Engaging Families to Boost Teens' After-School Enrollment: Practical Tips from the Beacons Experience

A special to CFK, this article is the second in an ongoing series from the Youth Development Institute (YDI) that focuses on recruiting and enrolling young people in quality out-of-school programs. To learn more, visit the YDI website.

How do you get young teens interested and engaged in your program, and how do you keep them coming back? Beacons has found that reaching out to the whole family can help.

Beacons are in-school community centers that serve about 300,000 children, teens and adults in six cities: Denver, Minneapolis, West Palm Beach, Florida, Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco. They help bridge the gap that often exists between schools and communities by inviting parents and community members into the school. Invitations to take part in school day and after-school activities are extended in non-crisis situations so that parents can begin to view the school as a community resource.

Focusing on family programming helps to support the recruitment, participation and retention of young adolescents age 9 to 14 in Beacon programs and other OST programs.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS

The American Youth Policy Forum paper, No More Islands: Family Involvement in 27 School and Youth Programs surfaced a common myth regarding how program staff viewed engagement of families of adolescents:

Myth: "There is No Need to Involve the Families of Adolescents"
There was a perception by some teachers and program staff members that it is not worthwhile involving families of adolescents because adolescents do not want their families around them and their friends. Research, however documents the enduring importance of families throughout the development of the young person.

According to the Harvard Family Research Project's Evaluation Snapshot: Engaging with Families in Out-of-School Time Learning there are a variety of strategies employed by programs that engage families. These include cultural and recreational events; classes in parenting, English as a second language, computer skills, basic literacy, GED exam preparation; parent workshops and support groups, social services referrals and direct support to families in need of food or clothing.

The Evaluation Snapshot rated the effectiveness of family engagement strategies based on the level of family involvement. According to survey data, projects achieve the highest levels of parent participation at special events hosted by the after-school project with 54 percent of program coordinators reporting that at least half of the parents typically attend these events.

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHT

Good Shepherd Red Hook Beacon at PS 15, Brooklyn, New York, Intergenerational Camping Retreat

"We view the community and the family as a system. And rather than seeing the young person as an individual unit, we look at the youth as a part of that system. And that's how we build community. That is something unique Beacon's can do." Jennifer Zanger, Division Director, Good Shepherd Services.

In spring 2008, Beacon program staff organized a camping retreat for families of participants. They wanted to provide a safe family environment, where families could relax and get to know each other. The parent activities involved some informal family and parent-to-parent counseling. Uniquely, all the activities were led by teenagers and parents had a chance to see the young people in leadership roles. There were activities for children only, activities for parents only and family activities where everyone participated. One program coordinator created a game show type activity called "How well do you know your children?" in which he challenged parents to answer correctly questions like "Who is your child's favorite teacher?" "Who is your child's favorite rapper?" There was also an intergenerational game where the parents were blindfolded and the children had to feed them different foods (including baby food!) which made for many a memorable family photo.

THE RESULTS

The camping retreat took place in spring 2008 and involved 14 families, a total of 51 people in all. Parents and families bonded with one another and learned more about the activities of the Beacon. Parents also had the chance to have conversations about living in the Red Hook neighborhood. The informal conversations gave them an opportunity to share common concerns about their changing neighborhood which is rapidly gentrifying.

As a result of this trip, in one example, a participant experienced a number of changes in her life. Six of her children are now participating in Beacon activities. She herself started attending the Women's Fitness Class at the Beacon. The whole family has moved from an environment characterized by relative social isolation to one characterized by increasing levels of social connection and community engagement.

PRACTICE IDEAS THAT WORK FOR ENGAGING FAMILIES OF MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH

• Survey your parent body to generate ideas and instill a sense of ownership in the program
• Don't keep the good news to yourself. Plan to send a postcard, e-mail or call parents on a regular basis telling them something positive about their child's progress and letting them know about upcoming events
• Hold special orientation sessions and program for parents as well as young people to help families successfully navigate the transition from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school
• Use young people to draw the parents in. When the youth really want parent to attend - they will respond
• Think about parents schedules and announce event dates early so that families can plan
• Serve food and if possible provide transportation to your program
• Offer incentives for participation like small stipends or donated gifts
• Make all events fun
• Make time so parents get to know one another
• Take time to appreciate families for their work and participation in your program
• Celebrate accomplishments of young people and their families with culminating events

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Part 1 of this series, Boosting Your Recruitment and Enrollment, Lessons from a New York Beacon Center.

The Harvard Family Research Project website has useful tips on how to engage families.

Also:

• The Youth Development Institute.
• Public/Private Ventures out-of-school time resources.
• Connect for Kids after-school topic page.

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Walis Johnson directs Youth Development Institute's Beacons Young Adolescent Initiative, a four-year project to improve outcomes for young people ages 9 to 14 by increasing their participation in high-quality activities during the after-school, evening, and weekend hours.