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Fifth Ward Enrichment Program
This is a summary of
the Fifth Ward Enrichment Program (FWEP) in Houston, Texas. FWEP is an
independent non-profit organization whose purpose is to enable boys to
become responsible men and citizens.
Goal 1:
to improve the mental and emotional health of at-risk boys attending middle
schools in the Fifth Ward.
Objective
A: Participants will routinely interact with adult male
role models as indicated by program attendance records.
Objective B: Students referred for behavioral
problems will direct impulsive, aggressive energies and covert acting
out experiences into mature methods of expressions as documented by
decreases in school disciplinary reports and/or conduct ratings.
Goal 2:
To promote the overall academic productivity of FWEP participants.
Objective
A: At-risk FWEP participants will demonstrate mastery
of specific essential elements identified by the Houston Independent
School District foundation teachers as skill deficiencies.
Objective B: Participants will increase their
school attendance to 96%.
Goal 3:
To increase positive interactions between participants and their parents
and to promote the involvement of parents in their children's educational
development.
Objective
A: Parents of participants will be regularly informed
of effective parenting methods through parent conferences and parent
support groups.
Objective B: Parents of participants will
be provided with opportunities for bonding through regularly scheduled
parent/child social activities.
Goal 4:
To promote positive interaction between Houston Independent School District
(HISD) faculty and FWEP participants.
Objective:
To provide technical assistance, support and information to HISD faculty
on working with parents, students and the community of the Fifth Ward.
Goal 5:
To improve the coordination of community social services.
Objective:
To establish a network of resources and follow-up services for participants
successfully completing the FWEP.
Program Levels
Participant
level -- enhance the boys' self-esteem,
raise educational aspirations and attainment, and teach life management
and communication skills.
Family
level -- improve parenting skills and foster empowerment.
School
level -- improve the social climate.
Program Components
Academic
-- help participants acquire the skills to complete high school.
Therapeutic
-- weekly individual and group counseling sessions.
Enrichment
-- supplement other program aspects through a diverse range of cultural,
educational, and recreational experiences.
Funding
The initial
funding and technical support was provided by the Ima Hogg Fund for Mental
Health. Brown & Root, Exxon-USA, the Southland Corporation, United
Way, and others have also provided assistance and support.
Evaluation
An evaluation
of project activities was conducted over a three-year period. The analysis
was based on four samples. Three of these were for one-year periods of
participation, and one covered two years. The boys in the one-year samples
were found to have few meaningful attitudinal and behavioral changes.
The parents of these participants also revealed few of the hoped-for changes.
Participation in the program for a two-year period did, however, bring
about significant increases in the boys' self-concepts, self-reliance,
and conduct ratings. The two-year cohort also received substantially fewer
disciplinary reports.
Overall,
none of the boys who participated in the program became involved with
drugs or the juvenile justice system. A much higher proportion of the
FWEP participants remained in school compared to a random sample of their
peers who attended the same middle school.
The
results of the study showed that interactions between the men and the
boys were successful in positively changing the boys' attitudes and behavior.
This summary is provided by the Texas Youth Commission. For more information about programs and research relating to children, youth, and family issues, contact us by e-mail at prevention@tyc.state.tx.us or by telephone at (512) 424-6336.
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Prevention Summary
Texas Youth Commission