Pathways to Resilience III: Beyond Nature vs. Nurture

Abstract #272
Protective Factors in After-School Programs: A Case Study
Presenter: Joshua Prior Co - Presenters: Daniela Zuzunaga , Tamara Kurz  
Abstract:
This project is a case study in the protective-factor promoting processes that take place in afterschool programs. Children growing up in low-income neighbourhoods face several risk factors that reduce the chances of a positive life outcome. When trying to break cycles of poverty and criminality, the scope of social programs available to at-risk children is varied. After school programs have been well researched in regards to the protective factors that they provide to at-risk children, and their abilities to enhance the future opportunities of said children. After-school programs in high-risk neighbourhoods derived from the desire to provide children with an environment that could deliver a caring milieu and positive social development. These community-building programs act as a catalyst for positive behaviour, resiliency and the amelioration of delinquent behaviours. This research regarding afterschool programs, which is its preliminary stages, seeks to understand the factors that play in providing a human service systems approach in a school setting, and how these factors create or increase resilience and protective factors. Furthermore, there is an emphasis in resilience as a result and by-product of grassroots community support, and the accessibility of the implementation of after-school programs as a means to create said resilience.