Creating effective surroundings for out-of-school programs
Abstract
Youth who attend out-of-school programs benefit from comfortable, well-equipped settings. Inadequate or inappropriate space can negatively affect a child's ability to focus or relax. This practice suggests analyzing ways of utilizing existing space and obtaining more if necessary, creating different settings for different activities, and involving children in decorating their surroundings. Includes a resource list. Excerpted from Section Five of the Corporation for National and Community Service's Making an Impact on Out-Of-School Time by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time.
Issue
We are all affected by the various environments we encounter each day. Out-of-school time programs should strive to create environments that are comfortable, well-equipped, and appropriate for the program's activities and the ages and needs of young people served. Young people who attend out-of-school time programs that offer attractive, child- or youth-centered environments are generally happier and more well-behaved. Many programs face challenges due to shared space and/or inadequate space.
Action
Creating Effective Environments For Out-of-School Time Programs
The following are simple steps and basic questions to help you think through important issues and create an appropriate environment for your program.
Create a Vision: What sort of environment would best support the mission and activities of your program? What kind of environment do the young people in your program want? Meet with staff and youth to discuss wants and needs and create an overall "vision" for how you want your program space to look and feel.
Involve Stakeholders: How can you involve children, parents, and staff in designing and creating program environments? Young people like to help design and create their own environment. Put together a design team with representatives from children in every age group. Involve parents, staff, and other stakeholders in brainstorming sessions as well as designing space, obtaining materials, and decorating.
Analyze Space Available and Think About Possibilities for More Space: What indoor and outdoor space do you have available to you? Do you need more space? How can you get it? Be creative! Analyze the space you have and other spaces in your building that could be available. Make sure you're effectively utilizing the space currently available to you. If necessary, develop a plan for obtaining more space.
Check for Safety Hazards: Is your space safe? Regularly check all spaces used by your program for possible hazards. Look for toxic materials (such as cleaning supplies), broken equipment and furniture, electricity, or heating problems.
Obtain Necessary Materials and Supplies: What sorts of decor, furniture, equipment, and materials would be most appropriate for each activity that your program offers? Make a list of necessary supplies for the activities you do regularly as well as a "wish list" of supplies that could enhance your program. Send home announcements and approach local businesses asking for donations of books, art supplies, posters, games, area rugs, old beanbag chairs, cushions, carpet squares, or book shelves.
Create Different Spaces for Different Activities: How can you divide up available space and make it appropriate for the different types of activities your program offers? If your main program space is one large room, consider setting up movable partitions or simply set up a line of chairs to divide space. A big open space invites young people to run around. If your space involves different rooms, analyze which spaces are best for which activities.
Decorate your Space: How can you decorate your space to make it interesting, stimulating, and exciting? Put up posters, create murals, and display artwork done by youth. Put up different decorations in different areas to create appropriate environments for activities that will take place in each area. Have young people help you design and create decorations.
Develop Effective Strategies to Cope with Shared Space: If other groups are using your space when your program is not in session, how can you create an attractive environment specific to your program needs? Try to negotiate with those who share your space about sharing furniture, resources, supplies, and responsibilities for decorating and cleaning the space. Work to develop and maintain positive relationships with other building residents. Do you have to set up and dismantle parts of your decor on a daily basis? If so, put posters, signs, and decorations on large bulletin boards or cardboard panels that can be brought out and put away each day. Put materials in rolling carts or store materials in plastic tubs that can be stacked away in a closet. Sort materials according to the activities they're typically used for so that you can easily pull them out and put them away.
Citation
Making an Impact on Out-of-School Time. National Institute on Out of School Time, at Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, The Corporation for National and Community Service, June 2000.
Posted On
March 1, 2001For More Information
Resources
Resources for Creating Effective Environments
Following are some resources that are representative of materials available on the subject. This listing does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Government, the Corporation for National and Community Service, or the National Institute on Out-of-School Time.
Video and companion materials, "A Place of Their Own: Designing Quality Space for Out-of-School Programs." Available by calling the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (781)283-2547.
The chapters "Indoor Environments" and "Outdoor Environments" in the book, The NSACA Standards for Quality School-Age Child Care. Available by contacting the National School-Age Care Alliance at (617)298-5012 or www.nsaca.org.
The following resources are available through local bookstores, online booksellers, or through companies that specialize in curriculum and materials for children such as School-Age NOTES (1-800-410-8780 orwww.schoolagenotes.com), Quest International (1-800-446-2770 or www.quest.edu), or Innovative Educators (1-888-252-KIDS or innovative-educators.com).
Many resources can be borrowed from The Resource Center library:
Phone: 1-800-860-2684, ext. 260
Website: http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources
The section "Environment: The Bridge Between Event and Experience" in the book, School-Age Child Care: An Action Manual for the 90s and Beyond.
The section "Space and Storage" in Chapter 4 of the book, The Complete School-Age Child Care Resource Kit.
The section "Out-of-School Environments" in Volume One of the series, Caring for Children in School-Age Programs by Derry Koralek, Roberta Newman, and Laura Colker.
