After-school Success

In this inspiring book, Anne Bouie details her work with underachieving urban youth and their families at Project Interface, a math and science enrichment program, where she developed a unique approach to raising achievement. Bouie argues that rather than identifying deficits and dysfunctions in the family, a more effective method would focus on strengths and build on the inherent resilience of the community. She describes the design and implementation of this collaboratively organized, community-based after-school enrichment program that worked. Her insights are a valuable tool for any educational or youth program interested in fostering lasting academic success. The book's features include: testimonials from youth, staff, and parents who participated in a successful after-school program; indicators for effective and ineffective implementation based on a field-tested model; indicators to help motivate and enable students to put forth effort and try, in spite of having failed in the past; strategies to engage families and community members; and insights for policymakers and practitioners who may wish to start a program or assess an existing one.