athways to Success is the SafeFutures afterschool program component that targets at-risk youth.

Pathways to Success is the SafeFutures afterschool program component that targets at-risk youth. It is designed to address behavioral problems and reduce the likelihood of juvenile delinquency by engaging youth in a variety of age-appropriate programs focused on vocational training, entrepreneurship, recreation, and arts education. Afterschool programs provide youth a safe place to spend free time and the opportunity to socialize with peers and adults. Programs are intended to provide lasting skills for youth and benefits for the community (e.g., through beautification programs involving youth volunteers). Activities are expected to occur during nonschool hours—after school, on weekends, or during the summer. A maximum of $40,000 per year in funding for this component is provided to each SafeFutures site under Title II, Part C of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, as amended.

A number of sources have cited the need for youth activities in positive, structured environments. An increase in the number of women working has led to greater numbers of unsupervised children before and after school (Lipsitz, 1984). A 1987 Harris poll of 1,000 teachers identified isolation and lack of supervision after school as a key source of adolescents’ difficulties in school. Also, adolescents are most likely to commit or be the victims of a crime during the afterschool hours between 2:30 and 8:30 p.m. (Chaiken, 1997).

OJJDP has supported afterschool programming based on research demonstrating that the positive effects of participation in such programs for at-risk juveniles may be wide ranging.⁸ For example, Fleisher and colleagues (1995) found significant academic and behavioral improvement for at-risk boys and girls enrolled in an afterschool judo program. A number of studies of Boys & Girls Club programs (including those coordinated with other programs) cite positive outcomes such as improved school performance and substantially reduced contact with the juvenile justice system, as reflected by lower rates of drug use and vandalism or reduced delinquency in areas where delinquency for comparison groups rose (Brown and Dodson, 1959; National Crime Prevention Council, 1985; Schinke, Orlandi, and Cole, 1992). Similarly, Jones and Offord (1989, in Howell, 1995), in a study conducted in a Canadian Public Housing Project, found that an intensive, long-term recreation program led to a 75-percent reduction in juvenile arrests for the experimental group, while the control group had a 67-percent increase in arrests. Finally, Wynn and colleagues (1988) found that participation in extracurricular activities as juveniles leads to participation in voluntary and political organizations as adults.

Most afterschool programs implemented under SafeFutures included two or more activities, most commonly recreation and tutoring/homework assistance, and included both structured activities and free time during which youth could choose from various options. Recreational activities and media commonly included organized sports, free play, books, videos, games (ranging from board games to interactive games), and arts and crafts. Academic services generally focused on homework assistance, although some programs provided more structured tutoring activities. The number and type of activities available on a given day often varied. For example, the Imperial County Boys & Girls Club provided a 6-week series of half-hour computer training sessions, offered on a signup basis, in addition to daily homework assistance. Seattle’s Sister to Sister program provided weekly hands-on science and math activities and daily homework assistance.

eamwork, respect for others, drug and alcohol avoidance, and other prosocial objectives were often emphasized in conjunction with juveniles’ participation in sports.

Informal behavioral and/or values instruction was commonly built into afterschool programming, as were efforts to promote the development of juveniles’ self-esteem. Teamwork, respect for others, drug and alcohol avoidance, and other prosocial objectives were often emphasized in conjunction with juveniles’ participation in sports. Some sites stipulated behavioral expectations in their criteria for participation. In Fort Belknap, for example, these rules for participation were stated on the permission form signed by the youth and parent: respect others; do not use bad language; tell the truth; use people’s correct names (to avoid gang-related monikers); avoid fighting or hitting; and do not carry weapons, spit, or litter. In Contra Costa County, students had to maintain average or above-average grades, stay current with homework assignments, and avoid disciplinary problems to continue participation. Thus, the programs served as incentives for positive academic and social behavior.

Afterschool programs are flexible and enable program coordinators to take advantage of various opportunities in their communities, such as accessing speakers on various topics, including conflict resolution, substance abuse, health, pregnancy avoidance, and other prevention education topics. Such presentations might be made on a one-time basis or as a series for a few weeks or months. In addition, most afterschool programs include periodic special events, such as field trips or outings, overnight trips, or holiday parties. Some, such as the programs in Fort Belknap and Imperial County, included occasional or ongoing community service activities, such as participating in community cleanup events or helping elderly residents with household chores. In various sites, such as Contra Costa County, flexibility across multiple afterschool programs is intended to enable coordinators of different programs to address the particular needs or interests of youth in their programs or to take advantage of unique opportunities in their settings.

Contra Costa County, CA. In Contra Costa County, resource specialists assigned to the three elementary, one middle, and two high schools receiving SafeFutures services are expected to develop afterschool (or during-school) programs to address needs or issues in those schools, such as truancy, violence on school campuses, and low academic performance. As a result, programming varies considerably across schools. One elementary school developed a Lions Club group to provide tutoring, group discussion/ support, and recreation to fourth- and fifth-grade girls, while another combined African dance and tutoring in an afterschool program. The resource specialist at one high school initiated a group to facilitate communication among youth involved with different gangs. The group meets before school to prepare breakfast and discuss school and other experiences during the meal.

Afterschool programs generally are available from the afternoon through early evening, 3 to 5 days per week during the school year. Most operate on a drop-in basis, and daily attendance is not required. Half of the sites—Fort Belknap, Imperial County, and St. Louis—had year-round programs (although their summer activities may have varied from those provided during the school year, and some were of limited duration). In some cases, the agency or facility in which the SafeFutures afterschool program is located (e.g., the Boys & Girls Club in Boston) offers programs not associated with SafeFutures during the summer months. Such programs would be available to SafeFutures youth, however.

onsiderable variation exists across sites in the agencies responsible for providing afterschool services.

Considerable variation exists across sites in the agencies responsible for providing afterschool services. Variation is, in part, related to differences in the way service delivery is structured in the six sites. Half of the sites—Contra Costa County, Fort Belknap, and St. Louis—initially provided these services through what can be considered SafeFutures staff stationed in multiple locations in the target area (six schools in Contra Costa, three schools in St. Louis, and three recreation/community centers in Fort Belknap). St. Louis changed its structure for afterschool programs in year 3, as noted in the example below. In the other sites, services were provided primarily through subcontracts or other agreements with agencies that already operated afterschool programs (such as the Boys & Girls Clubs in Imperial County and Boston, and Girls, Inc., in Seattle) to which SafeFutures youth were added.

Following are two diverse examples of afterschool programming.

taff used these opportunities to meet informally with parents to discuss their child’s needs and progress and to encourage the adults to become involved with other SafeFutures activities.

Fort Belknap, MT. In addition to recreational activities and homework assistance, Fort Belknap’s afterschool programs emphasize cultural education activities taught by cultural consultants (often tribal elders). One of the three community center sites was particularly successful in establishing such a program during year 1, when 5 consultants taught a variety of Northern Plains American Indian dances to more than 80 youth in the Hays center. A dance troupe of these youth was formed and began making presentations throughout the State. A variety of cultural activities, such as dance, regalia making, beadwork, and drum groups, were established in other centers during year 2, although none lasted as long as the initial troupe. In addition to the arts aspect, these cultural activities impart values such as respect for elders and traditions and promote a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle. Cultural activities also were selected as a focus to engage adults and to ensure that tribal traditions do not die out. Parents/caregivers helped their children make the dance costumes/regalia, and many attended dance practices and performances. Staff used these opportunities to meet informally with parents to discuss their child’s needs and progress and to encourage the adults to become involved with other SafeFutures activities. Partly because of the considerable turnover of coordinators at the community centers and in central SafeFutures administration, cultural programming has not been offered consistently across the community centers and has not generally been as successful in attracting and retaining youth as the original dance troupe.

In the third year of the initiative, one of the afterschool centers introduced a “Native Strut” program that included career and entrepreneurial concepts to promote self-confidence. The program centered on developing modeling and related skills: youth mounted and videotaped fashion shows featuring their own designs. Both males and females have participated, although activities initially targeted girls. Through the program, youth had the opportunity to develop skills in photography, sound engineering, cosmetology and hair styling, designing and sewing traditional clothing, and basic business.

St. Louis, MO. St. Louis initially provided afterschool programming through two sources. The three CEC’s in which SafeFutures had a presence traditionally operated a variety of afterschool programs. SafeFutures funds enabled them to expand their offerings to some degree (e.g., by hiring instructors or purchasing equipment).

An existing afterschool program, Project Respond Educational Pilot Program (PREPP), operated by Project Respond, also received SafeFutures support. PREPP provided informal recreational activities, homework assistance, and structured programming. Structured activities varied over time and included a program, provided by staff of Girls, Inc., that focused on nutrition, food preparation, and hygiene. A key feature of PREPP was its counseling/therapeutic approach. Staff members with backgrounds in social work and sociology provided informal counseling, anger management training, and conflict resolution skills training on a one-on-one or group basis. Staff also made considerable effort to contact families and develop trust, for example, by making home visits and informally counseling parents.

The St. Louis management team and partner agencies regarded PREPP as a successful model, in part because it attracted and retained particularly high-risk youth or those already involved in gangs. As a result, in year 3, SafeFutures redirected some of its funds to develop a second therapeutic afterschool program modeled on PREPP. The new program replaced initial SafeFutures activities at one of the CEC’s, and two staff who had provided CEC-based counseling were selected to develop the new program.

Ironically, as the PREPP model was being replicated at the CEC and contemplated for other locations, Project Respond closed the original PREPP program.

Although most sites did not include all of the activities that OJJDP had identified as falling under the afterschool component, such activities as community service projects with a lasting community impact, vocational training, and entrepreneurship frequently were addressed either as short-term activities in the afterschool programs or under other components. In addition, most sites used their afterschool programming to address SafeFutures goals extending beyond those identified for this component. Many sites introduced or reinforced information, skills, and behavior related to issues such as substance abuse prevention, anger management, violence prevention, gang avoidance, health, pregnancy/parenting, and HIV/AIDS/STD’s through discussion groups, workshops on specific topics, or presentations by guest speakers.

Comprehensive Responses to Youth At Risk: Interim Findings From the SafeFutures Initiative

OJJDP Summary • November 2000