Every year, Pro-Youth conducts at least two surveys of our students. The first survey is conducted approximately mid-year and informs us about student perspectives and their experience in HEART. The second survey is conducted towards the end of the school year and shows progress towards these goals. Following are the summary results of the mid-year student survey, conducted in October 2011. In all, 2,855 students were surveyed.

I feel safe at HEART
The core of the HEART Program is to provide a safe place for children to be in the out-of-school hours. This has shaped the organization and was a strong influence on how the program is delivered at site. It is therefore of primary importance to hear from these children if they actually feel safe while in our care.

I like the HEART Program
While this is a very simple and generic question, it is important for us that the students like and enjoy the program. It is far more likely that a student will want to return to an activity they like or feel secure in than one that they don't. It helps keep us focused on making the activities appropriate and appealing to the students and improves their ability to gain mastery in various learning activities and expands their horizons and awareness.

I am learning new things at HEART
Learning is a lifelong activity, and we are focused on continually challenging our students. We want the children to be excited about learning new things and to always not think of learning as "work". Our goal is to strengthen memory recall and learning based on diverse exposures: seeing, hearing, touching, and doing.

HEART helps me make friends
Social interaction is a very important factor in youth development. The ability to communicate and build appropriate relationships in a safe environment is a key component of our program so that listening, supporting, and resolving differences so that accountability to each other builds trusting relationships.

I talk to my parents/guardian about HEART
Along with encouraging students to talk about their homework with their parents, HEART also encourages students to talk about their HEART experience. This could include relating how their day went, to fun or exciting activities, or what they learned. This serves the dual purpose of keeping the parents informed from their child's perspective, and also to encourage the child to have conversations with adults.

The HEART Program teaches me how to avoid gangs
Pro-Youth, and therefore the HEART Program, was born out of our community's desire to combat the growth of gang activity in the area. As such, gang awareness and efforts to provide children an alternative to gangs forms a key component of our daily program. Hearing from the children and guiding their understanding improves their decision-making skills.

Do you think you need to join a gang to be safe?
This helps us measure the perception among our children of several things - their place in society, the significance of gangs, and their role in assuring their own safety, among many others. It guides our approach to the children and their families.

The HEART program teaches me how to avoid drugs.
The HEART Program makes a great effort to teach children the tools necessary to build a healthy and productive future as a contributing member of the community. This necessarily includes education about drugs and drug use, and allows us to review the programs we use to inform them about how their choices impact their lives.

Do you think drugs make you cool?
Again, this is simply an indicator of the childen's perception of the role of drugs in their lives. It gives us a sense of how effective the Program is, along with reinforcement by their families, in making adjustments to how staff can modify their approach with the children.

I am learning about healthy food at HEART
HEART includes a component on PE and Nutrition in order to help children realize a healthy lifestyle. This is one way we contribute to the effort against childhood obesity, currently so prevalent in our society.

Once the school year started, I have wanted to go to school ...
This is based on our requirement that out-of-school time and activities should eventually help improve regular day-school attendance. This is a good starting point and it can be seen that two-thirds of the students want to go to school every day. Our goal is to engage them so that the motivation for going to school improves.

Since the school year started, I have received some kind of help with my homework ...
Homework assistance is part of the core HEART Program. Our goal is not to have the students always finish their homework while they are with us, but instead, to use their homework time wisely. This is more important since it also includes developing good study habits, getting a good grasp of concepts, and strengthens their focus on academics.

I help decide what we are going to do at HEART.
It is very important that children learn early on to function within a community, and this includes the understanding and ability to contribute to decisions within that community. While building a sense of community, it also teaches the skills of negotiation, prioritization, and government necessary in adult life. Collaborative learning provides opportunities to explore new information.