Age range

Website: www.dimensionsda

nce.org/community.html

Mission/Goals: The purpose of Dimensions Dance Theater is to create, perform, and teach dance that reflects the historical experiences and contemporary lives of African Americans, and to promote the knowledge and appreciation of African and African-derived dance forms. Dimensions Dance Theater implements their mission by staging an annual season of two downtown Oakland concerts, by collaborating with other performing artists to create and premiere work on African American themes, and by providing African Americans with access to professionally-directed dance instruction. Rites of Passage addresses the many challenges that youth face in today's society, enhances the participants self-esteem, and empowers them to move forward towards a more
positive future. It also assists these youth in understanding their responsibilities to themselves, their families, their peers, and to the community at-large.

Source(s): www.ofcy.org; www.dimensionsdance.org/

community.html

Type of Evaluation: Outcomes Monitoring.

Objective: The Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) evaluation was designed to assess service provision and the effects of services provided by organizations that received grants from OFCY. Please note that the following summary focuses on evaluation findings regarding the effects on children, rather than on service provision.

Impact/Outcomes: Child-reported satisfaction with services increased between fall 2003 and spring 2004 (92.1% versus 95.1%), while parent satisfaction remained almost unchanged (97.0% versus 96.5%). The percentages of children and parents reporting improvement across the seven developmental assets decreased
between the fall and spring (64.0% and 62.2% for youth reports, 91.3% to 82.9% for parents), but the percentages increased somewhat for staff ratings (72.7% to 75.3%). The percentages of children, parents, and program staff reporting improvements across the 14 areas of attitudes, skills, knowledge, and behaviors declined (77.3% to 76.5% for child reports, 91.8% to 87.4% for parent reports, and 85.3% to 73.9% for staff reports). Staff ratings of children's expectations of themselves declined (93.1% to 79.2%) as did their ratings of children's participation in home, school, and community (93.1% to 79.2%).