Recent high school graduates know how Waltham's youth spend their hours after school.
"Most kids are just going home and sitting," said Dory LeCount, a recent Waltham High School graduate and member of the Waltham Action Research Project. "They're doing homework, but that's something they have to do."
The city provides after-school programs, but not every student takes part in them and this group of students wants to change that.
Last night at the Waltham Public Library, LeCount and six others presented their findings from a six-month study.
During that time, the group interviewed middle and elementary school students and parents and visited five after-school programs.
The group was developed three years ago and comprises upperclassmen from Waltham High and underclassmen from Brandeis University, as well as Brandeis faculty. Each year they've completed research projects on the city's characteristics and offerings, and this year focused on after-school programs.
In December, the Partnership for Youth suggested finding out what kids did in their spare time, said Marina Bartley, Partnership executive director.
After interviewing about 467 middle schools students, the researchers found that about 75 percent knew about available after-school programs. Still, about 40 percent of Kennedy Middle School students and about 51 percent of those at McDevitt said they don't participate.
"A vast majority of the kids go home after school," said Catherine Shea, also a recent Waltham High graduate and researcher.
The most-popular programs were sports or Mall Mania, which offers several activities for all middle school students.
At the elementary level, 52 percent of students at Northeast Elementary, said they participate in an after-school program, for the most part at Northeast with the rest involved in Cub Scouts or Girl Scouts. Only 19 percent of that number, though, said they go every day, while 73 percent said some days.
After conducting online surveys, the research group found that 60 percent of Middle School parents said their children took part in after-school activities. Thirty-three percent said their children didn't attend because they weren't interested. Others said transportation was a factor, as many of the programs end around 5 p.m., and parents said they weren't able to pick up their children until 6.
"If a child cannot walk to an after-school program, and there is no transportation, they can't get there," LeCount said.
And after looking at the programs offered by Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Mall Mania, and the Recreation Department, the research group agreed that students already had a variety of options.
They made some recommendations to improve them: get the word out more to parents about programs, increase the number of days that programs are held, offer intramural programs and give students a chance to serve the community one way or another.
"The first step is to really figure out what they (students) want," said high school senior and group member Pinkey Shah. Shah said students need to be interested and not feel forced to take part in an activity.
"I think with community service, it will help the youth in Waltham to really grow up," Shea added.
Mall Mania coordinator Patrick Daly said many students who are cut from sports teams could play in intramural programs where they wouldn't be subject to cuts.
Parents are also impressed with the ideas the research project generated with opportunities for improvement.
"They've learned how to do surveys, and I think they've become more compassionate about citizens," said Shea's mother, Sharon.
WARP has also compiled its findings into a written report which will be forwarded to Bartley within a week. She will then forward it to Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, the School Committee, and several youth organizations.
"It doesn't have to be complicated," Bartley said. "It can be small."
Matt Perkins can be reached at 781-398-8009 or at mperkins@cnc.com.
