As low-income youth of color seek to persevere and succeed against the odds, afterschool programs have become a growing resource and support for many of these low-income youth and their families. However, the body of research concerning the impact of afterschool programs is largely inconclusive and there is still a growing urgency to determine the…

Community Learning Centers (CLC) provide extended learning opportunities for students and families that live in fiscally under-resourced communities. These centers provide opportunities for academic enrichment. This includes an array of additional services, programs, and activities. The programs should be designed to reinforce and complement the…

This dissertation consists of two chapters that examine the impact of educational and positive youth development programs on students' academic and behavioral outcomes. In the first chapter, I evaluate the effect of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, a school meal provision allowing schools meeting the eligibility requirements to…

This dissertation in practice documents the program evaluation of the Community Scholars (CS) program at the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities (FCIC), a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at the University of South Florida (USF). CS is part of a diversity pipeline program that recruits youth with…

Community-based initiatives address community issues by providing a multi-agency approach to prevention and intervention services (Connell et al.,1995). When incorporating multiple agencies, it can be challenging to obtain multiple perspectives and gaining consensus on the priorities and direction for these initiatives. This study employed a…

Educational paradigm shifts call for 21st century learners to possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, values, and experiences associated with multiple forms of literacy in a participatory learning culture. Contemporary educational systems are slow to adapt. Outside of school, people have to be self-motivated and have access to resources in order…