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The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.

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Program Description

Overview The mission of the 3:00 Project, a statewide after school initiative in Georgia, is to transform the out-of-school time of early adolescents: instead of unsupervised, unstructured, and unproductive hours, they should be given the opportunity for challenge, commitment, and care. The middle school-based initiative has three key goals: to provide safety for children when they are out of school, to encourage the collaboration of community resources, and to build skills and improve academic success of participating students. The program seeks to provide youth opportunities to grow socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically.
Start Date 1994
Scope state
Type after school
Location urban, suburban, rural
Setting public school
Participants middle school students
Number of Sites/Grantees 9 sites in 1995–1996; 9 contractors offered the project at 16 sites in 1997–1998—17 additional sites were funded as independent Middle School After School (MSAS) programs, but used the 3:00 Project's curriculum; 9 contractors offered the project at 12 sites in 1998–1999 (with 25 additional MSAS sites); 10 contractors offered the project at 15 sites in 1999–2000 (with 25 additional MSAS sites)
Number Served approximately 500 in 1995–1996; over 750 in 1997–1998; 802 in 1999–2000; over 950 in 2002–2003
Components The programs must provide a safe and nurturing environment that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents; provide opportunities that encourage social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth; improve school success; and encourage collaboration of community institutions and agencies to support students, the program, and the community. The 3:00 Project uses a curriculum with four components: community service learning, academic enrichment, communication strategies, and socialization/ recreation.

Goals of community service learning are to provide youth with opportunities for developing commitment and attachment to the larger society through productive, meaningful volunteer activities, and also to serve as an outlet for adolescents' capacity and desire to assume responsibility and explore adult roles.

The academic enrichment component is designed to build and enhance skills that support academic achievement, offer enrichment activities beyond the scope of the school curriculum, and incorporate career exploration.

The communication strategies component includes opportunities for participants to enhance their verbal and nonverbal communication skills to support effective decision making, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills.

The socialization/recreation component includes activities that provide participants opportunities to learn and practice social skills, to experience a variety of recreational activities, and to promote mental and physical wellness.
Funding Level $300,000 until 2000–2001; $290,000 in 2001–2002; $285,000 in 2002–2003; the program was not funded by the state in 2003–2004
Funding Sources GSACA, Georgia General Assembly, and private sources; funds are administered from the Georgia Department of Education budget
Other The 3:00 Project is administered by the Georgia School Age Care Association (GSACA). GSACA provides grants to local school districts and parks and recreation departments to implement after school programs in middle schools. GSACA provides technical assistance and training to 3:00 Project sites and training was available to MSAS sites on a contract basis. In 1997 money was provided by the state to fund additional after school programs in local middle schools. Grantees of these middle school after school programs were given the option of using the 3:00 Project curriculum or another age-appropriate curriculum provided that it offered daily or weekly academic enrichment and community service opportunities. The 3:00 Project was not funded by the state for the 2003–2004 school year. The curriculum is still used in a number of locations, but GSACA's involvement will be limited to working with programs only if they contract for services with them. It is now up to local systems to offer the 3:00 Project if they want to with their own funding. Several districts received funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants to keep their programs operational.

Evaluation

Overview Annual evaluations are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the 3:00 Project in achieving its mission and goals and to improve the initiative.
Evaluator Anne Marie Carlisi, Ph.D. in 1995–1996; Jenny A. Lipana, MPH, CHES in 1997–1998; Susan E. Bockrath, MPH, CHES in 1998–1999; and Andrea Smith in 1999–2000
Evaluations Profiled The 3:00 Project® program evaluation: Executive summary September 1995 – May 1996

The 3:00 Project®: 1997/1998 program evaluation

The 3:00 Project®: 1998/1999 program evaluation

The 3:00 Project®: 1999/2000 program evaluation
Evaluations Planned The 2002–2003 evaluation is underway.
Report Availability Carlisi, A. M. (1996). The 3:00 Project® program evaluation: Executive summary September 1995 – May 1996. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.

Manior, S. H. (1997). Effects of a structured after school program on middle school students. Unpublished dissertation, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg.

Lipana, J. A. (1998). The 3:00 Project®: 1997/1998 program evaluation. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.

Bockrath, S. E. (1999). The 3:00 Project®: 1998/1999 program evaluation. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.

Smith, A. (2000). The 3:00 Project®: 1999/2000 program evaluation. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.


Contacts

Evaluation Stephanie T. Brumbeloe
Georgia School Age Care Association
246 Sycamore St., Ste. 252
Decatur, GA 30030
Tel: 404-373-7414
Fax: 404-373-7428
Email: gsaca@gsaca.com
Program Stephanie T. Brumbeloe
Georgia School Age Care Association
246 Sycamore St., Ste. 252
Decatur, GA 30030
Tel: 404-373-7414
Fax: 404-373-7428
Email: gsaca@gsaca.com
Profile Updated October 3, 2003

Evaluation 3: The 3:00 Project®: 1998/1999 Program Evaluation


Evaluation Description

Evaluation Purpose To assess the effectiveness of the 3:00 Project in achieving its mission and goals and to improve the initiative.
Evaluation Design Non-Experimental: Data were collected from students, parents, site coordinators, staff, teachers, principals, advisory council members, and community partners at 12 3:00 Project sites.
Data Collection Methods Surveys/Questionnaires: Surveys addressed satisfaction with the program and curriculum as well as community collaboration in support of the program. Survey respondents were asked to respond to statements on a five-point scale, from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” which were collapsed into three response categories for analytic purposes. The survey also included open-ended questions. In total, 380 surveys were analyzed. Another 83 surveys were analyzed only on open-ended questions due to problems with the data collection instruments.
Data Collection Timeframe Data were collected at the end of the 1998–1999 school year.


Findings:
Formative/Process Findings

Activity Implementation Nearly 82% of students agreed that the project provided a wide variety of activities.

Nearly 85% reported receiving helpful tutoring with schoolwork.

Approximately 74% of students felt like they were allowed to make decisions about activities.
Costs/Revenues Approximately 86% of parents agreed that the project's fees were affordable.
Parent/Community Involvement Approximately 90% of parents reported that they felt free to visit the project whenever they could and to share their ideas about the program and its policies and that they felt they were kept informed about schedules and activities and about their child's successes and difficulties.
Program Context/Infrastructure Ninety-seven percent of parents agreed that the project's hours fit their needs.

Over 90% of parents were pleased with the project's level of safety, and over 80% of students thought it provided a safe place.
Satisfaction Approximately 90% of students liked coming to the project.

Approximately 86% of students would encourage a friend to come to the program.

Over 90% of parents reported that their child liked coming to the project.
Staffing/Training Approximately 80% of students agreed that mutual respect was the norm between the staff and themselves.

Approximately 70% to 77% agreed that the staff were well trained and were positive role models.

About 65% of students reported that they felt comfortable discussing problems with staff.

Over 90% of parents were satisfied with staff.


Summative/Outcome Findings

Academic Roughly 60% of students reported greater interest in schoolwork as a result of the program.

Over 70% of students reported better grades due to the program.

Nearly 80% of students reported doing better on homework as a result of the program.

Roughly 80%–85% of parents and 70%–90% of teachers agreed that the program helped improve students' schoolwork interest, grades, and homework completion.
Community Over 62% of students agreed that since they began participating in the 3:00 Project they were making a contribution to the community. Over 55% of principals, between 70%–90% of other adult stakeholders, and 80% of parents concurred.
Prevention Three-quarters of students felt they were less involved in dangerous situations due to the program and 65% thought they were involved in fewer dangerous situations than their friends. Over 90% of parents agreed with these sentiments.

Over 75% of parents reported that their children had fewer behavioral problems as a result of the project, while 72% of teachers and 55.5% of principals also agreed with this.
Youth Development Approximately two-thirds of students, over 80% of parents, 82% of teachers, and 62% of principles thought that the project helped students handle conflicts better, use new communication/conflict resolution skills, and get along better with others.

Approximately 77% of students and 85% of parents reported that students developed new interests as a result of the program.

Roughly 67% of students, 95% of teachers, 85% of parents, 55% of principals, 92% of staff, 100% of coordinators, 83% of advisory council members, and 83% of community partners agreed that children learned valuable new skills in the program.

Almost all parents reported that as a result of the project, their child increased their level of self-esteem.

Over 80% of parents thought their children had become more cooperative and followed directions and adult rules better as a result of the program. Nearly 75% of teachers and 56% of principals agreed.

Eighty-three percent of students reported that they made new friends in the program.

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Published by Harvard Family Research Project