Age range

Website: www.safeandsound.org
 

Mission/Goals: The YouthPlaces Initiative is one component of Baltimore's After School Strategy, a citywide effort to increase the quantity and improve the quality of after school opportunities for Baltimore's children and youth.

Source(s): www.gse.harvard.edu

/hfrp/projects/afterschool/mott/

ssypi.html

Type of Evaluation: Outcomes Monitoring.

Objective: To gain information about the characteristics of participants and the risk factors they face, as well as young people's perceptions of safety, quality, and opportunities in YouthPlaces.

Impact/Outcomes: The longer participants had been enrolled in a YouthPlace, the more positive their feelings about issues such as learning or attending school. Participants also reported that YouthPlaces had helped them in areas related to school, enjoyment of reading, and working together with others. Most participants felt safe at their YouthPlace, however they felt less safe getting to and from the site. Participant behavior was reported as a problem at YouthPlaces. High frequencies of fighting, hurting others, and school suspensions were reported, and were likely to spill over into interactions within YouthPlaces. Negative and violent behavior was also a pervasive problem.