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Background Information Program size

Age range

 Budget Research Program Fee?

Program Name/

Contact Information/
Program Goals

 Serves over 50 children Serves youth ages 8-16 Org. budget over $750,000

Program has been evaluated/

has a research base

 Free of Charge
Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee

Contact information:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee
P.O. Box 110268
Nashville, TN 37222
Phone: (615) 833-2368

Website: www.bgcmt.org

Size executive staff: 41 on Board of Directors

Name of Exec. Director/CEO:
Lloyd R. Harris

Mission/Goals: To inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens

Source(s): www.guidestar.org; www.bgcmt.org		 Approximately 4,400 children are served by the nine clubs in Middle TN 6-18 years Total income 2003: $2.5 million dollars. Program expenditure: $2.16 million dollars Type of Evaluation: Quasi-experimental.

Note: The research sample does not include the Tennessee programs.

Objective: This evaluation sought to examine the effects of a non-school educational enhancement program (part of Boys & Girls Club) on school performance among economically disadvantaged early adolescents who live in public housing.

Sample: 283 youth across 15 sites in five cities were selected for this study. Forty percent of participants were female and the average participant age was 12.3 years. Approximately 63% of youth were black, 19% Hispanic, 13% white, and 5% Asian and other ethnicities. The sample was comprised of three demographically similar groups, all of whom lived in public housing: youth in the educational enhancement program at BGCs, a comparison group of youth, and a second comparison group of youth. Comparison youth attended BGCs with no enhancement programs. The second comparison sample attended non-BGC youth facilities that did not offer educational enhancements.

Methodology: Follow-up data were collected 6,
18, and 30 months after baseline in each site.

Outcomes Examined: This study evaluated the effects of the educational enhancements program on academic performance.

Measurement Instruments: Trained data collectors, blind to study aims and program/comparison assignments, visited each site and obtained baseline data before the programs began. Self-report information from youth (14 Likert-scaled items), classroom evaluation reports from teachers (by phone, and occasionally at home, on items parallel to the youth questionnaire), and reports from schools (grade data, attendance, and behavior incidents) were obtained.

Impact/Outcome Findings: After 30 months, greater engagement and enjoyment in reading, verbal skills, writing, and tutoring, plus greater enjoyment in geography, were found for program youth compared to the comparison group.

Study: Schinke, S.P., Cole, K.C., & Poulin, S.R. (2000). Enhancing the educational achievement of at-risk youth. Prevention Science, 1(1), 51-60. Available online at: www.kluweronline.com/issn/1389-4986

 Club fees range from $10-$30 dollars a year however no child is denied member-ship if they cannot afford fees.
 
Approach
Out of School/ Summer Mentoring Tutoring Counseling/ Therapy School-based Clinic/ Provider-based Service/
Vocational learning		 Parent or family component Other
x x x       x    
 
Outcomes
Educational/ Cognitive Social/ Emotional Life Skills Physical Health Behavior Problems Reproductive Citizenship Mental Health
x x x x  x   x  
 

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 © Child Trends 2004