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A Profile of the Evaluation of Adventure Central

Program Description

Overview	Adventure Central (AC) provides out-of-school time programming services to youth in Dayton, Ohio. Its mission is to promote academic and leadership skills in a welcoming, safe, fun, and active setting that utilizes volunteers and community resources with adult and youth interaction.
Start Date	2000
Scope	local
Type	after school, summer
Location	urban
Setting	community-based organization

Participants	kindergarten through high school students (ages 5 to 19)
Number of Sites/Grantees	one
Number Served	239 youth and 35,000 contact hours in 2004
Components	Located at Wesleyan MetroPark in Dayton, Ohio, AC serves youth and their families from the surrounding neighborhood during after school and summer hours. Drawing from the combined resources of Five Rivers MetroParks (a park district located in Greater Dayton, Ohio) and Ohio State University Extension 4-H Youth Development, program activities focus on science, nature, and technology and include after school programming, day camps, subject area clubs, a youth board, a workforce prep program, overnight camps, and family-focused programs.
Funding Level	approximately $350,000 annually
Funding Sources	Five Rivers MetroParks; Ohio State University Extension; Ohio 4-H Foundation; Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Centers for Disease Control; 4-H initiatives at the state level (4-H R.O.C.K.S. [Reading Out of Class Kids Succeed]) and the national level (Health Rocks!); and private businesses/donors (e.g., Sam's Club)

Evaluation

Overview	Evaluations have been conducted to examine youth's motivations for program participation and the relationships between youth participants and adults both inside and outside of the program.
Evaluator	Theresa M. Ferrari and Jessica E. Paisley, Ohio State University Extension Cassie L. Turner, Black Swamp Council, Boy Scouts of America
Evaluations Profiled	An Exploratory Study of Adolescents' Motivations for Joining and Continued Participation in a 4-H Afterschool Program Extent of Positive Youth–Adult Relationships in a 4-H Afterschool Program
Evaluations Planned	An evaluation is currently in progress (fall 2005); some results should be available by the end of 2005.
Report Availability	Ferrari, T. M., & Turner, C. L. (2005). An exploratory study of adolescents' motivations for joining and continued participation in a 4-H afterschool program. Manuscript accepted for publication. Journal of Extension. Available at www.ohio4h.org/tferrari/afterschool_resources.html. Paisley, J. E., & Ferrari, T. M. (2005). Extent of positive youth–adult relationships in a 4-H afterschool program. Journal of Extension, 43(2). Available at www.joe.org/joe/2005april/rb4.shtml or www.ohio4h.org/tferrari/afterschool_resources.html.

Contacts

Evaluation	Theresa M. Ferrari Assistant Professor and State Extension Specialist 4-H Youth Development Ohio State University Extension 2120 Fyffe Road, Rm. 25 Ag Admin Columbus, OH 43210 Tel: 614-247-8164 Fax: 614-292-5937 Email: ferrari.8@osu.edu
Program	Graham Cochran Center Director Adventure Central 2222 N. James H. McGee Blvd. Dayton, OH 45427 Tel: 937-268-1037 Fax: 937-268-8428 Email: gcochran@adventurecentral.org
Profile Updated	September 27, 2005

Evaluation 1: An Exploratory Study of Adolescents' Motivations for Joining and Continued Participation in a 4-H Afterschool Program

Evaluation Description

Evaluation Purpose	To examine adolescents' motivations for joining and continuing to participate in AC.
Evaluation Design	Non-Experimental: Data were collected through open-ended interviews with adolescent participants who met the following criteria for study inclusion: (a) had completed a program survey earlier in the year, (b) were still enrolled in AC, and (c) were a member of one particular site at AC. Based on these criteria, 7 of the 50 AC participants qualified as study participants. There were five girls and two boys, ages 11–13 years (in Grades 6–8). All seven were African American and had been attending AC for at least 1 year.
Data Collection Methods	Interviews/Focus Groups: Youth interviews included questions about why youth joined, why they still participated, and what they wanted in an ideal youth program. Youth participated in a focus group after the interviews were completed to check the accuracy of conclusions and to further expand on their interview responses.
Data Collection Timeframe	Data were collected during the 2001–2002 program year.

Findings:
Formative/Process Findings

Recruitment/Participation

Five youth discussed how an adult (either a family member or a program staff member) encouraged them to join AC. Additionally, three youth reported that staff members were a reason they continued to participate, saying that they were “helpful,” “respectful,” and “nice;” that they “let you do stuff” and “trust you;” and that program staff were different from school staff because “here you can pull to the side and talk to them.” However, there was some discussion in the focus group that adults could be “mean,” which appeared to be related to discipline situations. All respondents agreed that adults at the program cared for them (e.g., “Oh, they love us”).

All seven youth reported some sort of academic support as a necessary part of their ideal program. They noted how academic supports in an after school program could one day lead to attending college and becoming a successful person. However, they did not want to do what they considered busy work. One youth reported that homework assistance was the reason she joined AC. She would tell others to join because “they stay on you about homework,” while two youth also mentioned homework assistance as a factor in continuing to participate. Two youth each noted issues related to learning as a reason they continued to participate at AC. They discussed specific activities focused on nature.

Three participants noted that the program's environment affected their decision to continue to participate, and all seven noted it as a feature of their ideal program, especially in terms of safety issues. As one participant stated, “It keeps us away from the streets, so you wouldn't get caught up in anything.” In addition, the youth wanted a large space to house the program and basic supplies such as books, food, and suitable furniture.

Three youth discussed some aspect of belonging as a reason they continued to participate. They reported feeling “connected” and “comfortable.”

Two youth mentioned issues related to program opportunities as a reason for joining and three mentioned it as a reason for continuing to participate. For example, attending the summer camp encouraged one youth to join. After previously participating as a camper, this youth anticipated the opportunity to be a teen assistant. He viewed this opportunity as a chance at “having my first job” and to “help kids if they don't understand things like I didn't.” Another youth described participating on the youth board as an opportunity to “not be just a youth talking but [to] feel like I'm an important businesswoman.”

Three youth cited fun as a reason they continued to participate. When probed regarding what fun meant, each youth listed different activities, including computers, arts and crafts, social games, and recreational games (e.g., kickball). In addition, six youth reported fun as important for an ideal program. Mentioning activities similar to those reported as reasons for continued participation, they described athletic, social, and educational games as ways to have fun.

Two youth said the friends they made at AC were a reason they continued to participate.

The theme of character development emerged in two youth's reasons for continuing to participate in AC. One youth stated that learning respect for others was important and another discussed how the program helped her become more mature.

Two youth mentioned life skills as an important program element in their ideal after school program.

A Profile of the Evaluation of Adventure Central

Profile Information