Posted July 1, 2003 in SFBI Evaluations
Youth Voices on Learning After School: A Qualitative Evaluation of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative
Stanford University School of Education, July 2003
The Youth Voices study aimed to learn from young people participating in five San Francisco Beacon Centers how they felt about their involvement in the program, because youth are often the best reporters and advisors on whether and how an environment feels welcoming, safe, supportive and fun. Research was conducted over two years and included focus groups, case study interviews, and interviews and observations with youth ethnographers. Through this research, key features of Beacon Centers that were especially valuable to participants were identified. The report concludes with suggestions for the after school field based on the youth’s responses.