Authors:

Hannah Krouse

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

After parents and children in an afterschool program's local community shared that they needed resources to help them thrive and grow, we sought to collect their needs and brainstormed ways to meet them. Children were struggling with tension among their peers and having issues feeling confident in what they were learning at school, plus parents were stressed about their children. Our program evaluation explored how an afterschool program impacted the learning and development of youth and the needs of the parents whose children regularly attend the afterschool program. A pre-recorded focus group of four parents whose children regularly attend the afterschool program was utilized to understand parents' thoughts about the afterschool program. The audio recording was transcribed to text; coded (highlighted) when youth learning, youth development, or parental needs were shared and further analyzed to brainstorm solutions for the afterschool program. Regarding youth learning and development, parents shared that the afterschool program provided their children with positive educational assistance, improved their grades in almost every subject, built home economics skills, strengthened socio-emotional development, developed positive parental and peer relationships, and opened opportunities for future development for the youth. As for the parents, they have a need for their kids to be in a safe environment after school and have help with homework and career skills such as coding, math, and science. Overall, parents expressed that the afterschool program was effective, beneficial to academic development, and provided a safe environment for their children. Keywords: Afterschool Program; Parent Needs; Youth; Youth Development; Learning

Source:

Purdue University / 2024

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Hannah Krouse