities is associated with benefits for children. However, children cannot reap the benefits of program participation if they do not attend programs in the first place. This brief focuses on ways in which out-of-school time programs can improve the attendance and retention of children and youth in…

A needs assessment program can help recreation managers recognize new and changing leisure interests and needs of the people they serve. This article reviews strategies that military services use in needs assessment programs. Issues encountered when conducting an assessment are discussed. (DF)

The Early Intervention Effectiveness Institute established by Utah State University will increase the knowledge base concerning efficacy of various types of early intervention with handicapped children. Let's Play to Grow is a recreation and support program for disabled children and their families with approximately 200 clubs and 6,000 members…

Intrinsic motivation is discussed as the main concern of evaluation of leisure and recreational programs. Two factors influencing leisure behavior are perceived freedom and perceived competence. Two types of intrinsic rewards are possible from leisure participation: rewards and those obtained from a change in environment. Evaluation should then…

Efforts to qualitatively measure the effectiveness of military recreational programs have met only negligible success. This is due in part to a lack of definitive data and a lack of scientific assessment tools for adequately measuring performance objectives. (JN)

International sources suggest that Australian human service agencies must implement meaningful processes to meet increasing demands for accountability in service delivery. The development of adequate services for the disabled in Australia is influenced by the principles of normalization--the use of culturally valued means in order to enable,…

Describes the design and application of the Student Affairs Program Evaluation Process at the University of Nebraska. An evaluation team including students and faculty was set up to study counseling, recreation and orientation programs. Weaknesses and strengths of the process were discussed and suggestions made for appropriate followup activities.…

Hawaii's Interscholastic Athletics program involves 38 high schools in a voluntary program designed to develop athletically talented students and to foster student and community identity with the schools. Although the ten-year old program offering sixteen team and individual sports has been successful, several issues remain unresolved in the areas…

The Chicago Board of Education operates teacher-staffed, after school playground programs at 59 elementary schools. It also operates and maintains six stadia for interscholastic and amateur athletic events and recreational purposes. This study examined those programs and the use of funds committed to support them. Descriptions are given of the…

This monograph, one of a series on youth with disabilities and the juvenile justice system, focuses on the role of recreation in preventing juvenile delinquency and recidivism among youth with disabilities. Section 1 addresses factors involved in being at-risk for juvenile delinquency. These include exclusion from recreation activities, limited…

After-school programs have the potential to keep children safe and out of trouble and can help to improve the academic performance of the increasing numbers of participating children. This report presents positive research on after-school programs and examples illustrating the potential of high-quality after-school activities to keep children…

Since 2002, the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NMSBVI) in Alamogordo, New Mexico, has worked to create a partnership with the "Centro de Capacitacion para Invidentes" in Durango, Mexico, and the "Instituto de Asesoria y Apoyo para Ciegor" in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The purpose of this association was to…

Describes the development, characteristics, and effectiveness of the Everybuddy Program in South Richmond-Chesterfield, Virginia, an integrated after-school care and recreation program for disabled and nondisabled children. (BB)