Social-Emotional Outcomes Differ Based on Activity Participation among Youth from Low-Income Backgrounds

Background: Out-of-school-time (OST) activities can be rich developmental settings characterized by engaging experiences that foster robust relationships with peers and adults; however, few researchers have examined how participation in activities may differ between the summer and school year, their link to outcomes, and these relationships among youth from low-income backgrounds who often experience barriers to participation. Purpose: We examined how summertime or school-year OST activity participation was related to outcomes. Method: We conducted secondary analyses of two evaluation datasets of youth from low-income backgrounds. Data were collected via surveys before camp ( N = 318) or a school-based program ( N = 2,937). We used structural equation models to examine relationships between outcomes and total or specific OST activities. Results: Youth participated in activities at different frequencies within each time of year and between times of the year and OST participation during the summer and school year was related to outcomes. Implications: The results align with research linking OST activities to development and extend the literature by enhancing the generalizability of previous findings and by comparing summer and school-year activity participation. These results should be used to support efforts to create more equitable access to high-quality OST programs for youth from low-income backgrounds.