Survey: Youth want more evening activities

Do Boundary County youth think there are enough activities available? What activities are youth most interested in attending? What keeps youth from participating in activities?

Most studies have focused on what parents want for their children but a recent survey asked Boundary County youth the questions. The University of Idaho 4-H, Boundary County Youth Coalition and the Boundary County School District worked in partnership to learn more about the perspectives of Boundary County youth. Sixty-nine percent of sixth through twelfth graders completed the survey.

Nearly 60 percent of both high school and middle students disagreed that there is nothing to do after school or on weekends. Likewise, 54 percent of middle school students and 61 percent of high school students agreed they have a place to go after school or on weekends.

While students generally agreed they have places to go, 40 percent of students agreed there is a need for more evening activities/programs in the community, 38 percent were unsure and 21 percent disagreed. A third of middle school students indicated a need for more evening activities, while a quarter of high school students indicated the same need. 

A third of teens agreed there is a need for specific types of programs, such as clubs, sports, music/arts, recreation, tutoring, and leadership. However, 20 to 55 percent of teens were unsure of the need for these same programs. 

Given a list of 15 activities, the types of activities students were most interested in participating in were skiing and hiking trips, intramural sports, cooking classes, and music and arts programs. Middle school students showed high interest in fashion design/sewing and computer lab time, while high school students showed high interest in dance/social events and career development/job shadowing. 

Programs with the lowest level of interest were robotics and First Tech Challenge competitions, creative writing and book clubs, and tutoring. 

The activities with the highest participation currently are intramural sports (22 percent of students), skiing and hiking trips (18 percent), 4-H or scouts (18 percent), and music, theater and arts (15 percent) for middle school students. High school participation is highest in money management (29 percent), intramural sports (21 percent), skiing and hiking trips (17 percent), and music, theater and arts (17 percent).

The assessment revealed that students want more input on activities offered. Three-fourths of students agreed that youth should have more input on the type of activities offered and two-thirds felt youth should have a say in the way activities are run.

The biggest barrier for participation in after school activities was time constraints. Forty-nine percent of students stated they don’t have enough time to participate, 45 percent have a job or other responsibility, and 31 percent responded the activities don’t work into their schedule. 

Other barriers included not knowing anyone involved, not liking what is offered, and not knowing what is available. Fewer students cited cost, transportation, or parental barriers for lack of participation.

One conclusion from the Boundary County Youth Community Needs Assessment was that more evening activities should be considered, other than competitive sports. Teens’ interests are diverse and if they can visualize what the activity will look like or place themselves in it having fun, they will participate according to the assessment.

The high response of “maybe” or “unsure” answers means students aren’t saying “no” but they may want more information before committing according to the report. Involvement is crucial since 60 percent of high school students agreed that trouble happens when they are idle.

As the youth coalition moves forward with designing programs, youth will play a key role in shaping the programs.