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10 pros of after school activities
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The Importance of Youth Centers
Introduction
Every child comes from a different background. It is crucial to understand that not every student has the same opportunities as their peers. Consequently, it is very important for a community to come together to be involved with the school system. Youth centers play a critical role in the lives of many students. Today, many people seek out youth centers to help the development of their children. There are many studies that show positive outcomes of being involved in youth programs. “…after-school programs seek to enhance the personal and social skills of children and adolescents…participants demonstrated significant increases in their self-perceptions and bonding to school, positive social behaviors, school grades and levels of academic achievement, and significant reductions in problem behaviors” (Durlank, Weissberg & Pachan, 2010).
Field Experience Site: Next Generation Youth
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That is exactly what the Next Generation Youth Center offered. Before observing at the Next Generation Youth Center, I had no idea how much I would be able to take away from this program. I believe observing at the youth center taught me different concepts that I did not have any prior knowledge of. I can honestly say that this program does wonders for each student and even their families. By observing at a youth center, I got to see how to teach students to overcome any struggle that they may face in life. I learned just how important it is to be able to connect with the students. One day, I hope that I can be as inspiring as the leaders of this program were. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to complete my observations at the Next Generation Youth
The reason for this program is to use innovative approaches in developing programs, which will teach youth alternatives to violence, substance abuse, anger issues, low self-esteem, and the consequences as a result of making bad choices. During, the program non-violence, team building, leadership development and communication skills is promoted. A neutral and positive setting is provided for young people, so they are able to come together from different gangs throughout the city to work on their issues and programs together. When a youth is referred to the program they have an Intake-Assessment with the family. “Together, a Program Contract/Service Plan will be developed based on the individual needs of the youth/family. If the youth is on probation/parole all requirements of the courts will be incorporated into their contract. Services offered are case management, mediation, innovative focus groups, presentations, collaboration with other youth service organizations, and attendance at court hearings” (Stop ABQ Gangs,
Strategic planning did nothing but hinder Youth Haven from making more profit, keeping investors happy, and staying on mission. It was not the best management technique for Youth Haven. Since they had a deficit of $20,000, I believe they should not have outsourced to a third-party for a fee. Because of this their funding continued to get increasingly tighter. They still had a deficit and if they can not keep their investors happy, they are going to leave too. Strategic planning should be used as a stepping stool used to evaluate company policy and mission retention. Strategic planning was not used wisely within this organization. Strategic planning is a stepping stool within an organization and should only be used as such. According to a Strategic
Cornerstone Youth Center provides a place for kids ages twelve to eighteen to hang out after school. On any day of the week there are approximately thirty to thirty-five students attending the center. The students appear to be from low socioeconomic status. Also, some of the students have learning disabilities or behavioral problems, which lead them to perform poorly in school.
I believe young people must be seen as full-fledged citizens of our world. Youth empowerment, the act of bringing out natural talents and energies in youth, is effective. Youth should be provided the supports and opportunities that enable them to increase individual self-worth and skills and have significant impact on services to communities, states, and the nation. Youth should be active participants on decisions affecting their lives, including their living situations. Further, the involvement of young people in the planning and implementation of services and in mobilizing community support for programs that affect their lives, and those of their families, is essential to their individual development and the success of the programs working with
The After School Program provided an opportunity for students to work on homework, play games, and interact with friends and positive role models. The program was an alternative for students who might partake in risky behavior such as experimenting with drugs and alcohol, committing illegal or violent acts, and having unprotected sex. Parents benefited from the After School Program because they could trust their children were in a supervised place from 3:00 p.m. until they left work. Students benefited from the program because they were able to interact with their friends in a safe space without being trapped in an overbearing or structured program until their parents
Juvenile detention facilities help change a delinquent's life and guide them towards success. These centers put effort into changing bad behavior into good behavior for the adolescents. “Juvenile detention centers can help adolescents, even those who are repeat offenders, turn their lives around before they commit crimes as adults and wind up in prisons” (“The Purpose of a Juvenile Detention Center”). This proves that juvenile detention centers want the juveniles to have the ability to change their lives around and have a successful future. Juvenile detention facilities also try to develop goals for the delinquents, this leads them in the right direction and toward a positive life. “Well-run juvenile detention centers help adolescents develop
After school programs can potentially decide the direction of many elementary age students? futures, as well as the communities in which they live. After school programs serve a great advantage to inner city elementary age kids by allowing them the opportunity to interact in a supervised location with mentors, because these mentors do no not only te...
These minor children need guidance and support in order to sustain a healthy lifestyle. By informing them of these programs, mental health awareness, and relational stability can have a positive impact on their mental health risks. Apa.org stated that “Psychologists have also designed programs that effectively engage families, schools and communities, that is, the critical social supports that can guarantee lasting well-being for children and youth” (2017). This can create positive factors that will help them engage in better mental health over all with their most common social
His conclusion is that in today’s society around 76 percent of women with school aged children are now working. He states that this has been a positive thing in our workforce, however it leaves children unsupervised for longer periods of time, which will result in an increase in juvenile crime during the week. Kurtz describes studies that have shown that students who are involved with structured extra-curricular activities more likely than non-participants to have higher self-esteem, greater academic achievement and lower incidences of delinquency. In my opinion, David Kurtz does an excellent job at showing the importance of extra-curricular activities for children. His article is credible because it was peer reviewed, jand none of his facts seems unreasonable. His view is very similar to mine, and I believe this article will be very beneficial to my
Most parents and community members do not understand the importance of quality afterschool and out-of-school programs for their children. Therefore, the WVSAN continues to play an important role in educating communities about th...
During the experiences that I’ve had while doing this community outreach I’ve observed that at first you can tell that these young men weren’t very excited maybe because they’re mindsets are that the most important people in their lives abandoned them soon we will too. So that it was difficult for the young men to open up so we started of doing activates such as playing sports and watching movies to get closer to the young men. After a while I started to see a sense of acceptance by some of the young boys, we still kept our composer by not pushing to strong in order for these young men to see that we are here for good not to make them feel like a charity case. As soon after the young men began to show interest in what we were trying to do and our purpose of what we were doing, we explained that we wanted to be mentors to them more like “big brothers” we all are not far from age but still time is the best teacher so we use our experiences to help. With that I also experienced during this active part in the community is that these kids have went through more troubling things in their lives than I have and I am their mentors. That’s when the word of...
The majority of youth can be served by these community-based services. Too often incarceration is used as a first step rather than a last resort. By using the money currently spent on incarceration and focusing it on community-based options for treatment and supervision that keep youth close to home should lead to more productive future adults.
This article discusses a program that was created to develop urban youth. The program was established by the Minnesota 4-H youth developmental program in 2003. There was also a very descriptive explanation of what the word “urban” means and how individuals may misinterpret its meaning. The program was established to help minorities to develop skills to overcome economic, educational, and social barriers. Urban develop in today’s society has not been a huge focus, but reading this article illustrates that there are some individuals who still care about the development of youth.
Weinstein, Rhona S. " Schools that Actualize High Expectations for All Youth: Theory for Setting Change and Setting Creation." Toward Positive Youth Development: Transforming School and Community Programs. Ed. Marybeth Shinn, and Hirokazu Yoshikawa. North Carolina: Oxford UP, 2008. 81-101. eBook Collection. Web. 16 May 2014.
Our Town Needs a Youth Center! Smallville Elementary was built in 1919 in order to enrich the lives of the youth in Smallville. It served as a school until 1977, when it was closed and changed to a community center. The purpose of the building, however, remained the same: to enrich the lives of Smallville' youth (Ellis 67). Many years ago, my grandmother took painting lessons in the old Smallville building while I was in daycare.