Ameta‐analysisof the effects ofafter‐schoolprogrammes among youth with marginalized identities

Abstract

After‐school programmes (ASPs) often provide youth with a safer alternative to unstructured time while providing a context for building skills and forging positive relationships with programme staff and peers. ASPs may be particularly effective for youth with marginalized identities, including youth of colour and youth from low‐income backgrounds. Despite this promise, few rigorous evaluations of ASPs have been conducted and even fewer meta‐analyses have investigated the effects of ASPs among youth with marginalized identities. Using a multi‐level meta‐analysis of 615 effect sizes across 56 studies (overall n = 128,538), the current study examined the overall effects of ASPs on internalizing, externalizing, school‐related, social functioning, and self‐perception/identity outcomes among kindergarten through 12th grade youth with marginalized identities. Results indicated ASPs to have a small, yet significant positive overall effect on youth outcomes (g = 0.2049, p = .001, 95% CI = 0.08–0.33). Moderator analyses revealed significant differences in effects based on outcome source and outcome measure type. Given the ubiquity of ASPs and the challenges that youth experiencing marginalization face, this study uniquely adds to the existing literature and outlines important implications and recommendations for research, policy, and practice.

Young Canadians’ Desire to Change the World and the Adults Who Support Them

“…A large meta-analysis found a wide variety of youth outcomes were predicted by afterschool program participation. Interestingly, individual youths' characteristics and demographics did not moderate those associations [34]. In our own work, we have found that having input in decision making in an activity was associated to positive outcomes for youth, and this association was stronger at younger ages [8].…”

“…When they tested for differences in youth-level characteristics, none of the characteristics (grade level, gender, race, and ethnicity) predicted profile membership. Research on civic engagement, involving prosocial and political involvement in communities, suggests that experiencing discrimination can prompt some youth of color to become highly engaged in community social action, while others become disengaged [34].…”