Age range

Website: www.bacic.org/allstars.html

Mission/Goals: The program provides young people the opportunity to produce and participate in talent shows. The purpose of the All Stars Talent Show is to create stages (occasions) where young people can successfully present themselves and, in the process, contribute to their own development. The program’s conceptual base rests on the premise that human life is a performance, and that through the act of performing participants can learn what it means to perform, on the stage and off the stage, as other than who they are. Another concept that guides the program is activity theory, which suggests that human growth occurs as a result of participation in social activity.

Notes: The Bay Area All Stars Talent Show Network is modeled after the All Stars Talent Show Network that began in New York City. The Bay Area program includes residents of Oakland, CA. The Bay Area All Stars has produced five auditions, workshops, and talent shows in Oakland in its first 2 1/2 years.

Source(s): Edmund W. Gordon, E. W., Bowman, C. B., & Mejia, B. X. (2003, June). Changing the Script for Youth Development: An Evaluation of the All Stars Talent Show Network and the Joseph A. Forgione Development School for Youth. Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME) Teachers College, Columbia University.

Type of Evaluation: Outcomes Monitoring

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the talent show program to foster human growth and participation in social activity and provide a description of the functional characteristics of the program.

Impact/Outcomes: The All-Star Talent Show Network rated highest in recruiting and investing in highly qualified and diverse volunteers and staff, advocating strongly for youth belonging and inclusion, recognizing the significance of positive adult-youth relationships, and providing opportunities for participants to contribute to the community. The program rated 4 out of 5 on acknowledging diverse situations, providing young people with opportunities to succeed, involving parents, families, community partners, and schools, and having high expectations, clear goals, and social norms. When judged by criteria drawn from research literature, the program scored a 4.0 out of a possible 5.0. In the three behavioral domains- self-confidence, self-presentation, and skills development- behavioral change may require more extensive and intensive intervention. Participation in the program does not appear to be associated with improved academic performance.