The purpose of this study is to examine how a virtual after-school PA program impacts social-emotional competency (SEC) among elementary school students. Students (N=122) participated, and SEC was measured at the beginning and end of the program. Data analysis included descriptive analysis of demographic variables and SEC. A dependent sample…

Both, educators and policy makers have expressed growing concerns over the low levels of math and science achievement among American students and the decline in the numbers of young people moving into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers (Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century, 2007; National Science…

This study was an action research analysis of a competitive, after-school robotics program in the Woodland Hills School District. A longitudinal quantitative analysis was used to measure the effects of the after-school program on academic achievement and student engagement in school. Grade Point Average was measured before the program began and…

Adolescents face many difficulties when transitioning to high school, particularly when it comes to their social circles and maintaining friendships. As these challenges can have long-term consequences, providing support to youth during this period is essential. The YWCA Youth Education Programs (YEP) in Vancouver, BC offer group-based,…

Japanese policy regarding arts education had not been well discussed. One of the reasons was the effects of the arts had not been highly regarded in Japan. This paper empirically addressed the effects of arts activities on years of schooling and income. Through path analysis, relationships were revealed between out-of-school activities and years…

Increased political and research interest in extracurricular activities stems, in part, from the claim that these programs especially benefit disadvantaged youth. However, little literature has synthesized studies across types of disadvantage to assess this claim. This article reviews research on disadvantaged youth in extracurricular programs,…

Aquaponics systems model aquaculture and hydroponics systems for food production. Aquponics allow cycle of nutrients as well as wastes and offers a sustainable option to the use of environmental resources. Aquaponics systems are also considered in education as a teaching tool which can be implemented into different grade levels. It's possible to…

Affective teacher-child relationships have frequently been investigated in school settings, but less attention has been devoted to these relationships in after-school care. This study explored caregiver- (N = 90) and child-informed reports (N = 90) of the affective caregiver-child relationship (N = 180 dyads) in Dutch after-school care, exploring…

Cogent indicated prevention with young children at risk for early onset conduct problems needs to address multiple domains of influence in school and home settings. A multicontextual preventive intervention (MPI) spanning grades one and two was conducted in schools serving economically disadvantaged communities and evaluated separately for boys…

Background: Learning to program and success in computer science requires persistence in the face of challenges. This study contributes to research on the social context of learning by describing how children's peer interactions can support or hinder the pair's problem solving on the computer. Methods: Video recordings from eight pairs of middle…

There has been marked progress in access to education, representation of women in leadership, sexual reproductive health, and gender-based violence as a result of gender equality initiatives. However, there is still a strong focus on interventions targeting girls only. Through the adolescents' lens, this study sought to establish if there is a…

In line with best practices for high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programming and youth development, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) programming focuses on the program environment, the establishment of positive relationships, opportunities for youth development, and opportunities for families to engage. Research has consistently shown…

The present study explores the psychometric properties of Prime Time's Youth Engagement Survey (PT-YES) and the relationships among the survey items. Prime Time Palm Beach County, Inc. developed PT-YES, which contains 30 Likert scale questions designed to measure youth engagement during out-of-school time (OST) activities with community partners.…

This paper describes the design and investigation of a high-school-affiliated esports program based on an enrichment learning model. In it, the authors detail the connections between esports and learning, self-reported impacts of the program and demographic differences among them, students' attitudes toward program features, and equity in results…

Recent research demonstrates that, along with the family, the peer group and the school environment, extra-curricular activities are important contexts for young people's educational and social development. This article is the result of a survey conducted with a sample of young people in their last year of compulsory school in Sweden and examines…