Youth Voice Program Evaluation Paper

Program Evaluation- Involving the Youth Voice

Review all of the materials in the lesson. There are resources to reference throughout.

Identify an existing youth program evaluation tool/instrument that has been administered (attach the link or program information).

From its results about youth’s evaluation of the program, how could you use this information to involve youth in program planning and development moving forward?

Is there anything that you would add to the evaluation tool/instrument to gather more information? Can you suggest a different way to engage youth in sharing their feedback?

Many suggestions given by youth call for more funding and people resources. How can you leverage more resources for the program from tapping in to parents and the surrounding community?

Respond to at least one of your classmates.

Student’s post that needs a response:

I’m unsure if I understand what is being asked to discuss. I may be over thinking jt, but with that said I went online and looked up a lot if different places, ways, reasons and results of evaluations on after school programs, and youth involvement on evaluating the programs. One article I read was “how to involve young people in after-school programs” on scholars.org. I found this article to have similar information and results as well as how they do it, why and their results. I liked that theyostened to the suggestions and wants of the youth. I honestly wasn’t expecting to read that the youth they spoke with suggested “anger managment” as a program, I was impressed and it helped show me some cases be mature enough to make these decisions. We all have bad days. We all have things that strike a nerve, walking away or learning how to redirect feelings can be hard, recognizing this problem is impressive to me. I like that they do parent evaluations and student evaluations separate allowing the kids to have thoughts and opinions that are their own and not their parents. I have seen several things involving kids including at the park of the road from me doing things like yard sales or bake sales I think those could be beneficial to help get some of the money raised for some of the request students are making considering the reading material we had suggested a lot of what they want cost extra money. I feel including them in the programs and activities can also help to keep them consistently going rather what they want actually becomes a reality or not at least being heard I’m sure helps.

I the reading material in this lesson showed the percent of youth attendance being greater if they attend a program, that made me start considering trying to find a way to get my children in a program. I do not have the money to put them in programs and although I do have a car now with three disabled kids going to different places after school can cause transportation issues also. However, one of my kids struggles with attendance, social as well as unfortunately his 2 siblings are considered high needs so he wants more attention, he doesn’t always feel heard and has some self esteem issues as well as having issues with teachers in school. So to me from what I’ve read he would be exactly the kind of kid these programs are designed for, yet like many other families not only do we have barriers due to finances and transportation I have also learned, especially sense covid, spaces are hard to find sometimes.

I honestly always knew about after school programs but not as in depth as we have been learning. I think maybe involve PTAs more, maybe even do like a youth program bingo night where the kids can be the ones helping maybe even bringing water or soda to the people playing are you been reading off numbers whatever it maybe maybe have them participate but make it a night to inform people that maybe don’t really have a reason to think about that this is a need like people that already have children grown and out of school maybe open their eyes for the reasons why these programs are so crucial in our community. I feel awareness and education is a big factor to the lack of things like money, staff, etc