PAC is a program that provides after-school, summer, and weekend activities for students at Perkins Middle School, which is in the Akron School system as part of the Buchtel cluster. It is designed to improve state proficiency standards, reduce negative behavior, and increase parental involvement and school engagement. PAC partners with local institutions, agencies, and groups to provide academic assistance, including tutoring and mentoring, as well as recreational and cultural enrichment opportunities for Perkins students and their families. There was a hope to develop mentoring relationships between the program providers and the participating students, as well as to keep students engaged in school and impact their school attendance and behavior in positive ways.
History
In 2004, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded a $1.25 million a year grant for three years. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of Akron and 25 other U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. The 2004-2005 school year was PAC's first full year of program activities.Key Elements
- Activities were offered for students during various sessions that took place during summer, fall, and spring.
- A good strategy for recruitment of students for after-school programs is to take advantage of opportunities to make contact with students during lunch, study hall, and/or in the classroom.
- Providers who maintain contact with students and parents have better relationships with students and are more likely to keep them participating in programs.
- Flexibility is key to successful programming. Many students participate in more than one activity, so that program schedules need to be adjusted.
- Programs should build-in field trips and off-site activities, which students love, in order to maintain student participation.
- Students like to have food as part of their after-school experience.
Staffing Needs
PAC needs teachers who are willing to become involved. PAC also benefits from having a good teacher or staff liaison who helps with recruitment and student interest. The Kent State review also notes that having good program staff is crucial to the success of the program.Outcomes
Based on a review of PAC by the Bureau of Research Training and Services at Kent State University Evaluation:Student/School benefits included:
- Opportunities for students to build relationships with positive adult role models
- Opportunities to develop new friendships.
- Exposure to experiences to which they would have otherwise not have access
- Change to students' perceptions about school by linking school to the after school activities.
- Assistance (academic, emotional, etc.) or access to needed services
- Stronger self-esteem and a more positive outlook toward school
Parent/Community benefits included:
- Increased parental awareness of the activities and services provided by PAC and other community agencies.
- Providing parents with contacts and access to various community services.
- Providing opportunities to develop new relationships between parents and program providers.
- Increased awareness of programs among program providers.
- Opportunities for programs to collaborate with each other to provide unique enrichment opportunities for students.
Additionally, students who were considered frequent attendees to PAC appear to be significantly less likely to miss school due to an excused absence, have fewer in-school suspensions, be tardy, and have unexcused absences from school. Some academic improvements were also reported in math and reading test scores between the fall and the spring, when compared to how often a child attended PAC.
Areas of Improvement
Challenges related to coordination of programs. Some difficulties identified:- Fluctuating attendance from week to week.
- Changing perceptions of students who choose not to attend.
- Students who want to be part of PAC but are not academically eligible.
- Is PAC reaching the students who would benefit most from PAC?
- Finding staff/teachers willing to become involved.
- Lack of parental involvement.
- Transportation/limited activities for handicapped students.
- Not enough time with students.
- Getting students home safely.
- Limited space for activities/storage.
Contact Information
Perkins Activities Central630 Mull Avenue
Akron, OH 44313
Phone: 330-873-3340
Fax: 330-873-3347
Perkins Activities Central