Bridges to the Future (BTF) is a Genesee County program that uses an adaptive youth development model to reinforce fundamentals learned during the school day by providing fun and creative learning experiences after school. The program provides cultural, academic, and recreational enrichment to youth and their families through quality after-school activities. The primary goal of the program is to assist youth in meeting their developmental needs and milestones. Youth who participate in BTF are provided with opportunities to engage in activities that foster youth leadership, youth empowerment, and asset building.

This project includes a mixed-methods approach that utilizes the power of both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods to assess the extent to which the program is fulfilling its goals. Through the use of structured interviews (of youth, their parents, teachers, and BTF staff) and surveys (of youth, their parents, and BTF staff), we assess the extent to which BTF is providing the core program components, and the influence of the program on participants.

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Additional CERC members: Jason Almerigi, Tomuel Scott
Funder: United Way of Genesee County; C.S. Mott Foundation
MSU Partners: Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative; Department of Psychology; Department of Educational Administration
Community Partners: United Way of Genesee County; Genesee Intermediate School District; Flint Community Schools

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