Provide Students in Selected Schools Opportunities to Participate in Non-School Time Academic, Cultural and Recreational Activities as Alternatives to Delinquent Behviors

Operation QT will provide programs at each of 18 campuses in Phoenix, Glendale, and Mesa. The programs will provide recreational, academic and cultural activities to at-risk youth as an alternative to at-risk behaviors such as involvement in gangs and juvenile delinquency. The formation of healthy peer groups will build self confidence and self esteem in the youth. Programming will enhance academic skills in a supervised, productive environment during after school hours when juvenile crime, drug/alcohol use, and pregnancies can occur. The goals of the program are to: improve academic achievement for all participating students; enhance students' exposure to cultural disciplines such as music, art drama and dance; offer recreational activities and build self esteem; overcome students' sense of hopelessness and reduce the number of student discipline problems (substance abuse, violent behavior, insubordination, truancy, etc). In terms of performance measurement, each school will maintain records on the number of individual students served in each of the after school activities; the program will document the total number of participants in all activities provided each month; each school will monitor and report academic achievement by participating students and each school will use its serious discipline referrals to compare statistics with those participating in QT sponsored activities with those choosing not to participate. NCA/NCF