Safe and Smart: Making After-School Hours Work for Kids - June 1998

A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Communities Meeting the Need for
After-School Activities


4-H After-School Activity Program (4-H ASAP)
Los Angeles, California
Contact: Don MacNeil, 805-498-3937

Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service in conjunction with the University of California, business, education, and government join together in a local partnership to run the 4-H After-School Activity Program. It provides hands-on learning to over 1,000 children, ages 7-13, in 20 public housing and school sites. Operated in a school or public housing facility, the program offers students a safe haven after school, caring adult mentors, assistance with school work, extended learning activities, and encouragement and reinforcement of positive attitudes and healthy living. Other activities include reading, computer literacy, conflict resolution, community service, and career exploration.

Supporting the program are area colleges and universities, businesses such as Unocal, various foundations, federal and state agencies, the resident advisory councils, parents, and community volunteers.

In an evaluation of the program in Los Angeles, many parents reported that the 4-H program had a positive effect on the attitude and behavior of their child. Over 85 percent of parents claimed that the program has kept their children out of gangs, and over 83 percent noted that their children's interest in school has increased.
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