Developing positive social interactions in out-of-school programs
Abstract
Early adolescents who lack opportunities to create positive relationships and participate in meaningful activities in their out-of-school time can feel lonely and develop anti-social behavior. This practice suggests ways of tailoring out-of-school programs to the needs of this age group by including youth in project planning, offering apprenticeship opportunities, and involving them in cross-age tutoring. Includes resource list and online directory. Excerpted from section five of the Corporation for National and Community Service's Making an Impact on Out-Of-School Time by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time.
Issue
Understanding and meeting the needs of young people ages 10-14 in afterschool programs.
Action
Ideas for Developing Appropriate Youth Programs
The following tips should help you understand and meet the needs of young people ages 10-14:
Learn About the Developmental Needs of Older Children: All staff and volunteers working with this age group should participate in training on the social, physical, emotional, and cognitive development of early adolescents. Children of this age are going through intense changes and adults need to understand what they are going through. The books and manuals listed at the end of this tip sheet can offer important information to help with training.
Learn About the Specific Needs and Wants of the Young People Served: Through focus groups, informal conversations with individual young people and parents, surveys, and other strategies, find out about the interests, concerns, and desires of youth in your community. Survey parents, school personnel, community members, and youth about their observations of what kids are doing during out-of-school time and their ideas and hopes for a youth program.
Get to Know the Youth in your Program: Encourage all staff and volunteers to develop personal relationships with every young person in your program. Find out about their interests and talents, the music they like, their families, their dreams, and their fears. One idea is to assign staff to specific youth so that everyone has a mentor.Youth are likely to open up to staff and volunteers who:
- Solicit and listen to their ideas
- Take every opportunity to sit and chat with them in small groups
- Show an ongoing interest in specific aspects of their lives
Recognize Youth as Program Owners: Assemble a youth advisory committee to discuss and make decisions about the program. Rotate the youth who participate in the advisory group so everyone gets a chance. Encourage input from all youth as well as those who are part of the advisory group. Youth are more likely to enjoy a program that they help to create. Regularly involve youth in:
- Developing policies and a "social contract" for the program (a code of behavior that lays out what is appropriate and inappropriate in the program)
- Activity and project planning
- Planning and preparing snacks
- Designing and setting up the environment
- Securing donations
- Resolving their own conflicts
- Working with community agencies
Develop Long-Term Activities With Tangible Results: Examples of activities that have proven very effective with this age group are:
- Service-learning projects: Youth can make a real difference in their community and develop self-esteem, life skills, and responsibility as they plan, execute, and reflect on projects. (For specific ideas, see tip sheet on service-learning.)
- Apprenticeships: Staff members and community volunteers can lead a series of sessions that offer youth opportunities to develop interests and skills and finish tangible projects over the course of several weeks. "Apprenticeships" could include working with a carpenter to build a chair, working with an architect to design a dream home, or working with a lawyer to prepare and present a "mock court" case.
Involve Youth in Programs for Younger Children: Young adolescents generally enjoy the responsibility and leadership opportunities involved in working with younger children and younger children love attention from older kids. Following are examples of some ways that youth can be involved in programs for younger children:
- Reading Buddies: Youth are paired with younger children and regularly read with their "buddy."
- Arts and Crafts: Youth prepare arts and crafts activities to do with younger children once a week or more.
- Homework Help: Youth spend a small amount of time each day or each week helping younger children with their homework.
- Health and Life Skills: With the help of staff and volunteers, youth can prepare and present information on smoking, nutrition, the importance of working hard in school, or conflict resolution.
Citation
Making an Impact on Out-of-School Time. National Institute on Out of School Time, at Wellesley College Center for Research on Women. The Corporation for National and Community Service: June 2000.
Posted On
February 27, 2001For More Information
Resources
Publications:
By Design: A New Approach to Programs for 10 - 15 Year-Olds. A kit including two manuals and a video detailing ideas and best-practices for running effective programs for youth ages ten to fifteen.
Working with School-Age Children by Marlene A. Bumgarner. A comprehensive manual on understanding and working with children of all ages in out-of-school time programs.
The Kid's Guide to Service Projects by Barbara Lewis. Offers step-by-step instructions for planning effective projects and more than 500 service project ideas appropriate for youth of all ages.
What Do You Stand For? A Kid's Guide to Building Character by Barbara Lewis. Designed for ages eleven and over, this book offers activities to help youth think about choices and consequences and explore such character traits as confidence, restraint, integrity, and forgiveness.
Adventures in Peacemaking: A Confilct Resolution Activity Guide for School-Age Programs by William Kreidler and Lisa Ferlong. Offers hundreds of ideas and games to help children and youth of all ages learn to resolve their own conflicts.
3:00 to 6:00 PM: Programs for Young Adolescents by Leah M. Lifstein and Joan Lipsitz. Ideas and tips for running effective programs for young adolescents.
Urban Sanctuaries: Neighborhood Organizations in the Lives and Futures of Inner-City Youth by Milbrey W. McLaughlin, Merita A. Irby, and Juliet Langman. Offers an in-depth look at exemplary neighborhood organizations and the roles they play in providing positive, supportive environments for inner-city youth. Available through your local bookstore or online bookseller.
Organizations and Web Sites:
Administration for Children & Families: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/
Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this web site offers reports, statistics, resources, and links to other web sites related to understanding and supporting the needs of youth.
Afterschool: www.afterschool.gov
This site offers reports, research, ideas, networking opportunities, and information on funding related to out-of-school time programs. It also offers links to web sites for teens.
The Search Institute: www.search-institute.org
The Search Institute conducts research and evaluation, develops publications and practical tools, and provides training and technical assistance to support the healthy development of youth. Articles and information focusing on adolescents is available on their web site.
National Youth Development Information Center (NYDIC): www.nydic.org
This organization offers information on current policy issues, program development and evaluation, research, training, funding, and publications pertaining to youth programs.
National Youth Leadership Council: www.nylc.org
This organization helps young people become involved in service, leadership, and public policies.
Community Network for Youth Development (CNYD): www.cnyd.org
This organization works to promote positive youth programs and collaborations to support youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. They also offer information on youth development.
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