Public/Private Ventures & The Wallace Foundation
P/PV analyzes the success and impediments in implementing one of the country’s more well-known citywide after-school initiatives: AfterZones, which serves middle schoolers in Providence, R.I.
For example, researchers found that the program’s multi-site delivery model has its pros and cons, with off-site programming being valuable to youths but costly to coordinate and deliver.
Effective leadership all the way up to the mayor has been key in building and sustaining the system. However, transferring management of AfterZones sites from the overseeing intermediary organization to community-based organizations has not happened as smoothly as hoped.
The AfterZone program succeeded in registering almost half the students from the seven participating middle schools, although registering older youth continues to be a challenge. Most of the programs have succeeded in providing youth with significant support and opportunities to interact positively with their peers, the report stated. P/PV sees a lack of funding as a threat to the program’s long-term sustainability.
Free, 70 pages. http://www.ppv.org.
