Abstract
Given that thoughtfully developed formal after-school programs can make a difference in the academic performance of schoolchildren, and that some public schools are implementing their own on-site after-school curricula, this study sought to identify programmatic features that appear to be associated with successful after-school programming. Qualitative methods were used and the study site was the Manchester Youth Development Center, which has a twenty-five-year record of effective service. The six elements found as salient were that both structure and autonomous space are provided; academic achievement is supported; the program is culturally consistent (in the present case, African-American cultural patterns are evidenced); there is a core of committed authoritative adults; the leadership is child-centered; and the environment is safe.
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Beck, E.L. Prevention and Intervention Programming: Lessons from an After-School Program. The Urban Review 31, 107–124 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023200500215
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023200500215