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Developing and Improving After‐School Programs to Enhance Youth’s Personal Growth and Adjustment: A Special Issue of AJCP
Author(s) -
Durlak Joseph A.,
Mahoney Joseph L.,
Bohnert Amy M.,
Parente Maria E.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-010-9298-9
Subject(s) - health psychology , positive youth development , perspective (graphical) , context (archaeology) , psychology , engineering ethics , public relations , sociology , developmental psychology , public health , political science , computer science , medicine , engineering , nursing , artificial intelligence , paleontology , biology
Participating in after‐school programs (ASPs) has become a common experience for children. This special issue provides a perspective on the current status of research on ASPs. This introductory article overviews the historical and current context of ASPs and then describes a developmental ecological model to guide research in this area. The model offers a framework from which to organize and synthesize the research presented in this issue. Key principles include a holistic view of development that recognizes interrelations between multiple domains of youth adjustment, attention to multiple, relevant factors within and outside of youth that affect development, examining the dynamic interplay between persons, program features, and other contexts over time, and understanding the active role of youth in affecting their own development. These principles are examined in relation to five main areas: youth characteristics, social ecologies, program features, participation, and short‐ and long‐term outcomes. Recommendations for future research are discussed.