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Including at-risk Populations in Urban 4-H After-school Programs

Garcia M, Piña M, Dromgoole D

While there are plenty of after-school programs to keep students busy, how many after-school programs are effective and truly meet the needs of students? Are there successful after-school programs that specifically target atrisk minorities in urban areas? An article by Protheroe, states that after-school programs look different from site to site and focus on child care and not academics. In a study of 138 published research articles, Scott-Little, Hamann and Jurs found that a mere fifteen after-school programs were designed well and generated data on student outcomes. Those numbers are a peek into the stark reality of the lack of effective after-school programs that students need to bridge the gap between home and school, especially at-risk minority youth. Durlak and Weissberg stated that evidence suggests when and how students spend their time outside of a classroom has implications for their development. A reflection on a successful collaboration for reaching at-risk minority youth in urban areas in San Antonio, Texas will shed light on how to engage this hard-to-reach youth population. While there are individuals charged with running after-school programs, it does not mean that the right individuals are being hired for the job. For example, hiring an African-American to lead an after-school program that is composed of predominantly at-risk Hispanic minority youth might prove to be counterproductive. While the African-American may have experience working with students, it does not mean that that person will be successful with the at-risk Hispanic minority population inability to speak Spanish or lack of knowledge of the culture which may be obstacles in communicating effectively. Hiring a person who fits the demographics of the targeted population will prove to be beneficial for the students and the after-school programming for at-risk minorities.