Afterschool Matters Spring 2000

A Tale from the Youth Field: Using Stories to Understand Community-Based Youth ProgramsBy Sara HillA vivid portrait of a little girl, her mother, and their experience at a neighborhood agency demonstrates how stories taken from the field can illustrate the power of peer education and motivate staff toward more inspired educational after school programming. 8 pages. The Power of Play: A Literature-Based After School Sports Program for Urban YouthBy Tom ZierkA program that combines sports and literature can improve students’ reading, writing, and comprehension skills. What’s more, it promotes children’s personal development and selfesteem, and forges a link between sports, literature, and their daily lives. 6 pages. Creating an Agency Culture: A Model for Common HumanityBy Eileen C. LyonsChildren thrive individually when they feel part of a group. Thus every youth organization must intentionally create an agency culture that promotes positive values and relationships. Using social group work theory and her own experience as an agency director, the author proposes a Model for Common Humanity: nine principles that can guide the fostering of an agency milieu. 12 pages. Making Learning Work By Shirley Brice HeathThe worlds of business and youth-based community organizations share similar philosophies of creativity, collaboration and communication. Using research conducted at an urban youth theater program, the author demonstrates how young artists play organizational roles and act with a “sense of agency” comparable to that of the corporate world. 13 pages. Naming Common Ground: Literacy and CommunityBy Jonathan Shevin and Chris YoungAt a family service agency in the North Bronx, staff members have drawn a vital connection between community and literacy. The authors explain how their literacy program evolved from a basic tutoring opportunity into a curriculum using themes and information gleaned from the young participants’ immediate community surroundings. 6 pages. Check it Off ! A Youth Development Approach to Staff TrainingBy Jessica Mates and Arva RiceAn effective youth development-based training program includes such key elements as building trust, engaging participants, and setting high expectations. This article presents practical suggestions and a useful checklist for progam planners. 3 pages. Passion & Practice by Paul Whyte 3 pages.https://repository.wellesley.edu/afterschoolmatters/1000/thumbnail.jp