1) General Feedback
Working with youth-at-risk is a demanding task, made all the more so by limited funding and the chronic, systemic nature of the issues faced by this group. Mixed in with responses to the focus group questions was a fair amount of frustrated venting and a semi-hopeful, semi-exasperated sense of "hmmm ... another study".
Both groups included a discussion of the futility of directing programs and money at youths who are not developmentally/ experientially ready to be interested in upgrading skills. Both groups also pointed to the need for a wholistic, wrap-around approach to youth work that would see multiple agencies working cooperatively towards individual and systemic solutions to chronic problems such as housing, financial support, childcare, addictions and mental health issues, and education.
2) Controversy: Use of Financial Incentives
Paying youths to participate in a learning program met with some controversy. It was suggested that we should be funding programs, not individual kids. As well, concerns were raised about whether external motivations like money can replace or inhibit the development of internal motivations. Finally, both groups suggested that youths need more assistance to access existing funds through Ontario Works, and that payment for learning, if any, should come through that venue.
That said, our youth feedback pointed repeatedly to the need for financial support during upgrading, and several youths mentioned that it felt good and respectful to be paid for their focus group participation. It would be helpful for a further study to look more closely at the efficacy of financial incentives - both as means of securing program participants, and ensuring their completion of the program.
3) Curriculum Directions
Finally, the suggestions around program timing and activities neatly echoed the youth suggestions. It is clear that programs should be scheduled for four afternoons a week, for 4 hours with hourly 5 minute breaks, in a downtown nonschool (preferably storefront) location. Activities need to be varied frequently, to accomodate attention spans (maximum sitting time of 1/2 hour), and need to be geared to hands on, active and visual learning. Although the youth focus group responses clearly indicated an interest in arts-based, creative learning, the service provider groups expressed some concern that they would not have the skills to teach arts-based activities. However, this concern was mitigated by reassurance that the learning materials package would include some basic art background information, and that service providers would not have to be art experts to teach the program