CHARLOTTESVILLE , VA-- Does youth involvement in productive out-of-school activities really make a difference? National research shows that students’ out-of-school activities serve as an important protective factor in lessening risky behavior. In a CCF study of juvenile offenders only 33% were involved in productive activities, as compared to 65-94% of all youth. Not only do positive activities help youth keep their grades up and avoid risky behavior, but quality programs can provide safe and welcoming places for students to exercise, learn, and socialize in the after school hours.

When a 2003 survey of local residents indicated that low-income and non-Caucasian young people were almost half as likely as their peers to be involved in available extracurricular and after-school programs, members of the Charlottesville / Albemarle Commission on Children and Families (CCF) took notice. CCF’s Assets for Youth work group, chaired by UVA Education professor Winx Lawrence , was formed to investigate this discrepancy in participation by income and race, and is releasing two new reports of their findings and recommendations for change.

CAPTURING YOUTH VOICES
 “Youth Voices: Out of School Time in Charlottesville/Albemarle” captures the words and ideas of 260 young people in City and County middle and high schools who participated in discussions about why students do not participate in activities and how to engage them. The groups were run by a diverse group of 22 student facilitators, and organized by Teens Give of Community Attention. Youth Voices provides a first hand account of youth opinions along with suggestions for improvements. According to Kendra Wesley, a student at Monticello High School , leading the youth forums was a positive experience: “It was good to meet new people and have the chance to voice our opinions.  It felt good to do something for the community.” Clare Plunkett, a student at Charlottesville High School added: “The results in the report were true to what we heard in the groups.” 

Lack of peer participation was the most frequently cited factor preventing involvement in out-of-school activities. According to one student, “People won’t do things no one else is doing; your friends have to be there.” One third of the students in focus groups indicated that the financial cost of activities was a barrier to participation for themselves or their peers. One student commented that “Everything costs too much. It costs $5.00 to go to a school football game.”

Many students expressed a desire to have school gymnasiums open outside of school hours and to have more places to swim, particularly on a year-round basis. Students in all focus groups expressed interest in having a teen club, coffee house, or music hall, where teens could congregate for social, recreational, and educational activities. Students expressed a desire for supportive adult leadership and described these leaders as respectful and caring, but not controlling. Students in the western and southern parts of Albemarle County would like to see activities in Crozet and Scottsville.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE
An accompanying document, “Improving Access to Out-of-School Time in Charlottesville/Albemarle” is an in-depth investigation of local conditions and makes concrete recommendations for improving youth access to and participation in productive out-of-school activities. Specific recommendations for the City and County schools include creating and supporting after-school programming at Walton and Henley, and keeping school gyms and computer labs open later for student use during evenings, weekends and summers.  The report recommends that City and County recreation departments expand the hours of operation for public swimming pools. The report also recommends that the City and County Transportation Departments conduct a market study for an after school bus line to address transportation barriers. The Commission is presenting the findings to City and County schools, recreation departments, and transportation departments over the next few months, and is seeking resources to implement some of the more costly recommendations. Chelsea Ashby, a focus group participant and student at Monticello High School believes that “this report will help the community—something big will come out of it.” Angela Smith, also a student at Monticello High School , believes that the project can benefit the community as well.  “Hopefully”, she says, “this will bring more kids of diverse cultures together.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
These reports were made possible through a grant from the St. John the Baptist in the Woods Foundation, the members of CCF’s Youth Assets Work Group, Teens Give of Community Attention, and especially to the 23 local youth who volunteered to lead focus groups of their peers. Thanks also to Virginia National Bank in Charlottesville for providing meeting space.