Authoring Action (A2) is a youth-focused, arts-based, afterschool and summer program. A2's mission is "to transform the lives of youth and the world through the power of creative writing, spoken word, visual and media arts, film-making and leadership education that promotes positive systemic change." Using in-depth interviews, this study…

Scholars have increasingly argued that we need to attend to adolescents' race, ethnicity, and culture in after-school activities to ensure positive effects. Still, little is known about adolescents' perceptions of culturally responsive practices in after-school activities (i. e., the use of diverse teaching practices, cultural engagement, and…

School extracurricular activities are an important site for positive youth development in low-resource international contexts due to their relative accessibility and community relevance. Such activity programs can simultaneously illuminate local best practices and learn from research in other contexts where positive youth development research is…

Studies on the academic achievement of refugee students cite continuous underachievement in literacy skills. Due to trauma from fleeing their countries of origin, limited school experiences, and language barriers, refugee students struggle with demonstrating progress in academic achievement. Learning challenges continue to take place when…

This study used a youth participatory action research (YPAR) approach to explore the meaning five Black boys make of race, identity, and oppression through their school experiences in a suburban high school. The first author developed, cofacilitated, and assumed the role of participant observer in a YPAR afterschool program aimed at promoting…

This article explores the experiences of female mentees and their mentors in an afterschool support program in two informal urban settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. We sought the perspectives of mentees and mentors to identify what has changed concerning the education and social lives of the girls because of this education intervention. Data come from…

How can high-quality arts programs attract and retain low-income urban tweens? Drawing on hundreds of interviews with young people, their families, leaders of exemplary programs and others nationwide, this report offers some answers, including 10 principles for developing effective programming. An infographic illustrating key findings, a report…

In response to requests from out-of-school time (OST) providers, the authors have created this practitioner's guidebook for integrating adolescent literacy development initiatives into a wide variety of OST programs. As readers will discover in subsequent chapters, the authors' definition of adolescent literacy development represents a…

Peer relations during middle childhood and adolescence are an important part of children's social and emotional development. Children and adolescents pick up essential social and communication skills from their peers as they move into late adolescence and early adulthood. Peer conflict is not necessarily a bad thing; disagreement and conflict are…

The Coalition Concerned with Adolescent Pregnancy is sponsoring a project entitled Planning Programs for Young Adolescents which focuses on after-school needs of children between the ages of 10 and 15 in Orange County, California. To determine these needs, needs assessment surveys were completed by 90 seventh grade students and 93 parents. The…

This program assessment package is for those providing after-school services for young adolescents. Introductory material discusses why the focus is on 10- to 15-year-olds, the need for program evaluation, and assessment criteria. The package includes the following items: (1) "3:00 to 6:00 P.M.; Programs for Young Adolescents," by Joan…

A review of the social needs of adolescents in Glendale (California) and elsewhere was conducted to determine the needs and potential support for the proposed Glendale Teen Support Center (GTSC) and to provide documentation for the Center's future funding requests. The GTSC was conceived as an after-school social center that would provide a…

Identifying the voluntary activities, programs, and services that children and families use during students' out-of-school time as primary supports, this self-study guide provides a framework for developing primary support programs that allow school-aged children and adolescents to develop physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. The…

This study presents a nationwide picture of the prevalence, structure, and features of formal school- and center-based programs that provide before- and after-school care for children between the ages of 5 and 15. Data for the study were gathered in 1991 through telephone interviews of some 1,300 child care programs and site visits to 12 programs.…