earticle

영어

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and meanings of elementary school students participating in Youth After-School Academy which is one of the public after-school care services. For data collection, qualitative research including in-depth interviews and participant observation was conducted in A Youth After-School Academy located in D city. The results are as follows. First of all, the motivation for participation is from friends or family members who have attended or absence of adults who care teen children at home. Next, the youth experiences of participating in consisting programs of the After-School Academy are differentiated. First, studying academic subject matters could be more interesting when classes are organized based on hands-on activities and games. Second, participating in the specialized activities and self developed clubs are more preferred than academic classes. Also, participants and their families are satisfied with safety and care provided by the academy, although meal service is continuously complained in terms of quality and taste. Based on their experiences, participants draw several meanings such as emotional relationships with their teachers, improvement of self-reliance by participating in the volunteer activities in their neighborhood, and development of sociality through various interactions with classmates and friends.