Projects » Out-of-School Program Evaluations

Philliber Research Associates has conducted several evaluations of out-of-school time programs:

The American Camping Association, supported by a grant from the Lily Foundation, has utilized the services of PRA to conduct the first national study of the impact of the camp experience. In all, 80 ACA-accredited camps from across the nation participated in the study. Data were obtained from campers, their parents, and camp staff.

The Children’s Aid Society Carrera Model Programs include academic support as one component of a comprehensive youth development program. PRA has provided evaluation support to the Carrera programs for several years, including a longitudinal study tracking students from the eighth grade through high school graduation and now into college.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving After-School Initiative supports academic enrichment programs in five middle schools. PRA has surveyed students and tracked test scores for participants and non-participants on an annual basis.

The Kansas City Freedom School Initiative is using PRA to evaluate the impact Freedom Schools have on educational enrichment and cultural awareness, parental involvement, intergenerational leadership, and community involvement and social action.

Kids-on-Campus has provided rural Appalachian students a summer enrichment program on the campus of Ohio University, supported by the Danforth Foundation. For three years, PRA has collected data from students, teachers, and caregivers assessing the impact of the program on students’ academic performance and caregivers’ support for their children’s education.

The Knight Foundation has established after-school programs in two middle schools in Bradenton, Florida. PRA has surveyed students and tracked test scores for participants and non-participants on an annual basis.

The Renaissance University for Community Education (TRUCE) is the comprehensive youth development component of the Harlem Children’s Zone. TRUCE promotes academic growth and career readiness through programs focused on the arts, media literacy, health, and multimedia technology. PRA has maintained an ongoing evaluation of the achievements of this program since its inception.

The Robin Hood Foundation Elementary After-School Portfolio supports 13 after-school and summer programs in New York City. PRA has trained staff and obtained behavioral and academic assessments for students in those programs twice each year to track change among participants.

Team Up for Youth is an intermediary organization that does grantmaking and provides technical assistance to strengthen and expand after-school sports programs to support the healthy development of low-income young people. PRA conducted a formative evaluation to assess the effectiveness of Team Up’s strategies. Methodologies employed include key informant interviews, observations of training and technical assistance, and observational site visits to assess program quality. Additionally, PRA has gathered pre and post survey data on youth served by grantee agencies.

PRA also provides evaluation assistance to several Memphis agencies offering after school programs including Girls Incorporated, Bridges, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis.