Creator: Mary Underwood
Community Partner: Alton Middle School
Cohort Theme: Spatial Justice in Alton, IL
Faculty Mentor: Jessica DeSpain
Project History
Our team researched the causes and impacts of violent crime in Alton, Illinois, particularly among youth. Youth violence in Alton, Illinois, is shaped by a combination of historical, economic, and social factors that make the issue unique to the city. While similar challenges exist in other places, Alton’s particular circumstances highlight how local conditions can influence youth behavior and violence. After exploring a number of factors driving youth violence, including economic downturn, spatial injustice that has isolated particular neighborhoods, and a lack of youth programs, we developed an after-school program that would respond to some of these challenges. Our goal was to give youth in Alton the opportunity and a safe place to voice any violence they may have experienced. Over the course of a semester, our team worked with twelve justice-impacted middle school students. Using digital storytelling along with a variety of media and skills including web design, podcasting, oral history collection, video production, and digital visualization, the middle school students created their own digital stories.
Successful Afterschool Programs
This presentation is aimed at school admin, facilitators, and/or anyone who has wanted to start an after-school/extracurricular program for students. In it, I reflect on all of the things we did well, the things we didn’t do well on, what improvements we needed to make, and lessons we learned and how they would benefit anyone who was planning to start a program. Sharing this information has the potential to increase awareness about the benefits of afterschool programs and inspire parents and community leaders to advocate for or establish similar initiatives. By highlighting success stories and practical strategies, the content could motivate schools and organizations to adopt evidence-based practices that improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes for students. Over time, this could lead to stronger community support for afterschool programming and improved opportunities for youth development.