West Broad Street YMCA Summer 2013 Program Participants in the West Broad Street YMCAs 2013 summer

program were assessed along a number of dimensions using a literacy test and a survey developed in conjunction with a local university. Highlights from the findings are discussed here. Average scores improved in all literacy Average DORA Subtest Grade-Level Scores: Pre and Post Summer 2013 Programming
8 Grade-Level Score

subtests. Participants demonstrated statisticallysignificant improvements in five areas; High-

6 4 2 0

Frequency Words, Word Recognition, Spelling, Vocabulary and Comprehension (p<.05). There is a less than five percent likelihood that the improvements seen in these areas are due to chance.

After attending WBSY programs, more participants met or exceeded grade-level standards in all subtests, excluding Phonemic Awareness (which does not have a grade-level score). The improvement observed in Vocabulary was statistically-significant (p < .05) and is shown, right.
yes no yes no

On Grade Level Pre

On Grade Level Post

Do you like the West Broad Street Y? very much

sometimes it is okay don't like it

Most (70%) participants report liking the WBSY very much. Only four percent of participants report not liking the WBSY. Those participants who reported not liking the WBSY were all between the ages of eight and ten years.

The majority of participants report learning new things at the WBSY (88%) and making friends at the WBSY (91%). Most participants report liking the teachers at the WBSY (63% like all of the teachers and 35% like some of them). Ninety-three percent of participants report liking the activities offered at the WBSY.

Ninety-two percent of participants report feeling safe at the WBSY. Contrast this response with a survey conducted by the local school district in 2012, in which 78% of students report feeling safe at school (http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/sccs/Board.nsf/Public). "Do You Feel Safe at this Y?"
8% Yes 92% No 78%

I Feel Safe at my School.

22% Yes No

Eighty-eight percent of respondents report getting mostly As and Bs in school. Fifty-four percent of participants say they like school and an additional 34% report liking it at least sometimes. Eightypercent of participants report they enjoy reading. Ninety-six percent of participants plan to complete high school and 71% plan to attend a four-year college, with an additional 8% planning to attend a two-year college. Some evidence suggested the more often young people visit the WBSY, the more likely they are to plan on attending college.
4-year college military 2-year or technical college get a job

Post-High School Plans

Seventy-nine percent of participants

20 15 10 5 0 Do Make Friends at this Y Do Not Make Friends at this Y Do Have Friends Who Drink

report they do not have friends who drink alcohol nor do they have friends who use drugs. Furthermore, participants who report making friends at the WBSY are less

Do Not Have Friends Who Drink

likely to report having friends who use alcohol and drugs.

Ninety-six percent of participants, and 100% of female participants, report appropriate resistance skills if encouraged by a friend to use alcohol or drugs (walk away, tell an adult, etc.). There was also some evidence suggesting a potential relationship between WBSY attendance and inschool suspensions. Those participants reporting having been sent to in-school suspension five or more times over the last year also reported visiting the WBSY less often than all other groups.