Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. The Role of Out-of-School Program Staff in Creating Expanding Opportunities, Closing Gaps: The Role of Out-of-School Program Staff in Creating Complements to Formal Learning The Forum for Youth Investment Karen Pittman, Executive Director Harvard University, Graduate School of Education October 4 th 2003

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Framing the Challenge

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Young people need and deserve supports throughout their waking hours. Young people deserve early and sustained investments throughout the first two decades of life. Young people need investments to help them achieve a broad range of outcomes. What We Know

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. The progress young people make is directly correlated with the quality and quantity of supports, services and opportunities they are offered. These supports are offered not just by families and schools, but by the full range of organizations and individuals who touch children and youth’s lives. What We Know

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. What learning needs to happen ? ?  Cognitive  Social/Emotional  Physical  Cultural  Civic  Vocational  Moral/Spiritual

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. National Research Council: Personal and Social Assets that Facilitate Youth Development  Physical development –health habits, risk management skills  Intellectual development –e.g. life skills, vocational skills, school success, critical thinking, decision-making, navigation  Psychological and emotional development –e.g.good mental health, positive self-regard, self- regulation, coping skills, autonomy, time use  Social development –connectedness, sense of place, attachment to pro- social institutions, navigate cultural contexts, commitment to civic engagement

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Ages Times of Day Outcome Areas prevention to participation cognitive, social, civic, physical Challenge for All Youth Investors: How Do We Fill the Developmental White Space?

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved.  Families  Peer groups  Schools and Training Organizations  Youth-serving organizations  CBOs (Non-profit service providers and associations)  Businesses (jobs, internships, apprenticeships)  Faith-Based organizations  Libraries, Parks, Recreation Departments  Community-based Health and Social Service Agencies Who is Responsible for the Rest? ?

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Where and when does learning really happen? WHENWHEN WHERE? In the School Building During the School Day Out of School In the Community

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Where and when does learning really happen? WHENWHEN WHERE? In the School Building During the School Day Out of School In the Community School Classrooms & Spaces Libraries, Museums, Colleges, Businesses School Buildings, Community Schools Families, CBOs, Faith, Parks & Rec, Community Centers

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Challenge: Learning Opportunities Co-vary WHENWHEN WHERE? In the School Building During the School Day Out of School In the Community School Classrooms & Spaces Libraries, Museums, Colleges, Businesses School Buildings, Community Schools Families, CBOs, Faith, Parks & Rec, Comm Centers School, Classrooms & Spaces Libraries, Museums, Colleges, Businesses School Buildings, Community Schools Families, CBOs, Faith, Parks & Rec. Comm Centers

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Out-of-school opportunities low in low-income communities  Classic Chicago study (Wynn and Littell) found 71 activities per 1,000 children/youth in affluent neighborhoods, 23 per 1,000 in low income.  1995 Detroit study (Skillman Foundation), 15 of 38 recreation centers in neighborhoods w/ lowest population density, 16 of high density communities had no centers.

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. African-American programs are particularly thin  2002 program review by California Tomorrow found programs in affluent communities more likely have enrichment focus and offer specific types of programming (e.g. pottery).  Predominantly African-American programs have lower per capita budgets, 20 % had no sports or recreation compared to 6% white majority. 30 offered no enrichment components at all.

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Services more plentiful than Opportunities in “High Risk” Neighborhoods “High Risk” Youth in High Risk Communities “Low Risk” Youth in Low Risk Communities “Enrichment” Services“High Risk” Services Music Lessons; Leadership Classes Prevention curricula; Tutoring Child care; Substance abuse treatment

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Framing the Response

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Delinquency & Violence Pregnancy & HIV Dropouts & Illiteracy Unemployment/ Under employment Substance Abuse Just targeting problems is not enough

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Core Supports & Opportunities Delinquency & Violence Pregnancy & HIV Dropouts & Illiteracy Unemployment Substance Abuse The Common Core of Prevention Strategies Problems Co-vary, Strategies overlap

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Common Themes in Prevention are Themes That Support Learning  Skill Building  Participation  Norms and Expectations  Adult-Youth Relationships  Information and Services Extracted from Joy Dryfoos, Adolescents at Risk, 1990

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Core Supports & Opportunities Delinquency & Violence Pregnancy & HIV Dropouts & Illiteracy Unem- ployment Substance Abuse, Suicide, Depression 3. Single Problem reduction is a short term, not long term goal Civic Educational Physical Health Vocational Social & Emotional

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. After-school programs can make a difference

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. What Happens After School? WHENWHEN WHERE? In the School Building During the School Day Out of School In the Community Formal Learning Enriched Learning Informal & Applied Learning ?? Remediation? Enrichment? Supervision? Engagement?

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. The Impact of After-School Programs After-school programs Engagement in Learning Participation in School Academic Achievement Social/Emotional/ Physical/Civic Skills

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. What do we mean by academic achievement? ? Academic  Core Skills  Higher Order Skills  Content Knowledge Achievement  Motivation  Progress  Competence

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Strategies for Infusing Academic Content  Extended (explicit content, traditional delivery)  Explicit (explicit content, innovative delivery)  Embedded (embedded content, innovative delivery)  Enrichment (authentic content, innovative delivery)

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. NRC Features of Positive Developmental Settings  Physical and psychological safety  Appropriate structure  Supportive relationships  Opportunities to belong  Positive social norms  Support for efficacy and mattering  Opportunities for skill-building  Integration of family, school and community efforts

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Local After School Programs Survey Results Safety Relationships Participation Skills Comm. Roles © CAYP, IRRE, CNYD

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Safety Relationships Participation Skills Comm. Roles © CAYP, IRRE, CNYD Measuring Outcomes That Matter Percent of Participants at Optimal Levels

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved Safety Relat. Particip. Skills Commun. © CAYP, IRRE, CNYD Measuring Outcomes That Matter Percent of Participants at Optimal Levels Safety Relationships Participation Skills Comm. Roles

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. Quality in After- school programs: Measurable, Malleable, Matters

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. After-school programs can lead the way

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved. 21 st Century Skills, Content, Contexts  Core skills – reading, writing, computation  21 st century skills – technology, problem-solving  Personal interest – playing an instrument, etc.  Core content – geography, history, literature  21 st century content – civic, financial, global awareness  Core context – school-based acquisition  21 st context – community-based applications

Copyright © 2001 [Forum for Youth Investment]. All rights reserved.

Filling the White Space “Schools are clearly under the gun to show kids are doing better academically. But many believe, including teachers and principals, that the function of after-school programs should be to provide activities kids aren’t getting elsewhere.” –Karen Walker, P/PV