naomi
10-30-2003, 02:33 PM
Our organization is running an after-school job training program for area teens. We are currently in our second year - and we need advice! We are having trouble keeping our students in the program, and I am wondering if there is anyone out there with the same issues.
This program, loosely modeled after successful ones nationwide - such as Gallery 37 in Chicago and YA/YA in New Orleans - uses the arts to teach teens pre-employment skills that they need to enter the workforce. One difference between our program and others is that our students have little to no experience in the arts prior to entering the program. So, we are essentially starting from the ground up in the education process.
Students are PAID to attend classes and workshops, in the artforms of their choice. Throughout the year, they complete a variety of projects, including individual and public art works and perfomances. They end the school year with a series of community workshops (which they develop and help teach) and an exhibition of work, including visual art and performances to showcase what they have learned throughout the year.
Last year, we had tremendous success in attendance over the summer, with similar results this year. Our problem comes in, however, during the after-school phase. The kids begin dropping out after the first few weeks of classes. (FYI - these students are selected from a pool of 90 summer kids - that must complete both written and face-to-face interviews to be selected)
Last year, we chalked the drop-out rate up to the fact that
1. we focused on only one project - one that required a lengthy research phase.
2. We are working with a group of teens that are facing tremendous adversity
3. Many students are busy in the school year with other after-school activities (band, football, etc.)
To address these issues for this year, we evaluated and revamped our programming. We asked students over the summer to tell us what type of artforms they were interested in, and hired professional artists (who've worked in our school programs for years) to develop activities that fit their requests. Additionally, we asked students to list all after-school activities up front - that way we knew who had band or football or ROTC, and tried to hire students without scheduling conflicts before those with conflicts.
We feel that we've done alot of evaluation to prepare for this year to be more successful. We hire top quality artists, have stringent rules about attendance and the roles of all involved, and I feel like the activities are truly innovative, challenging and exciting., However, here we are again at the end of October with drop-outs left and right. What are we doing wrong? What else can we try?
We are planning a meeting that we ask everyone to attend, and we plan to do an anonymous evaluation, and open up an honest discussion about what we can do to engage the students. Perhaps this will answer some our our questions about drop out rates. But I am wondering if there are those of you out there who are facing similar challenges with retention rates in your program and what you are doing to overcome them. Any opinions would be appreciated.....
This program, loosely modeled after successful ones nationwide - such as Gallery 37 in Chicago and YA/YA in New Orleans - uses the arts to teach teens pre-employment skills that they need to enter the workforce. One difference between our program and others is that our students have little to no experience in the arts prior to entering the program. So, we are essentially starting from the ground up in the education process.
Students are PAID to attend classes and workshops, in the artforms of their choice. Throughout the year, they complete a variety of projects, including individual and public art works and perfomances. They end the school year with a series of community workshops (which they develop and help teach) and an exhibition of work, including visual art and performances to showcase what they have learned throughout the year.
Last year, we had tremendous success in attendance over the summer, with similar results this year. Our problem comes in, however, during the after-school phase. The kids begin dropping out after the first few weeks of classes. (FYI - these students are selected from a pool of 90 summer kids - that must complete both written and face-to-face interviews to be selected)
Last year, we chalked the drop-out rate up to the fact that
1. we focused on only one project - one that required a lengthy research phase.
2. We are working with a group of teens that are facing tremendous adversity
3. Many students are busy in the school year with other after-school activities (band, football, etc.)
To address these issues for this year, we evaluated and revamped our programming. We asked students over the summer to tell us what type of artforms they were interested in, and hired professional artists (who've worked in our school programs for years) to develop activities that fit their requests. Additionally, we asked students to list all after-school activities up front - that way we knew who had band or football or ROTC, and tried to hire students without scheduling conflicts before those with conflicts.
We feel that we've done alot of evaluation to prepare for this year to be more successful. We hire top quality artists, have stringent rules about attendance and the roles of all involved, and I feel like the activities are truly innovative, challenging and exciting., However, here we are again at the end of October with drop-outs left and right. What are we doing wrong? What else can we try?
We are planning a meeting that we ask everyone to attend, and we plan to do an anonymous evaluation, and open up an honest discussion about what we can do to engage the students. Perhaps this will answer some our our questions about drop out rates. But I am wondering if there are those of you out there who are facing similar challenges with retention rates in your program and what you are doing to overcome them. Any opinions would be appreciated.....