Citation
Britner, P., Buch, R., Colon, R., Milan, S., Singer, M., & Snow, S. (2009). Youth work and learn at Our Piece of the Pie (OPP): Findings of the formative evaluation of Connecticut's youth development model. Storrs, CT: Center for Health, Intervention and Prevention, University of Connecticut.
Highlights
- This report describes the work of Our Piece of the Pie (OPP), an organization that gives young people in Hartford, CT, access to a range of services, including academic assistance, vocational training, and guidance from caring adults trained to provide mentorship and other support.
- The study aimed to gather information on the characteristics of the youth served by OPP, their participation in program activities, and the progress they made in reaching academic and employment goals.
- The evaluation team conducted direct observations of intervention activities, interviews with program staff and participants, and surveys of participating youth. It also drew on program data collected by OPP.
- The study found that most participants spent a considerable amount of time with their mentors each week, with some also taking advantage of career advancement and educational preparation services. Although participating youth were making progress on their goals at the time of the evaluation, particularly in achieving educational milestones, the authors suggested that the program could benefit by strengthening participant-mentor relationships, adapting programming for special populations, and improving the quality of program data.
Intervention Examined
Our Piece of the Pie (OPP)