In the News - August 2008
4-H revamps after-school programs
LITTLE ROCK - As many as 15 million "latchkey kids" return home to an empty
house every day after school, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2000. Youth
not involved in after-school programs face a greater risk for violent crime,
substance abuse, antisocial behavior, poor academic performance and dropping out
of school.
Arkansas 4-H Afterschool is a training program designed to increase the
quality of after-school programs and out-of-school- time opportunities available
to Arkansas’ school age population., says Laveta Hale, 4-H Afterschool program
associate for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
"In Arkansas our focus in on supporting existing afterschool programs by
providing high quality professional development opportunities for afterschool
program professionals," Hale said.
Arkansas 4-H Afterschool is designed to increase the capacity of the
afterschool program staff to develop and implement high quality school-age
programming. The goals of the Arkansas 4-H Afterschool program are to provide
access to high-quality curricula in after-school settings, provide
"ready-to-use" research-based materials to after-school professionals, develop
4-H clubs in after-school sites and increase awareness about the benefits of
after-school programs.
Cooperative Extension agents are trained and equipped at the beginning of
each year with new lesson plans and activity kits. The agents are verified as
specialized trainers through the Arkansas Early Childhood Professional
Development Registry (AECPDR). The agents will, in turn, train 10 to 15
after-school professionals in their respective counties.
Training for after-school programmers consists of high-quality,
research-based, hands-on activities and lessons that are easily delivered by the
program staff and developmentally appropriate for school-aged children. The
after-school professionals receive all the lesson plans and support materials
needed to work effectively with the youth in their programs.
"The content of the lessons generally fall along the themes of youth
leadership, Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM), family involvement,
health/nutrition, service learning, creative arts, and environmental
stewardship," Hale said.
"This program helps to fill the gap in terms of access to high-quality
professional development for school age professionals," she said.
Arkansas 4-H Afterschool is free to any youth development program, regardless
of what type of program, i.e. Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA’s, faith-based programs
or traditional childcare programs.
For more information, visit www.uaex.edu.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas Division
of Agriculture.
August 22, 2008
By Rachel Hobby
For the Cooperative Extension Service
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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