Afterschool Programs Matter for Rural Youth

By Logan Robertson, guest blogger

The term “urban” is often conflated with “youth,” a practice that tends to diminish or even make invisible the distinct experiences of youth who do not live in “the inner-city.” The urban context is understood as standard, while the rural context is usually conceptualized in terms of myths of the idealized countryside and the idyllic childhood.

While the issues faced by urban youth often take center stage in academic research and popular media, rural youth must meet similar and unique challenges, though in decidedly different environments. Afterschool programs are crucial for older youth in rural communities – for many young people, the afterschool program may be the only safe place during non-school hours, the only chance to try new activities and skills, and the one chance outside of school to develop positive relationships with peers and role models. Afterschool programs create resources that help rural youth negotiate the transition to successful adulthood.

As such, youth practitioners and advocates must persist in their efforts to develop afterschool programs for high school students in rural communities, to make rural youth programs more visible to the afterschool field, and emphasize the important role that such programs can have, not only for rural youth, but for the communities in which they live.

To view a profile of one rural school-based afterschool program serving high school age youth, see an article that I recently wrote with Temescal Associates entitled “I Feel Like I’m Somebody: Older Youth and High School Afterschool Programs in a Rural California Town.” To view a recent publication from the Harvard Family Research Project entitled “Out of School Time Programs in Rural Areas” click here. To join a committee on afterschool programs serving rural communities sponsored by the California Afterschool Network, click here.

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Logan Robertson, PhD, is Assistant Director of Community Services for Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District. She is also a member of the California School-Age Consortium’s Trainer Network, the Tulare County Youth Commission, and the California Afterschool Network’s Rural Programs Committee.

Obstacles and Successes in Rural Afterschool Programs

By Kimberly Boyer, guest blogger 

More than 20 percent of America's children attend public schools in rural areas. The state of California ranks among the highest in rates of mobility among rural households and rural students who are English Language Learners. It comes as no surprise that students in rural Central Valley communities face unique obstacles early in life that can perpetuate a pattern of poverty, disenfranchisement and missed opportunities. The benefits of afterschool programs for youth are well documented. Yet, rural schools often struggle to reach the very students who can benefit from these outstanding, free programs. A March 2011 report from the Harvard Family Research Project called "Out-of-School Time Programs in Rural Areas," reveals four major challenges rural programs must overcome: Read more to learn about the four challenges, local examples and successes.

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Dr. Kim Boyer is a former director of staff development and research for the Central Valley Afterschool Foundation and currently the interim executive director. She has seven years experience working directly with children as an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles, and as an afterschool program coordinator in Fresno.

For the past two years at CVAF, Kim has helped design and facilitate the Region VII ASSETs Learning Community, in addition to providing support to develop high quality elementary afterschool programs through trainings and onsite coaching. She continues to be involved in the sustainability of high school ASSETs programs, in the development of tools and resources to support Quality Self-Assessment, and in the implementation of English language learner support in afterschool.

Going the Extra Mile: Afterschool in Continuation High School Settings

By Sam Piha

Continuation high schools serve a very vulnerable group of young people who are often considered at-risk because of various challenges in their lives, including family disruption, mental health issues, substance abuse, violence and aggression, and other nonacademic barriers (de Velasco et al, 2008). Many youth arrive behind in the credits needed for graduation, lacking fundamental academic and organizational skills, and are disengaged from school, their communities, and positive adult role models.

Nowhere is the opportunity for afterschool learning more important than in continuation high schools. Many of these youth face a number of challenges in their lives and are often highly disengaged, having failed in and been failed by the traditional school system. These youth clearly need more – more caring adults who know them, more ways to complete the requirements for graduation, and more preparation for life after high school. Afterschool programs that model the Learning in Afterschool learning principles are well positioned to help this population of youth as well as the continuation schools that work to serve them.

In Going The Extra Mile, we focus on the potential of afterschool programs to serve the multiple needs of older youth in California continuation high school settings. We begin by offering an overview of continuation high schools in California. We next provide a description of afterschool programs currently operating using the 21st CCLC funds. We rely on an interview with a program supervisor who oversees several programs in the Bay Area and a survey of programs across the state, which we conducted as part of our research. 

In a Case Study: The SPOT Program at Ralphe J. Bunche Academy, we profile one continuation high school afterschool program and provide interviews we conducted at two different afterschool programs at continuation high schools. For a video produced by a Bay Area afterschool program serving older youth in a continuation high school setting, click here. For more research and resources on continuation schools, click here. 

A Decline in Arts Education

By Sam Piha

We know as afterschool leaders that young people love to express themselves through the arts. Further, we know that integrating arts into learning promotes young people's motivation and engagement and aligns well to the LIA learning principles.

However, a new study issued by the National Endowment for the Arts revealed that fewer American children are getting access to arts education. "What's especially alarming is that the overall decline is only part of the story: The drop is apparently most severe for African-Americans and Hispanics," wrote Erik Robelen in Education Week's Curriculum Matters blog.

According to the study, Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation, "The decline of childhood arts education among white children is relatively insignificant, while the declines for African American and Hispanic children are quite substantial - 49 percent for African American and 40 percent for Hispanic children."

What does this study say about our responsibility to make time in afterschool programs for arts education?

To view the February 28th blog post by Erik Robelen on this study, click here. To access the full study, Arts Education in America, click here.

Learning Science in Informal Environments

By Sam Piha

There is a growing interest in increasing young people's exposure to science - particularly since much of the hands-on science time has been eliminated from our public schools. Afterschool programs that offer project-based science activities are well aligned with the LIA learning principles.

Learning Science in Informal Environments, authored and published by the National Academy of Sciences, "draws together disparate literatures, synthesizes the state of knowledge, and articulates a common framework for the next generation of research on learning science in informal environments across a life span. Contributors include recognized experts in a range of disciplines--research and evaluation, exhibit designers, program developers, and educators. They also have experience in a range of settings--museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, aquariums, zoos, state parks, and botanical gardens."

We believe that Learning Science in Informal Environments is an invaluable guide for afterschool program leaders, community-based organizations, and those interested in promoting K-12 science education.

For an executive summary of this text and a peek at the full table of contents, click here.

"Out-of-school time (OST) programs that focus on girls’ involvement in STEM can play an essential role in improving female representation in these traditionally male-dominated fields. OST programs offer girls a non-threatening and non-academic environment for hands-on learning that is collaborative, informal, and personal. However, barriers to quality implementation and outcome-based evaluation present challenges for STEM programs serving girls." (STEM Out-of-School Time Programs for Girls, Harvard Family Research Project, 2011) To view this Research Update, highlighting findings from the evaluations and research studies in the OST Database that focus on STEM programs for girls, click here. 

For a recent article on the role of science learning outside of school, published in Education Week (April 4, 2011) click here. 

Afterschool as Important Places of Learning

By Sam Piha

One of the objectives of the Learning in Afterschool project is to raise awareness of the importance of afterschool to young people's learning - awareness of the general public, of decision makers, and of program leaders who are charged with designing afterschool experiences.

The California Afterschool Alliance has created a valuable factsheet entitled "California's Afterschool Programs Increase Learning," which can be downloaded by clicking here. This factsheet cites the Learning in Afterschool website as a resource for those who wish to promote learning as a key asset in afterschool. It is one of a suite of messaging materials that are available by going to http://www.ca3advocacy.org/ and clicking on "factsheets."

LIA Winter 2011 Update

By Sam Piha

We have been busy promoting the Learning in Afterschool learning principles to stakeholders across California and the nation and engaging youth leaders as Afterschool Ambassadors.

Click here to get our latest Winter 2011 update on our activities.

ESEA Recommendations and the Future of 21st Century CLCs

By Sam Piha

We have been following the ESEA reauthorization as it effects the future of the 21st Century CLCs. We have also tried to keep our readers informed on the definition of "extended learning opportunities," as it may rewrite the definition of afterschool. The Collaborative for Building After-School Systems authored a comprehensive memorandum to Senator Harkin, Chairperson of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. This memorandum offers a good overview of the discussions taking place regarding federally funded afterschool.

The other key senators include Sen. Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming, the top Republican, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., himself a former Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush, and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.

We share this document here in hopes that our readers will identify the positions that they agree or disagree with. The ESEA reauthorization is also being closely followed by The Afterschool Alliance. You can visit their website to follow the most recent developments. We share other resources on recent developments in education on our Learning in Afterschool website.

To follow afterschool policy in California, you can visit the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3) website.

A Crosswalk Between the LIA Learning Principles and Afterschool Quality Measurement Tools

By Sam Piha

During the roll out of the Learning in Afterschool project, several afterschool leaders asked how the Learning in Afterschool learning principles correspond to afterschool quality measurement tools that are currently being used in the field. In response, we offer this paper, which identifies the overlap between the learning principles promoted by the Learning in Afterschool project with six program quality measurement tools.

Through this comparison, authors Sam Piha and Corey Newhouse establish the strong relationship between the Learning in Afterschool learning principles and what you would expect to see in a quality afterschool program. This paper identifies which learning principles are most aligned with program quality measurement tools and which seem to be absent from the quality equation. 

To view a copy of A Crosswalk Between the Learning in Afterschool Learning Principles and Afterschool Quality Measurement Tools, click here. 

For an excellent review of well-tested afterschool program quality tools, see Measuring Youth Program Quality by Nicole Yohalem and Alicia Wilson-Ahlstrom.

The Link Between Afterschool Exercise and Math Skills

By Sam Piha

Erin Gibson, 10, worked on homework
during a study at Georgia Prevention Institute
 at Georgia Health Sciences University.

In the past, we have used this blog to promote the importance of active, physical activity within afterschool programs. A new study published in Health Psychology revealed that children in afterschool programs in Georgia engaging in regular exercise performed better on goal-oriented tasks and improved their math skills. 


According to Dr. Catherine L. Davis, associate professor of pediatrics at Georgia Health Sciences University, "You have to use your brain to exercise. It is not just that you are using your muscles. Your brain is coordinating your movements. Your brain is issuing the commands to the body to do the exercise. So it may be a direct stimulation of the neurons that are needed to exercise that makes the difference."


For a discussion of this study from Education Week, click here.  

What Kids Can Tell Us About Motivation and Mastery - Part 2

By Sam Piha

In Fires in the Mind: What Kids Can Tell Us About Motivation and Mastery, author Kathleen Cushman captures the voices of young people who explain what it takes to get really good at something. After reviewing our Learning in Afterschool position statement and seeing the alignment with her work, Ms. Cushman agreed to be interviewed on this blog. See an earlier posting for Part 1 of this interview. (A more complete bio can be found below.)

Q: What do you see as a role for afterschool programs in supporting motivation and mastery?

A: Many kids tell me that their afterschool programs give them more opportunities and supports than they get from any other source. A good afterschool program can open doors to the world of arts and culture, athletics, and the kind of projects that really catch the imagination and draw kids into curiosity and learning. Just as important, it can bring youth together with institutions and accomplished people in their community, enlarging the network of support they can call on as they approach the challenges of becoming adults.

Q: Does the experience of motivated learning and mastery outside of the classroom transfer in any way to young people’s engagement in school or planning for their future?

A: Absolutely! So much of what kids work to master on their own time gives them practice in the key habits they need in school or planning for their future. Some of these are “habits of mind,” like asking good questions, breaking down problems, or considering other views. Others are work habits, such as collaboration or persistence.

These are the very same habits that experts use in every field. They are absolutely critical to success in college and beyond. It’s important for all of us adults—not just school teachers—to notice and point them out as we see these habits developing in kids, anytime and anywhere. As we do, we are sending young people the message that they, too, can successfully navigate the path to mastery.

Kathleen Cushman

Q: There are those that say that young people who are behind in school and who score low on standardized tests, particularly those children that are low-income and of color, cannot afford the time it takes to experience mastery outside of the academic disciplines. What is your view of this?

A: I believe exactly the opposite. A test score can only take a narrow snapshot of a young person’s experience, earned knowledge, and strengths. In fact, those who have struggled against the obstacles of poverty and discrimination bring enormous assets to the work of learning. It is the adult’s job to talk with young people respectfully about what they know and can do and to identify those assets in their stories. From there, we can coach them in applying those strengths in other areas. We can help them acquire a mindset that respects the power of practice to build mastery in any field they choose.

Q: Can you speak about the Learning in Afterschool learning principles and the degree to which you believe we should live by these principles in afterschool programs? And why?

A: Your core learning principles set forth a picture of active, collaborative, meaningful  learning that supports young people in practicing habits of mind and work that will last them a lifetime.  Solidly based in research, these principles are the same ones that we see in the best schools in the nation. They underscore the “anytime, anywhere” nature of learning. And they remind us that schools and communities must work as partners. All our young people must have rich opportunities to use their minds well, crossing cultural and political divides to help solve the problems that confront us all.

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Kathleen Cushman is the author of Fires in the Mind: What Kids Can Tell Us About Motivation and Mastery and many other books about the lives and learning of youth. A co-founder of the nonprofit What Kids Can Do (WKCD), she collaborates with young people around the nation to bring forward their voices and visions. She lives in New York City.