“It Validates Her Identity”: A Mixed Methods Approach to Examining Culture, Context, and Family Engagement in an Urban Afterschool Program for Black and Hispanic Girls

Neighborhood OST (out-of-school-time) programs can provide a safe and accessible setting and promote positive youth development for Black and Hispanic girls in under-resourced communities. The present mixed-methods study examined program-level cultural and contextual influences in family engagement among 24 girl-caregiver dyads (aged 11–15, 83% Black, 13% Hispanic) in a partnering OST program, Girl Power Rocks, Inc. While quantitative analyses minimally revealed girls’ perceptions of cultural respect was positively associated with girls’ engagement, qualitative analyses elucidated nuance in overlapping and differential themes and subthemes among girls and caregivers. Both girls and caregivers reported on four identified themes contributing to their engagement in OST programming: culture, context, gender, and positive youth development and prevention. While girls reported more on the importance of having a safe supportive space to discuss coping with community violence and discrimination, advocate for their communities, and socialize with friends; caregivers focused on program features fostering healthy development into adulthood for their girls (e.g., communication skills, future orientation, educational support), female empowerment, and program-facilitated experiences beyond their community. Findings provide support for tailoring programs to Black and Hispanic girls and families’ unique needs to increase engagement and maximize positive youth development.