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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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Research Description

Overview and Components This national study identified promising strategies used by afterschool programs to recruit and retain middle- and high-school-aged African American and Hispanic males (referred to as “older minority boys”). Ten program sites in cities across the Midwest and East Coast that were successful in this regard were selected for inclusion in the study. While all program sites served primarily low-income African American and Hispanic youth, the programs varied in many ways, including in their goals, content, and demands on participants.
Start Date January 2008
Scope national
Type afterschool
Location urban
Setting public school, community-based organization, private facility, recreation center, other
Participants middle and high school students
Number of Sites/Grantees 10 program sites
Number Served Approximately 1,400 youth participated across the 10 sites in 2007–2008.
Study Details The study included a literature review and interviews with program leaders in the programs selected for the study.
Funding Level $15,000
Funding Sources The Atlantic Philanthropies, CBASS
Researchers Tina J. Kauh, Public/Private Ventures
Research Profiled Recruiting and Retaining Older African American and Hispanic Boys in After-School Programs
Research Planned N/A
Reports Available Kauh, T. J. (2010). Recruiting and retaining older African American and Hispanic boys in after-school programs: What we know and what we still need to learn. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures. Available at: www.ppv.org/ppv/publication.asp?section_id=23&search_id=0&publication_id=323


Contacts

Research Tina J. Kauh
Senior Policy Researcher
Public/Private Ventures
2000 Market Street
Suite 550
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Tel: 215-557-4400
Fax: 215-557-4469
Email: tkauh@ppv.org
Program Jessica Donner
Director
Collaborative for Building After-School Systems
1440 Broadway, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10018-2301
Tel: 646-943-8738
Email: jdonner@tascorp.org
Profile Updated May 10, 2011


Research Study: Recruiting and Retaining Older African American and Hispanic Boys in After-School Programs



Research Description

Research Purpose To examine the strategies most commonly used by programs with high rates of recruitment and/or retention of older minority boys.
Research Design Non-Experimental: The study included a review of the relevant literature as well as interviews with leaders from the 10 participating programs.
Data Collection Methods Document Review: The literature review used the database, PsychINFO, to identify published academic sources. To identify non-academic publications, the review sought reports and briefs produced by leading organizations in the field of afterschool programming and out-of-school time (OST) that addressed the topic of recruitment and retention among the populations of interest. The initial focus was on OST programs, but was eventually expanded to include programs related to other substantive areas (e.g., drug prevention and sex-health programs) that target ethnic minority youth.

Interviews/Focus Groups: Program leader interviews focused on the specific strategies and program conditions that fostered recruitment and retention of older minority boys.
Data Collection Timeframe Data were collected in 2008.


Findings:
Formative/Process Findings

Recruitment/ Participation The literature review identified several staffing practices in afterschool programs as effective in increasing participation among older youth (although not specific to boys). These practices included having staff who were well informed about youth’s lives inside and outside the program, holding regular staff meetings to discuss programming, and conducting needs assessments to better understand youth participants’ interests.

The literature review identified several activities and opportunities that were provided to participants in afterschool programs as effective in increasing participation among older youth (although not specific to boys). These included leadership opportunities such as volunteer or paid work, a wide range of activities from which youth could choose, opportunities to develop strong relationships with staff and peers, activities centered in a community-based organization, and opportunities for skill-building such as academic or employment support.

According to the literature review, specific program recruitment and retention strategies were particularly effective in increasing participation among older youth (although the strategies were not specific to boys). These strategies included targeting youth who live near the program site, maintaining a flexible participation schedule, having the capacity to serve at least 100 youth, serving participants’ younger siblings, and offering attendance incentives such as special field trips or paid stipends.

Needs assessments and market research conducted by afterschool intermediaries identified a number of barriers to participation that were perceived by parents and youth. These identified barriers included an inconvenient location, lack of transportation, high program fees, safety concerns, insufficient available slots in existing afterschool programs, inadequate adult supervision, uninteresting program focus, and competing responsibilities during afterschool hours (e.g., caring for younger siblings).

Interviews with program leaders suggested that older minority boys joined these programs for several reasons—specifically, because programs encouraged enrollment via peer networks; were easily accessible; were affordable; offered stipends; and offered fun activities that interested youth, such as sports and entertainment, creative endeavors like as art and writing, or other recreational activities.

The interviews identified several staffing practices in afterschool programs as effective in increasing retention of older minority boys. These practices included providing a nurturing environment (e.g., where staff demonstrate trust in the youth participants or show commitment to them by attending their extracurricular activities in the community), hiring staff who can serve as role models that counter negative stereotypes of minority males, and hiring staff who share backgrounds and experiences with youth participants.

The interviews identified specific activities and opportunities in afterschool programs as effective in increasing retention of older minority boys. These included activities targeting skills to help youth navigate the job market and expand their career options, as well as opportunities for youth leadership.

The interviews identified specific retention strategies in afterschool programs as effective in increasing retention of older minority boys. These strategies included flexible participation requirements coupled with high expectations for youth participation (i.e., setting explicitly high expectations for regular youth attendance, but not necessarily punishing youth when reasonable factors prohibited them from meeting those expectations), and rewards/incentives for high participation.

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Published by Harvard Family Research Project