Effective group management is crucial to building strong after-school programs that children want to attend, suggests a report.
The finding is one of several in a report released by Public/Private Ventures, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit group that evaluates social programs. The organization studied five Beacon Centers in Philadelphia for insight into what makes good after-school programs. It found that young people enjoyed and got more out of activities they experienced as being well-managed. Four key aspects of good activity management identified by the researchers were the setting of reasonable ground rules, providing of encouragement and praise, reinforcing expectations consistently, and handling broken ground rules in a firm but not harsh way.
“Quality Time After School: What Instructors Can Do to Enhance Learning” is available from Public/Private Ventures .
