Teen Workers in Afterschool

With budget cuts looming and demand for school-age programs on the rise, administrators are faced with an increasingly pressing question: how to offer more with less. Recent research by the University of California Cooperative Extension shows that involving teenagers as program leaders can be an effective way to add quality without increasing costs.

According to Shelley Murdock, co-author of Teenagers as Teachers: Twelve Essential Elements, teens offer "a low-cost, no-cost” way to enhance program delivery. With proper training and curriculum support, teens can serve not only as effective leaders, but also as powerful role models.

"Little kids love having older kids in their programs," she says. Teens benefit as well, gaining confidence and developing stronger attitudes toward work and school.

Creating the right framework, however, is essential to their success.

Studies show that teens are most effective when they are at least three years older than the kids they are leading. The age gap must be sufficient to foster a mentoring relationship.

Also, a strong curriculum with detailed lesson plans empowers teens and enables them to acquire leadership skills more quickly. The subject matter can be anything of interest — science, art, and reading are popular topics — but it must be clear and well defined.

Marianne Bird, the 4-H Youth Development Advisor in Sacramento County, has been heavily involved with Youth Experiences in Science, a curriculum designed specifically for teenage leaders. As part of the project, teens receive at least ten hours of training and are paired with an adult coach before leading programs.

Teens are largely responsible, she says, for creating excitement about the practical, hands-on science curriculum. “Teenagers bring a certain magic to programs… and enjoy a rapport with kids that adults just don’t have.”

Indeed, teens can help to bridge the gap between adult supervisors and the kids they serve, keeping programs fresh and youth-focused. By involving teens in programs, administrators can provide practical training and first-hand exposure to a new generation of school-age leaders.

To learn more about involving teens in your program, order Teenagers as Teachers on the web at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu