Thanks to Just Grace, including the director, for permission to evaluate the Qhubeka Youth Development Program. The Youth Development Program is the first program launched by the Non-Profit Society (NPC), Just Grace, in 2012. This evaluation aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the program's performance and provide a rich picture of how the youth development program is being implemented. young people and achieving its results.
Currently, Just Grace implements five community programs: (a) School Strengthening; (b) Community development and family strengthening; (c) Business Support; (d) Community Projects and (e) Youth Development Program – these are evaluated and described in the section below. Youth Development Program shows pathways through which the program is expected to lead to the expected outcomes.
Method
The framework fitted in well with the purpose and design of the study, as presented in the previous section. And reports on program execution and results as measured by Just Grace. The researcher then analyzed the content to understand participants' experiences and perceptions of the Qhubeka.
28 In the initial phases of the analysis, the evaluator prepared and verified the data. Before starting the evaluation, I asked permission from Just Grace to evaluate the Qhubeka. The proposal outlined the evaluation and the plausibility of the program theory and the methodology that would be used to conduct the evaluation.
To assess aspects of the program participants, the students had to describe their main changes as a result of the program. The three sub-themes that emerged as program benefits are: (1) improved academic performance; (2) development of key competences; and (3) improved self-efficacy. Participants were encouraged to discuss their perception of the impact of the program resulting in the most significant change.
One of the facilitators mentioned below, when asked about the beneficial outcomes for the students through the program.
Programme activities resulting in changes
For four of the students, this holiday club had a profound effect on achieving short-term outcomes of the program such as self-confidence, a sense of belonging, self-awareness and interpersonal skills, leadership, and better peer relations. One of the program facilitators shared the same feelings as the students, as can be seen in the quote below. Evidence of the outcomes of the holiday club for students is further reflected in the achievement of leadership skills and peer relationships experienced by students.
40 Some of the mechanisms why the book club and life skills were effective include the creation of a safe space by program facilitators. Computer training and coding is also one of the activities attributed to achieve the desired results. The computer training takes place over four weeks and by the end of the program students should have received 16 weeks of basic computer training.
As part of the scientific support, the staff compliment consists of 1 paid lead facilitator and 2 paid facilitators. This limited my own understanding of the role of teachers or volunteers within the program, separate from that of the program facilitators. In addition, due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 restrictions, I was unable to interview the program volunteers who tutor the students.
Academic support is one of the most important activities, this is where they get to learn ways to learn and apply the knowledge they already have.
Programme inhibitors
42 The academic support takes place during the week after school and for a few hours on Saturday at the weekend. It is the crucial activity that leads to the academic improvement outcome stated in theme one. 43 the academic support of some students, resulting in the conclusion that the academic support offered by Just Grace is comparable to other traditional tutoring programs.
Due to the multifaceted nature of the academic component, it is unclear what the learners understand as tutoring versus the academic support provided by the Qhubeka. It is clear that academic support for the participants translates to tutoring as the participants do not mention any other type of support. It is clear that there is a perceived gap when it comes to the adequacy of tutors in the academic support part of the program for some learners.
There is a clear expectation of what academic support should do from students and although they clearly experience positive outcomes resulting from academic support as shown in the first theme. Both students and facilitators expressed the feeling that the amount of time they want during academic sessions is limited. As for the academic support component, the program documents indicate that this is a weekly activity, covering four hours after school and three hours of time spent on this activity on weekends.
Identified gaps within the academic support of the Qhubeka program seem to lie in the lack of understanding of Just Grace's methodology, especially with regard to academic support.
Programme satisfaction
However, the learners were also able to recommend what it is that the program could do to improve. This was linked to the next theme, which aimed to examine whether the program was adapted to the beneficiary's expectations. 46 Two learners said they were somewhat satisfied and one learner said they were not satisfied with the programme.
The only student who reported dissatisfaction identified the issues raised in theme three as the main reasons why he is dissatisfied with the program, despite positive results on self-efficacy and key competences. On the contrary, the seven students, although some of them had also indicated that the program had certain gaps in academic support, found that there were other aspects that transcended these issues. The students feel that the program facilitators are really caring and this adds to their overall experience of the program.
They sacrifice, as other students can be disrespectful when they start the program, but the facilitators remain humble and giving. The program helped me much more than just the activities we do and the academic support the program helped me with my problems at home with my family” – [Student 6]. The fact that they also get lunch after the activities planned in the program is a positive result of the program for them.
From the interviews conducted, the students have received a clear indication of what is not working in the program and they are also aware of the possibilities the program offers to guarantee satisfaction.
Staff contribution
The way the Qhubeka program is run is unlike any other program I know, more so it benefits the black community to discover skills and talents. Another important aspect of the program that students are happy with is the lunch meals. One thing I appreciate about Just Grace is the food, here you get food, you get academic support and whenever we are hungry, we know we will get food from Just Grace” – [Student 10].
The food here is delicious, they make sure we don't go hungry, which in school you would find that sometimes you are unable to concentrate because you are hungry. In general, the Qhubeka program according to results is adapted to the needs of the beneficiaries. 48 time constraints and regulations surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, I was unable to interview any of the volunteers and thus none of the volunteers were able to participate in the study.
Below are some of the facilitators' reflections based on their interaction and participation with students in various components and/or activities of the program. I'm there for the students and I also try to teach them how to learn and be a role model for independence, we also make sure we create a space to talk about the personal challenges they're experiencing, I think they feel free to share with us.” – [Connector 3]. I am always evolving and looking for innovative ways to improve the program and for students to gain that sense of openness and desire to learn more outside of themselves” – [Facilitator 2].
The interviews show that both students and facilitators find the relationships at Just Grace very valuable.
Programme sustainability
Further, the findings in the literature review show an important emphasis on context and how this is an important aspect of the program achieving its results. The quality of the program's service delivery is reported to be high based on student experiences. Findings (1) show that students perceive the program as useful leading to improved academic performance, improved self-efficacy and development of core competencies, (2) Qhubeka components.
This suggests that stronger measures should be taken to understand the academic support activities in the program and the methodology behind it. The Youth Development Program was experienced by the participants interviewed at the time of the evaluation. 57 While program participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the program, some also indicated that they felt improvements could be made to the academic support component of the program.
Just Grace must clearly outline and define the methodology that describes the academic support component of Qhubeka. The findings discussed in this evaluation relate to how the 2020 learners and program facilitators perceived their experience with the program. Findings showed that participants developed key competencies and improved self-efficacy and academic performance as a result of the program.
The evaluator concludes that it is important for program staff to clarify the methodology and objective of Qhubeka's academic component. A review of the literature on the impact of after-school programs on young black males. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the short-term results and the quality of service delivery of the program.
