[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-590494-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":79,"doc-detail-590494-en":129},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":72,"head_meta":74,"extra_data":76,"updated_unix":78},105,"en","the-power-of-concentrated-activity-transformative-work-in-programs-for-children-and-youth","The Power of Concentrated Activity - transformative work in Programs for Children and Youth","","The text examines how youth programs, especially during out-of-school hours, can use meaningful “work” to create positive, transformative experiences. It connects children’s natural drive to make—physical, intellectual, artistic, and social activities—with growth in identity, worth, recognition, respect, independence, livelihood, and vocation. Drawing on research and examples from afterschool efforts, it outlines program characteristics such as opportunities for contribution, trusting relationships, high expectations, and engaging activities.",{"@graph":14,"@context":71},[15,34,54],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-power-of-concentrated-activity-transformative-work-in-programs-for-children-and-youth/590494/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":48,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":49,"interactionStatistic":50},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-power-of-concentrated-activity-transformative-work-in-programs-for-children-and-youth/590494.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Pentious","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":51,"interactionType":52,"userInteractionCount":22},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":53},"ViewAction",{"@type":55,"mainEntity":56},"FAQPage",[57,63,67],{"name":58,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":60},"What does “transformative work” mean in the text?","Question",{"text":61,"@type":62},"It refers to engagement in physical, intellectual, artistic, and other challenging activities that lead to growth, development, and change in participants and those around them.","Answer",{"name":64,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":65},"Why are out-of-school youth programs described as uniquely positioned?",{"text":66,"@type":62},"Because they have a history and potential for engaging young people in experiences that can transform their lives in positive ways.",{"name":68,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":69},"Which characteristics of programs are identified as supporting healthy development?",{"text":70,"@type":62},"Providing opportunities for contribution, caring and trusting relationships, high expectations, and engaging activities.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":73,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":75,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":77,"site_id":7},590494,1792077085,{"code":4,"msg":80,"data":81},"success",[82,86,90,94,99,104,108,113,118,121,125],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":83,"show_sort_weight":84,"slug":85},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":87,"show_sort_weight":88,"slug":89},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":95,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},7,40,"healthcare",{"id":109,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":114,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":120},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":122,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":123,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":124},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":127,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":128},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":80,"data":130},{"doc_id":77,"user_id":131,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":105,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":22,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":122,"language":138,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":139,"faqs":140,"seo_title":141,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":142,"read_time":143},1374404730887,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","The Power of Concentrated Activity  \ntransformativework  \nin Programs forChildren and Youth  \nChildren, and people more generally, are builders, makers, speakers, creators. The making of works and work itself, are in large measure whatwe humansareabout. Held within that wide embrace are what we knowand name as identity, worth, recognition and respect; and also, independence, livelihood and vocation. Looking at children fromthis perspective calls attention to that strong desire to make—things and sense; aworld anda life—as broadly descriptive ofusas persons, asselves.  \nPatricia F. Carini (1994)  \nby lena o. townsend  \nYouth programs that meet during the out-of  \nschool hours, particularly those offered by  \norganizations that have historically collaborat  \ned with their community members to support their interests and meet their needs, are in a unique position. These programs have the potential for and a history of engaging young people in experiences that can transform their lives in the most positive ways. In this article, I will explore the nature of engagement in  \nLena O. Townsend isExecutive Director of The Robert Bowne Foundation, which awards grants to more than 50 Community-Based Organizations each year and offers assistance to granteesin youth literacy and program development, capacity building and fund raising. She hasan M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University and an [M.P.A. in](M.P.A. in) Not-for-Profit Management and Policy at NYU’s WagnerSchool.  \nSpring2003 Afterschool Matters 3  \nphoto © Elsa Ruiz  \nwhat will be referred to as “work” and some of the transformative experiences that can and do occur asa result of this “work.” I will also highlight and celebrate those programs that engage youngsters in developmentally appropriate transformative experiences. My hope is that more youth programs will rethink their offeringsand create programs that can truly engage young  \npeople in positive transformative experiences.  \nAt the present time, a great deal of both national and local attention is focused on the American public education system. In New York City, for example, educational standards have been developed and implemented. Thereis wide recognition that schools are expected to play a crucial role in the intellectual development of young people. However, in 1992 the Carnegie Foundation reported in its publication, A Matter of Time: Risk and Opportunity in the Nonschool Hours, that “Only 60 percent of adolescents’ waking hours are committed to such essentials as school, homework, eating, chores, or paid employment, while fully 40 percent are discretionary.” It is probablysafe to assume that  \nan even greater percentage of time spent by early adolescents and children is discretionary because they are less likely tobe employed. Clearly, in addition to schools, young people both have and need other supports, such as their families, places of worship and communitybased youth programs, where they can be safely involved in programs that support healthy physical, intellectual and social development.  \nWhat is necessary for healthy development? Participants in the Fund for the City of New York’s Youth Development Institute, consisting of staff members from some of the most effective after school programs in New York City, met regularly for two years to discuss and identify the characteristics of programs that support children and young adults in becoming healthy,  \nresilient individuals who respect, care for and support themselves, their families, friends, communities and the world in which they live. These characteristics, described in their publication, A Guided Tour of Youth Development, include:  \n• providing young people with opportunities for contribution;  \n• caring and trusting relationships;  \n• high expectations; and  \n• engaging activities.  \nThese characteristics, however, do not develop in a vacuum but through engagement in meaningful social, physical, artistic and intellectual activities. These activ","cbCaioT7cZG6KhG3","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioT7cZG6KhG3","pdf",129599,"English","# Youth programs and transformative engagement\n## Work, development, and positive change\n## Program characteristics that support healthy development\n## Philosophical basis for engagement in “work”","[{\"question\":\"What does “transformative work” mean in the text?\",\"answer\":\"It refers to engagement in physical, intellectual, artistic, and other challenging activities that lead to growth, development, and change in participants and those around them.\"},{\"question\":\"Why are out-of-school youth programs described as uniquely positioned?\",\"answer\":\"Because they have a history and potential for engaging young people in experiences that can transform their lives in positive ways.\"},{\"question\":\"Which characteristics of programs are identified as supporting healthy development?\",\"answer\":\"Providing opportunities for contribution, caring and trusting relationships, high expectations, and engaging activities.\"}]","The Power of Concentrated Activity - transformative work in Programs for Children and Youth | PDF",1792069751,25]