Occasional Paper Fall 2006

Download the entire issue of Afterschool Matters Occasional Paper Fall 2006 as a pdf. 43 pages.

Download individual articles as pdfs:

• The Art of Democracy / Democracy as Art: Creative Learning in Afterschool Comic Book Clubs
  By Michael Bitz
  Over the past three years, hundreds of community-based afterschool comic book clubs have been launched in cities across the United States. These clubs have drawn in thousands of underserved youths in grades 1–12. In these clubs, children plan, write, sketch, design, and produce original comic books and then publish and distribute their works for other children in the community to use as learning and motivational tools. This synthetic and analytic research project explores the dynamics, outcomes, and impacts of afterschool comic book clubs. 20 pages.
• Civic Connections: Urban Debate and Democracy in Action during Out-of-School Time
  By Georgia Hall
  This paper examines the approach of urban debate leagues, and specifically the New York Urban Debate League, to democracy skill building and civic engagement. In the face of concerns about lack of civic engagement and knowledge among young people, such out-of-school-time programs can often reach youth bypassed by traditional sources of civic and democracy development, providing a vision of what “democracy in action” for underserved youth might look like. Such democracy skill-building experience can empower youth to become engaged learners and participating citizens. 17 pages.