A place to call home: After-school programs for urban youth.Having Fun With Friends: A Place to Be a Kid.

Abstract

Friendships and recreation are not at the top of most researchers' and policymakers' list of priorities. However, by spending time with youth one can begin to appreciate that those factors play a critical role in program recruitment and retention--and no program will accomplish anything unless youth show up and keep showing up. So it is fitting to begin our report with this topic. To provide readers with an idea of what it is like in these clubs, to paint a portrait of its people and places and the centrality of recreation and relationships, I describe my experiences during one late afternoon. Studying friendships of girls in club programs allowed us to examine the potential linkage between peer ties and program development. Later in the chapter, after weaving in findings from our survey questionnaire, I refer to this account to articulate a broader theoretical and practical understanding of the role of having fun with friends in the design of after-school programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)