Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Pinn, Justin Michael Shawn

Titel

Learning from the Roses That Grew from Concrete: An Afterschool Program Evaluation for Wakanda Afterschool

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest LLC

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• As low-income youth of color seek to persevere and succeed against the odds, afterschool programs have become a growing resource and support for many of these low-income youth and their families. However, the body of research concerning the impact of afterschool programs is largely inconclusive and there is still a growing urgency to determine the impact of afterschool programs on the populations they serve. The purpose of this study was to elevate and listen to the voices and stories of low-income youth of color as critical researchers using Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) to conduct a qualitative evaluation regarding the impact of a community-based afterschool program on low-income youth of color as they aspired towards success in academics and life. Informed by YPAR, this study utilized two theories to guide this study's theoretical framework. The first theory was social constructivist theory given its alignment to the nature of afterschool programs. The second was critical race theory, which provided the foundation to employ narrative inquiry by elevating and exploring the stories of the low-income youth of color associated with this study. This study had a total of nine participants, which were comprised of one adult afterschool employee and eight low-income youth of color, who were past program participants and served as the youth action researchers for this study. Utilizing three interview phases with semi-structured interview questions aligned to the theoretical framework and research questions, the participant's narrative responses were inductively coded individually and collectively for common themes to address this study's wonderings. This study yielded eight common themes: 1) Support Systems are Necessary, 2) What I Wish School was Like, 3) The Value of Working with Peers to Learn, 4) I want to succeed, 5) STEM Inspires, 6) Mentorship is Key, 7) Representation Matters, and 8) Pathway towards Opportunity and Success. Given this study's findings and in collaboration with the youth action researchers, this study provided recommendations, policy action, practitioners and for future research. Ultimately, this study concluded the importance of elevating and listening to the voices of low-income young people of color and the impact a community-based afterschool program can have in helping low-income young people achieve success in academics and life. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]