We Care Coalition has concerns about youth involvement in activities and after school programs amid the COVID-19 crisis. While schools are open in Wilkin County, Minnesota, many extracurriculars are operating virtually, at reduced size or not operating at all.
We Care Coalition was established in 2003 as a way to find safe and healthy ways to engage youths and reduce substance use. We Care Coalition Coordinator Ashley Wiertzema said youth involvement in extracurricular activities was low in 2019 and likely even lower this year due to COVID-19.
A 2019 report on student involvement that surveyed 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th graders in Wilkin County, identified sports as having the highest participation.
Over 90 percent of 5th and 8th graders and over 85 percent of 11th graders did not participate in any leadership activities, like student government; academic extracurriculars, like tutoring and homework help; or non-sport extracurriculars, such as drama, music, chess or science club.
Now, amid the COVID-19 crisis, We Care Coalition is looking for a solution to the low participation rates in after school activities. That solution could stem from a focus group, Wiertzema said at the Thursday, Oct. 8 meeting.
A focus group would consist of students of different ages and backgrounds, she said.
Coalition member Monique Stelzer, an extension educator who works with 4-H youth development in Wilkin County, said the most important thing would be to target youths who are not already involved in activities.
In a focus group, youths would be asked these six questions:
– How do you spend your time when not at work or school?
– Where do you see the most youth hanging out after school?
– What do you hear from your peers that they need, or want, for activities/programs after school?
– When you find a list of activities, how do you decide what activity/program to participate in?
– Where do you look for after school activities?
– What are the barriers that prevent you from participating in an activity/program?
A major goal of a focus group would be to give students agency in the coalition’s decision making. Since the coalition’s purpose is to promote alternative after school activities, they need to make sure the activities are actually desirable and accessible for students, Stelzer said.
“Making sure we know what youths want and giving them that power and voice is important,” Stelzer said.
Superintendent of Campbell-Tintah School District Kyle J. Edgerton and school counselor Ashley Michael noted that most at-risk students are the ones who aren’t involved in any after school activities.
“We really need to work on those youths who are on the fringe. They’re the trickiest youths to reach,” Stelzer said in Thursday’s meeting.
Mandy Steinberger, who operates the after school program at the Breckenridge Family Community Center, said some of the children who attend her program are at-risk.
“All that matters is that these kids are involved and that they’ve got caring people on all ends,” Steinberger said.
Edgerton and Michael were open to the idea of having Wiertzema conduct a focus group at the school, and Steinberger said the youths who attend her after school program would be good candidates for a focus group as well.
Coalition members tossed around the idea of sending out an initial survey to students about where their interests lie using polls on Instagram or SurveyMonkey. Edgerton suggested going back to the basics of bathroom wall postings, since getting information right in front of a child’s eyes is usually effective.
Stelzer said a big reason for the lack of participation could simply be that the youths don’t know about their options. Edgerton said he was even unaware of some of the activity options available to students, like open swim at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton.
Coalition members also shared how the coronavirus has affected their programs. Stelzer said she is working to restart some after school 4-H programs.
“For the most part, our clubs are starting slowly to get back to doing things in person, slowly making steps toward that,” Stelzer said. “[We are] cautiously approaching bringing the families together.”
Stelzer said her biggest roadblock now is finding enough parents to help supervise the programs since she’s had to make additional after school groups to meet state guidelines on public gatherings.
Superintendent of Campbell-Tintah School District Kyle J. Edgerton said the virus has put a stress on the school. The school is holding after school tutoring, but they are trying to clear everyone out of the building by 5 p.m., so janitors can deep clean the school.
“We’ve tried to keep as many things going as we possibly can for the kids,” Edgerton said.
