After School Sports and Recreation Camp

The community volunteers who made the site visit to the Girls Club After School Sports and Recreation Program spoke highly of the program. Especially noteworthy was the confidence of the girls on-site, the commitment and passion of the staff, improvements in the logic model and means of measuring/demonstrating outcomes. The volunteers were impressed with collaborative efforts with UF and with the practice of sharing transportation with the Boys and Girls Club. Program staff reported they have adopted an evidence-based model for their fitness program that has improved their ability to identify progress. The volunteers encourage the program to maintain existing collaborations and resources, to seek out others that increase program quality and potentially reduce costs. The volunteers were pleased with staff efforts to recruit girls who live in the surrounding neighborhoods and to recruit past participants to return. As a group, the staff presentation convinced the volunteer panel of the value of single-sex programs, especially as girls move into adolescence. However, some panel members expressed concern that may not be the best approach.