Making a Difference with At-Risk Youth:

1
Making a Difference with At-Risk Youth

• Creating an Evaluation Plan for an Experiential
  Juvenile Justice Program

2
Suzanna Sharkey, Ph.D.Director of Experiential
EducationAssociated Marine Institutes
3
What is AMI?
4
History of AMI

• Associated Marine Institutes
• 1969
• One judges vision of a different way
• Florida Ocean Science Institute
• Currently have 60 programs in 8 states
• Day treatment, residential, WINGS, Infinity

5
Mission of AMI

• Associated Marine Institutes (AMI) is a
  non-profit organization dedicated to helping
  troubled youth develop into responsible and
  productive citizens. 
• AMIs mission is to protect the public safety and
  positively impact as many youth as possible
  through the efforts of a diverse and innovative
  staff. 

6
Thirteen Values of AMI

• Kids First
• Integrity
• Dedication
• Safety
• Family
• Excellence
• Enthusiasm

• Goal Oriented
• Diversity
• Creativity
• Loyalty
• Leadership
• Honesty

7
AMIs Logic Model
8
Outcomes

• Lower recidivism
• Increase educational gains
• Increased favorable completion rates
• Stakeholder satisfaction
• Staff retention

9
Experiential Education at AMI
10
AMIs Definition of Experiential Education

• The presence of regularly scheduled, challenging
  and exciting activities that do the following
• engage our students physically, emotionally and
  mentally
• enrich learning
• provide staff-student bonding opportunities and
• create a unique personality for the program with
  which students, staff, and the community are
  proud to be associated.

11
New Model for Educating At-Risk Youth

• Tools for social and emotional development
• Tools to create safe opportunities in class for
  youth to experiment with success and failure
• Tools to lead students to a place where they can
  take responsibility
• Tools to help students care for themselves and
  others

12
Experiential Education at AMI

• Traditional methods
• SCUBA Diving
• Boating/Seamanship
• White Water Rafting
• Rappelling
• Horse and Dog programs
• AMI Olympics
• Kayaking and canoeing
• ROPES courses

13
Standards-Based Experiential Education

• Character Education through Martial Arts
• SCUBA diving aligned with state standards
• Enhancing academics through EE
• Science
• Taxonomy and snorkeling
• Reading
• Mental Imagery
• Health
• Create your own restaurant

14
Research at AMI
15
Student Information System - SIS
16
What is the SIS Database?

• SIS stands for Student Information System.
• SIS is a database that records information about
  kids served in AMI programs.

17
Cycle of SIS Data
18
Comparisons

• Compare UA outcomes of those youth that
  participated in EE and those that did not.
• Compare UA outcomes of those programs that
  incorporate EE into education and those that did
  not.
• Compare UA outcomes of those programs that have
  at least one ongoing EE component with those that
  do not.

19
Data Points/Sources

• Did the youth participate in an EE activity? If
  so, which one(s)?
• SIS data entry
• Was he/she certified? (if applicable)
• SIS data entry
• If youth SCUBA certified, how many recreational
  dives did they complete while at the program?
• SIS data entry
• Is participation in EE incorporated into all
  three components of the UA?
• Observation
• SIS data entry
• Student/staff surveys
• Does the program incorporate EE into its
  educational curriculum?
• Observation
• Lesson plans
• Student/staff surveys

20
Research Questions Program based

1. Did those programs who incorporated EE into
   education have higher educational gains?
2. Did those programs who utilize EE in all three
   components of the UA have lower recidivism rates?
   
3. Did those programs who utilize EE in all three
   components of the UA have higher completion
   rates?
4. Did those programs who utilize EE in all three
   components of the UA have higher staff retention
   rates?

21
Research QuestionsStudent based

• Were those youth who participated in EE less
  likely to re-offend?
• Were those youth who participated in EE more
  likely to complete the program favorably?
• Do those youth who participated in EE as part of
  their education have higher educational gains?

22
Research Questions Staff based

• Do programs that incorporate EE have higher staff
  retention rates?
• Are the teachers who utilize EE in their
  curriculum more likely to be satisfied in their
  jobs?
• Do the teachers who utilize EE in their
  curriculum report lower incidences of behavioral
  issues in class?

23
Challenges

• Data accuracy
• Timeliness of entry
• Consistency
• EE Training
• Money

24
(No Transcript)
25
Questions andDiscussion
26
Contact Information

• Suzanna Sharkey
• Cell 813-395-2558
• Email sas_at_amikids.org
• Website www.amikids.org