“I feel like I’m somebody.”

“I feel like I’m somebody.”

Step Up Summit - San Diego, California - November 3, 2010

Meaningful Membership in Afterschool Activities for Rural High School Students

Group Agreements

• Be engaged in all activities• Avoid side conversations• Agree to disagree• Turn off your cell phone or put it

on vibrate (including texts and emails)

Session Goals

• Participants will– Understand of the importance of

belonging and meaningful membership in the lives of youth

– Explore how afterschool programs can help youth to develop a sense of belonging

– Examine the critical role of afterschool programs in the lives of rural youth

Background: My Guiding Questions

• How does sense of belonging develop in afterschool programs?

• How do relationships, activities, and place shape the development of sense of belonging?

• How do afterschool programs matter for rural youth?

Background: Rural Afterschool Programs

• Our habit of confusing “urban” and “youth”

• Overwhelming focus on urban programs– Research– Practice– Policy and Funding

Background: Meaning and Belonging

• Belonging as a critical developmental need– Relatedness– Autonomy– Competence

• Limited opportunities for meeting this need in some rural communities

• High school as a difficult place to belong

Think, Pair, Share

• What are some features of your afterschool program that impact students’ sense of belonging and mattering?

• How are these features unique to programs in rural areas?

Meaning: Group or task orientation

Group membership focus

Group task focusIndividual task focus

What youth can gain from participation

What is explicitly offered• Academic credit• Elective credit• Incentives (ex. field trips)• Skills

What is implicitly taken up• Safe places to hang out• Diversion• Relationships with peers and adults• Sense of belonging

“If I have a problem, I

know who to ask.”

Expectations and Accountability

Flexibility Accountability

Regular participation not expected. You do not need to let anyone know if you are not going to be there.

Regular participation not expected, but a certain amount of participation is needed in order to meet requirements. You do not need to let anyone know if you are not going to be there, but the adult leader will talk to you if you are not making enough progress.

Regular participation expected with some reinforcement. You let the adult leader or one of your peers know you are not going to be there, and someone will probably get in touch with you if you do not attend for a while.

Regular participation expected and reinforced. You let the adult leader know if you are not going to be there, and he/she will check up on you if you “no show.”

“I have found who I really want

to be.”

Gatekeeping

Open Closed

Anyone can join this activity, at any time.

You need the informal approval of the other youth participants and/or adult leaders before joining this activity

You need the formal approval of the other youth participants and/or adult leaders before joining this activity

Visibility and Recognition

Low visibility and recognition

High visibility and recognition

Participation not visible outside of the activity, and youth not recognized by the larger school community for their participation.

Participation somewhat visible; participants desire be more visible and recognized by school for their participation.

Participation visible outside the activity

“I feel like I’m somebody, and I’m somewhere.”

Small Group Discussion

Select an activity that your programs have in common and discuss:

1. What is the activity’s group/task orientation?2. What do youth gain from participation?3. What are the expectations for participants?

How are they held accountable?4. What is the level of gate-keeping?5. What is the level of visibility and recognition?6. How would this activity be different in an

urban setting?

Session Goals

• Participants will– Understand of the importance of

belonging and meaningful membership in the lives of youth

– Explore how afterschool programs can help youth to develop a sense of belonging

– Examine the critical role of afterschool programs in the lives of rural youth

Contact Information

Logan Robertson, Ph.D.Assistant Director of Community

ServicesCutler-Orosi Joint Unified School

District(559) 528-6949

[email protected]