Finding the right hook: strategies for attracting and sustaining participation in after-school programs

School Administrator, May, 2005 by Sherri Lauver, Priscilla M.D. Little

Realizing Benefits

School-based after-school programs offer school leaders the opportunity to extend young people's learning and development beyond the school day.

However, success requires that young people be motivated and engaged enough to want to stay at school after the bell rings. Effective recruitment and retention strategies vary depending on the age of the participants, the programs available to youth in the community, the program schedule and the specific activities offered. Therefore, school leaders should develop recruitment and retention strategies that work for their particular community. Regardless of the appropriate strategies, a critical first step is helping youth and their families understand the benefits of participation.

Sherri Lauver is a consultant to the Harvard Family Research Project, 3 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138. E-mail: slauver@comcast.net. In July she begins as an assistant professor of education research at the University of Rochester. Priscilla Little is associate director of the Harvard Family Research Project.

Additional Resources

For more information about promising strategies to attract and sustain young people's participation in after-school programs, Sherri Lauver and Priscilla Little recommend these resources:

* "Moving Beyond the Barriers: Attracting and Sustaining Youth Participation in Out-of-School Time Programs" by Sherri Lauver, Priscilla M.D. Little and Heather Weiss, Issues and Opportunities in Out-of-School Time Evaluation Briefs, July 2004. This serves as a longer version of this article, complete with a full discussion of five key barriers to enrollment. www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/ afterschool/resources/index.html#moving.

* "Leveraging Resources to Promote Positive School-Community. Based Organization Relationships" by Christopher Wimer, Margaret Post and Priscilla Little, Afterschool Matters, Spring 2004. Understanding the issues related to shared space is critical in overcoming obstacles that can impede after school participation. This paper examines how after-school programs and schools can work together to leverage resources.

* Participation in Youth Programs: Enrollment, Attendance and Engagement, No. 105, edited by Heather Weiss, Priscilla Little and Suzanne Bouffard. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. This volume represents the latest research and evaluation in youth participation, offering research-derived strategies for enrollment, attendance and engagement in after-school programs.

* Documenting Progress and Demonstrating Results: Evaluating Local Out-of-School Time Programs by Priscilla M.D. Little, Sharon DuPree and Sharon Deich. This report provides information about conducting a needs assessment for after-school programs. www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/content/ projects/afterschool/resources/issuebrief.pdf.

* Harvard Family Research Project Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation. This study identified a set of recruitment and retention strategies especially relevant to school leaders. www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/ afterschool/evaldatabase.html.