Making Every Day Count - Teens

The Teens in the Study 11them less than 10 minutes to get home from theClub (see Table 4). This ease of access, combinedwith the long hours Clubs are open and the factthat teens can “drop in” when they choose, maycontribute to regular attendance.SummaryThe 322 teens followed over the two and a halfyears of the evaluation reflect a group of youthfaced with economic challenges (over 70 percentreported receiving free- or reduced-price lunch)and potentially significant life stressors that placethem at risk of not achieving healthy outcomes.In other areas, however, these youth, as a group,started the evaluation period faring relatively well.Academically, 70 percent reported getting As or Bsin school. In addition, as seventh and eight graders,youth’s reported rates of involvement in risk behaviorswere not particularly high for this age group:36 percent had ever drunk alcohol (11 percent inthe past 30 days); 8 percent had ever tried marijuana;and 3 percent had been on probation. Thus,as we examine in the following chapters, the studyis able to illuminate the extent to which Clubs supportyouth in maintaining a positive trajectory andkeep them out of many of the troubles that begin tosurface as youth move into high school.Table 3Tenure at the Clubs Prior to the Study1 month or less 10.0%2 to 3 months 6.1%More than 3 months, but less than 1 year 5.8%1 to 2 years 19.0%More than 2 years, but less than 5 years 27.1%5 years or more 31.9%Source: Winter 2006 survey of 322 seventh and eighth graders.Table 4Youth’s Proximity to Boys & Girls ClubsHow Youth Usually Get to the ClubWalking/biking/skateboarding 54.5%Family member drives 21.9%Public transportation 12.6%School bus 6.1%Club bus or van 2.6%Neighbor/family friend drives 2.3%How Long It Takes Youth to Get HomeLess than 10 minutes 59.9%11 to 20 minutes 22.6%21 to 30 minutes 7.7%More than 30 minutes 9.8%Source: Winter 2006 survey of 322 seventh and eighth graders.