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San Francisco Beacon
Initiative Workforce Study
Extended open-ended telephone interviews, an online
survey, and both written and oral input from
site directors inform this analysis of the workforce of San
Francisco’s citywide Youth Development
program, the San Francisco Beacon Initiative. The data show
that the field of Youth Development
is emerging conceptually, even as administrators face a high
turnover rate, patchy opportunities for
professional development, and the funding challenges endemic
to nonprofit work. According to
workers, the substance of the daily work is highly satisfying
and meaningful – more meaningful
than most work they have done or ever hoped to do. But they
don’t stay in the profession for long
because the pay is insufficient or incommensurate with their
education, because they don’t see a
clear career ladder at the Beacon, and because, while gratifying,
Youth Development work can be
emotionally depleting for many. The study concludes with recommendations
for the future of the
Beacon Initiative and for the further establishment of Youth
Development as a recognized
professional field.
 Download
the Beacon Workforce Study
Annual Evaluation
of the Beacon Centers
Resource Development Associates (RDA) works with the
San Francisco Beacon Initiative to conduct ongoing evaluation
at the Beacon Centers and produces an annual evaluation report
on youth participant outcomes at all Centers. The tools used
in the evaluation were designed specifically to align with
the Quality Standards for Beacon Centers, and the evaluation
reports reflect the Centers’ progress toward meeting
Early, Intermediate and Long-term standards.
Youth Voices on Learning
After School: A Qualitative Evaluation of the San Francisco
Beacon Initiative
This 2003 evaluation conducted by Dr. Milbrey McLaughlin of
the Stanford University School of Education examines the subjective
experiences of elementary, middle and high school youth participating
in San Francisco Beacon Centers. Through interviews, focus
groups and youth-ethnography, evaluators captured the youth’s
experiences in the Beacon Centers – what draws them
in and what keeps them coming back.
Afterschool Pursuits:
An Examination of Outcomes in the San Francisco Beacon Initiative
The second evaluation of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative
by Public/Private Ventures, conducted between 1999 and 2001,
examines youth outcomes linked to participation in the Beacon
Centers. Evaluators found a range of positive outcomes in
such important areas as safety, leadership and core competencies.
Working Together to Build Beacon Centers
in San Francisco:
Evaluation Findings from 1998-2000
This initial evaluation of the San Francisco Beacon
Initiative, conducted by Public/Private Ventures, focuses
on the first two years of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative
and examines the progress that the first five Beacon Centers
made toward meeting early implementation goals between Fall
1996 and Fall 1998.
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