Promoting Youth Engagement Through After-School Arts Activities: A Case Study

• In Event: Utilizing Out-of-School-Time Program Strategies to Reduce Risk and Promote Positive Social, Emotional, and Academic Outcomes

Abstract

This presentation will focus on a case study of a dual-campus after-school program that serves middle school and high school students in Brooklyn, NY. The program offers a mix of academic support and intense arts enrichment activities. The two school campuses are located in high poverty areas and serve students who, on average, are not performing at grade level in core subject areas. The After-School Corporation has been evaluating this program for several years. Data were collected about middle school program activities using the OST Observation Instrument, a tool that measures observable indicators of program quality, including positive relationships, effective instructional strategies, and appropriate activity content. Over several years, compared with 67 similar after-school programs, the program outperformed nearly every program in youth relationships, youth and staff relationships, instructional support, and activity content and structure. In other words, there has been consistent evidence that the program is fostering positive youth engagement in their activities.
TASC’s program evaluation also elicited feedback from youth participants and staff in the form of surveys, focus groups and interviews. Survey results indicated that nearly three-quarters of students or more reported that they have had positive social experiences in the program. In focus groups, students described their program as a safe place to explore and build their sense of self. They expressed that the program was a place for them to do something different than what they do during the school day. One eighth grade student reported, “In school, our art teacher teaches us how to draw cityscapes and we work on something for a few days…here, I can try different things and if I really like a subject, I can [choose] to spend longer on it. Sometimes I like to do different stuff.” Through engagement in the arts, students boost their skills and motivation to succeed at school. As one 6th grade student reported, “In art here, we learn about stuff like how to draw… [We] get the idea from [the after-school program] and it helps us to be more creative [during the school day art class] because we already know how to do it.”
In an unstructured interview, the site coordinator at the high school reported, “[Students feel] inspired that they can participate with peers and bond in a new way. Connecting through arts is different than connecting with classmates [in school].” While some students have behavioral and academic challenges in school, when they have a chance to showcase their skills after-school, those problems were rarely evident. The site coordinator indicated that after-school learning transfers to students’ school work, perceptions of themselves, and social interactions in school.
The findings from this case study are consistent with Heath’s (2001) study of how youth benefit from community based after-school arts activities and the findings from Shernoff and Vandell’s (2007) work on youth engagement in after-school arts activities. Through the lens of after-school youth engagement, this presentation will focus on how this program has been able to foster positive youth development.

Author

• Anne-Marie Hoxie, New York City Department of Education