National Study of Girl Neighborhood Power: An Out-of-School Program for Girls Ages 9 to 14

• NCJ Number: 203466
• Author(s): Janine M. Zweig; Asheley Van Ness
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 76 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Corporate Author: The Urban Institute
• Sale Source: The Urban Institute; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded December 29, 2003.

Annotation

This study evaluated the types of activities offered through the Girl Neighborhood Power (GNP) initiative and addressed the question of whether GNP assists girls in living healthier lives.

Abstract

In 1997, the national GNP initiative was launched in an effort to address the unique needs of girls aged 9 to 14 living in low-income neighborhoods. The goal of GNP is to support communities in offering programs for girls that build healthy behaviors and create meaningful community participation. GNP programs are thus designed to provide out-of-school activities and services for young female residents of low-income neighborhoods. The current study evaluated the four community programs that were selected to implement the federally-funded GNP initiative through 2002: Madison, WI; Memphis, TN; Rapid City, SD; and York, PA. Evaluation techniques included focus groups conducted with GNP participants, their parents, and GNP direct program staff, and two waves of survey data provided by participants and their parents. The results of both the quantitative and qualitative data, while mixed, indicate that GNP programs had a positive influence on girls’ social, psychological, academic, and behavioral adjustment. Results of the focus group analysis reveals that girls developed social skills and self-confidence as a result of their involvement with GNP programs. Furthermore, girls reported developing leadership skills, an understanding of the importance of community service, and the importance of abstaining from drug use. Lower levels of health risk behaviors and lower levels of sexual activity were also reported by GNP participants. Other results indicate that community partners perceived the GNP programs as valuable out-of-school activities and reported meaningful interactions with GNP program staff. Areas for improvement are noted in the report and include efforts to include GNP participants in GNP programming options and increasing participant autonomy. A second area of improvement involves the implementation of activities designed to improve conflict resolution techniques, while the final recommendation identifies high staff turnover as a barrier to successfully working with community partners. Taken together, the evaluation indicates that the federally-funded GNP initiative is successful in building healthy behaviors in young girls who live in low-income neighborhoods. Tables, figures, references, appendix