An afterschool intervention program for educationally disadvantaged young children

Exploring the Relationships between LA's BEST Program Attendance and Cognitive Gains of LA's BEST Students

“…Bergin, Hudson, Chryst, and Resetar (1992) found positive associations between after-school participation and higher achievement scores. Their study followed a group of kindergartners who attended an after-school program and compared them to a control group.…”

When Homework is not Home Work: After-School Programs for Homework Assistance

“…Participation in after-school programs has been associated with increased pride, self-worth, and social responsibility (Bergin et al, 1992); feelings of confidence regarding achievement of goals (Danish, 1996); and prosocial behavior, self-concept, cooperation, and self-efficacy (Pierce & Shields, 1998).…”

“…Many after-school programs, particularly those that serve children from ethnic minority, low-income, urban neighborhoods incorporate cultural and community activities as part of their curriculum (Beck, 1999;Bergin, Hudson, Chryst, & Resetar, 1992;Halpern, 1992;Hamovitch, 1996;Phillips, 1978;Pedraza & Ayala, 1996;Pierce & Shields, 1998). One rationale for including these components in after-school programs is that pride in one's culture and community, along with acceptance of other cultures, is a necessary component in the development of self-esteem (Pedraza & Ayala, 1996;Pierce, Hamm, & Vandell, 1999).…”

Swimming Against the Tide: A Study of a Youth Enrichment Program Seeking to Empower Inner-City Black Youth

“…Many researchers contend that of all the risk factors, the most predominant is early school failure, and that Black children are far more likely than White children to experience such failure (Beck, 1999;Bergin et al, 1992;Kagan, 1991). In order to explain early school failure, researchers have suggested a variety of factors.…”

“…On the other hand, while early school failure is associated with engagement in unhealthy risk behaviors, early school success is associated with the development of healthy individuals, as it promotes self-esteem, motivation, and aspiration. Thus, academic achievement must be viewed as a key element in effective prevention and intervention programming for at-risk students (Bergin et al, 1992). Given that 20-25 % of America's children grow up in environments laden with risk, a critical goal for us, as educators, must be the development of prevention and intervention strategies that mitigate the effects of at least some of those risk factors (Beck, 1999).…”