Programs That Work The Academic Cultural Enrichment Mentorship Program: An Innovative Approach To Serving African American Youth

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an after-school program that is designed to meet the specific needs of African Americanyouth. The program is called the Academic Cultural Enrichment (ACE) Mentorship Program and is sponsored, in part, by the Champaign ParkDistrict. The purpose of the program is to provide students with the competencies and skills needed to be involved, resilient, and successful. The program seeks to foster positive Black identities in the participants, and to develop strong math, reading, oratorical, and analytical thinking skills. The program has a strong African cultural component, as well as academic and recreation components. Three research questions guided the evaluation project: 1) Are the program s goals being achieved; 2) Do the parents and leaders perceive a positive change in the participant\u27s behaviors and attitudes as a result of their participation in the program; and 3) What are the salient program aspects of the ACE Mentorship Program.The evaluation took place over a two-year period. Pretest and posttest survey data were collected from the participants for two consecutive years. Additionally, at the end of the second year, interviews were conducted with leaders, parents, and participants. The participants\u27 academic grades were also examined. The information collected from the surveys indicated that the pretest and posttest scores on the Protective Factors Scale and Harter\u27s Self-Perception Scale were not significantly different. The academic grades did indicate positive changes for most of the participants. Further, the information received from the interviews with the parents, leaders, and participants consistently indicated that the program is meeting its goals and is having a positive impact on the children. The salient program elements that seemingly contribute to the positive outcomes include effective and consistent leadership, parental involvement, and innovative programming

Organizational Barriers to Inclusion: Perspectives from the Recreation Professional

Recreation professionals continually strive to serve a host of diverse program constituents, while leisure researchers attempt to uncover barriers to leisure participation. Much of the barriers or constraints research has come from the perspective of program participants. This study identified, from the perspectives and experiences of 18 recreation professionals, the issues and barriers that they perceive inhibit recreation program access and availability to diverse constituents, particularly ethnic minority populations. Co-cultural theory, which integrates the concepts of muted group theory and standpoint theory, was utilized as the study’s theoretical framework. In-depth interviews were utilized. Five primary barriers were identified that related to the changing faces of the community, the changing faces of management and staff, deferred program responsibility, language barriers, and negative attitudes and stereotypes held by some management and staff. This article demonstrates how these barriers impact leisure participation for disenfranchised groups. The findings suggest that recreation agencies, often unwittingly or unknowingly, foster organizational barriers that inhibit the perceived program accessibility or attractiveness to ethnic minorities. Implications for research and professional practice are explored

Organizational Barriers to Inclusion: Perspectives from the Recreation Professional

Recreation professionals continually strive to serve a host of diverse program constituents, while leisure researchers attempt to uncover barriers to leisure participation. Much of the barriers or constraints research has come from the perspective of program participants. This study identified, from the perspectives and experiences of 18 recreation professionals, the issues and barriers that they perceive inhibit recreation program access and availability to diverse constituents, particularly ethnic minority populations. Co-cultural theory, which integrates the concepts of muted group theory and standpoint theory, was utilized as the study’s theoretical framework. In-depth interviews were utilized. Five primary barriers were identified that related to the changing faces of the community, the changing faces of management and staff, deferred program responsibility, language barriers, and negative attitudes and stereotypes held by some management and staff. This article demonstrates how these barriers impact leisure participation for disenfranchised groups. The findings suggest that recreation agencies, often unwittingly or unknowingly, foster organizational barriers that inhibit the perceived program accessibility or attractiveness to ethnic minorities. Implications for research and professional practice are explored

Programs That Work The Academic Cultural Enrichment Mentorship Program: An Innovative Approach To Serving African American Youth

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an after-school program that is designed to meet the specific needs of African Americanyouth. The program is called the Academic Cultural Enrichment (ACE) Mentorship Program and is sponsored, in part, by the Champaign ParkDistrict. The purpose of the program is to provide students with the competencies and skills needed to be involved, resilient, and successful. The program seeks to foster positive Black identities in the participants, and to develop strong math, reading, oratorical, and analytical thinking skills. The program has a strong African cultural component, as well as academic and recreation components. Three research questions guided the evaluation project: 1) Are the program s goals being achieved; 2) Do the parents and leaders perceive a positive change in the participant\u27s behaviors and attitudes as a result of their participation in the program; and 3) What are the salient program aspects of the ACE Mentorship Program.The evaluation took place over a two-year period. Pretest and posttest survey data were collected from the participants for two consecutive years. Additionally, at the end of the second year, interviews were conducted with leaders, parents, and participants. The participants\u27 academic grades were also examined. The information collected from the surveys indicated that the pretest and posttest scores on the Protective Factors Scale and Harter\u27s Self-Perception Scale were not significantly different. The academic grades did indicate positive changes for most of the participants. Further, the information received from the interviews with the parents, leaders, and participants consistently indicated that the program is meeting its goals and is having a positive impact on the children. The salient program elements that seemingly contribute to the positive outcomes include effective and consistent leadership, parental involvement, and innovative programming

Interracial couples experience of Leisure: A Social Network Approach

There has been a significant amount of research that has indicated divergent patterns of leisure participation among African Americans and European Americans;however, there has been a paucity of research that addresses the leisure patterns of interracial couples and families. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the leisure patterns of interracial couples and families, specifically African American and European American couples. A qualitative design was employed to gather in-depth interview data from six couples. The findings indicated that the interracial couples felt socially isolated in various aspects of daily life, including work, family, and leisure. The primary cause of their social isolation was due to race and racism. The couples experienced low levels of comfort when participating in leisure within public spaces. There was not a distinct pattern of leisure activity among the couples; however, there was a distinct process the couples went through in selecting activities prior to participation in order to avoid negative social reactions. KEYWORDS: interracial couples, leisure, social networks, family, racis

African Americans’ Perceptions of Workplace Equity: A Starting Point

For the past several decades, leisure researchers have investigated the impact that race has on leisure behavior and preferences, but there remains a paucity of research that addresses the issue of race in the leisure services workplace. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of inequity, discrimination, and promotion opportunities among African Americans in the field of public parks and recreation. The study was conducted in multiple phases, and all included African Americans who were working for public recreation agencies in a midwestern state. First, telephone interviews were conducted with 11 African American middle managers. A few months after the telephone interviews, a focus group was held at the state conference with African Americans who were employed in a variety of positions in public recreation. Finally, questionnaires were mailed to African Americans working in full time positions in public recreation agencies in the state. The study’s results indicated that many respondents perceived discrimination and inequity in their workplaces. Respondents felt that they were under-represented in the field, particularly at the upper administrative level. Most felt that people with minority backgrounds were given fewer promotion opportunities than were European Americans. Further, they reported that they were not being adequately prepared for management-related responsibilities. Many respondents indicated that they lacked mentors, which may inhibit their ability to matriculate to upper management positions. Based on the results of this study, as well as Allison’s (1999) earlier study, it appears that race remains a salient factor within the leisure services workforce. The implications of the study’s findings are discussed. There is general agreement among the study’s respondents that greater efforts are needed to recruit and retain African Americans. Moreover, the results of the current study suggest that if these inequity and discrimination issues are not addressed,the parks and recreation field will not be viewed as an attractive career option for African Americans