Upcoming report to highlight the importance of afterschool recreation programming

Posted on: Jul 13 2009 | Posted in: ACE Announcements


With the support of a grant from Alberta Tourism, Parks, and Recreation, ARPA recently contracted CDC Consultants to complete a study examining the state of afterschool recreation programming in Alberta and elsewhere.  This research also seeks to identify the relevance and feasibility for engaging recreation practitioners and allied stakeholders in developing a provincial strategy for action. The study was commissioned in response to the pressing need for current research and anaylsis on how the “critical” afterschool hours can optimize a student’s physical, social, emotional, and academic development.

Presently, the dynamics of family life mean that many children and youth are without adult supervision for hours at a time. Unsupervised children and youth are engaging in a wide range of unhealthy and even high-risk behaviours after school. Researchers regularly report measurable increases in juvenile crime, antisocial behaviour, inactivity, screen time, and poor eating habits during this time period. A growing chorus is calling for quality afterschool programs as a way to use those hours for good rather than ill.

To further elaborate upon these themes, components of the study include:

  * review of relevant literature;
  * interviews with recreation practitioners and others providing afterschool programs at local and provincial levels;
  * an online survey sent to 120 municipal recreation departments;
  * a macro analysis of community/school joint use agreements in Alberta;
  * review of promising cases and extrapolation of best practices;
  * a discussion forum to review the preliminary research and consult on next steps for the sector, and specifically for ARPA.

A related trend is the move toward community schools, in which schools become hubs for community services, including afterschool programs. Alberta does not yet have a provincial strategy encouraging community use of schools, although the Provincial Commission on Learning identified this need, and a recent AUMA resolution urges the province to adopt a community school concept and supportive program.

Stay tuned for further details on the release of the full report.  For further information on this research, please contact Denise Gariépy at dgariepy@arpaonline.ca or 780-644-1779.

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