Age range

Website: Not Available

Mission/Goals: The mission of the Baltimore Police Athletic League is to reduce juvenile-involved crime and victimization by allowing young people to interact with police officers in a positive setting while participating in constructive activities that offer support in the areas of academic enrichment, character development, cultural arts, and athletics.

Source(s): www.guidestar.org

Type of Evaluation: Outcomes Monitoring

Objective: To assess the effects of Police Athletic League (PAL) centers on participants, parents, communities, and volunteers.

Impact/Outcomes: The PAL program was found to have positive effects for children and adolescents. In staff interviews, many staff members noted that participants improved academic skills and focused more on schoolwork than they did when they first started attending PAL. Staff members also gave subjective reports of changes in negative attitudes among youth attending PAL, with more participants taking responsibility for their own actions. A large majority (80%) of youth respondents reported having positive relationships with PAL staff, and girls were more likely than boys to report having an adult at PAL who spent time with them and to whom they could go for advice. While PAL staff attempted to provide positive role models to the youth who attend the centers, negative family and community influences such as poor parenting, high crime, and the proximity of drugs and drug trafficking to the centers were seen as barriers to working effectively with the youth who attended PAL.