In 2013, the Wallace Foundation published, Something to Say: Success Principles for Afterschool Arts Pro-
grams from Urban Youth and Other Experts analyzing (a) the common characteristics of the most successful afterschool arts programs across the United States, (b) common needs and desires of the tween participants of these programs, and (c) barriers to participation. Since then, the Wallace Foundation embarked on their ongoing multi-million dollar Youth Arts Initiative detailed in their 2017 report, Raising the Barre & Stretching the Canvas: Implementing High Quality Arts Programming in a National Youth Serving Organization. The work of the Wallace Foundation guides and Inspires the development of Photo Perspectives initiatives and programming. Key findings and recommendations by the Wallace Foundation, and how Photo Perspectives’ implements those recommendations, are summarized below.

Insights Gleaned from Interviews With Program Participants

Barriers

Multiple barriers limit demand for structured arts programming. Limited exposure to high-quality OST arts programs compounded by emotional, social and practical barriers negatively influence young people’s decisions about whether to participate in an arts program.

Sed augue ipsum, egestas nec, vestibulum et, malesuada adipiscing, dui. Vestibulum dapibus nunc ac augue. Aenean tellus metus, bibendum sed, posuere ac, mattis non, nunc. Aenean imperdiet. Aenean imperdiet.

Investment

Tweens exert a high degree of control in choosing their out-of-school time activities and are prone to rapid disengagement. Decision-making in tween years shifts from parents to their children. Tweens can choose, or can dropout of, an OST activity for a number of reasons, from boredom to the preference of a competing interest, with few consequences.

Nunc egestas, augue at pellentesque laoreet, felis eros vehicula leo, at malesuada velit leo quis pede. Proin viverra, ligula sit amet ultrices semper, ligula arcu tristique sapien, a accumsan nisi mauris ac eros. Sed aliquam ultrices mauris. Morbi nec metus. Donec mi odio, faucibus at, scelerisque quis, convallis in, nisi.

Desires

Youth expressed strong preference for structured arts programs with five key features. They are: professional and expert instructors, experiential learning in inspiring spaces, the prospect of new friends focused on similar interests, and culminating and competitive events. A fifth area comprises program extras and proven incentives such as snacks.

Morbi mattis ullamcorper velit. Sed hendrerit. Suspendisse enim turpis, dictum sed, iaculis a, condimentum nec, nisi. Vestibulum facilisis, purus nec pulvinar iaculis, ligula mi congue nunc, vitae euismod ligula urna in dolor. Cras dapibus.

Ten Principles of Success

Principle # 1

Taught By
Professional Practicing
Artists

Wallace Foundation Findings

Instructors are professional, practicing artists, and are valued with compensation for their expertise and investment in their professional development.