Why Teens are not Involved in Out-of-School Time Programs: The Youth Perspective. Research-to-Results Brief. Publication #2009-38.

To better understand why youth do not participate in out-of-school time programs, Child Trends invited adolescents who were not affiliated with out-of-school time programs to participate in a Youth Roundtable discussion. 1 This Roundtable provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what program qualities are important to increase and maintain participation in out-of-school time programs. Youth identified 19 issues relating to barriers to participation and program improvement strategies. Barriers to participation ranged from a program being located in an unsafe or unfamiliar neighborhood to participation in a program being perceived in a negative light by parents and/or peers. Program improvement strategies ranged from teaching youth practical skills and addressing family issues to offering a variety of activities and hiring skilled, experienced staff. These findings should offer valuable insights to program providers and funders about program planning and design.