[00:00:06] Welcome to School: After Hours, where we talk about all things related to out of school time programming and education. I am your host, J. Lee, and today we're talking about one of the most overlooked parts of youth programming, closure. Not just ending the program, not just saying goodbye, but intentionally capturing the experience while it's still fresh.
[00:00:29] Because here's the truth, if you wait until summer to reflect on what happened, you will forget the moments that mattered most. And even more importantly, if you don't collect student feedback, stories, and data before the last day of school or the last day of programming, you lose one of the biggest opportunities to prove your program's impact.
[00:00:54] So today we're going to be talking about student reflections, testimonials and showcases, what data to collect before the last day, and how to turn moments into stories you can actually use. Let's go ahead and get into it. Now, one mistake a lot of programs make is treating the last week like cleanup week.
[00:01:17] But the last few days are actually some of the most important days of the entire program. Why? Because students are finally able to reflect on what they learned, what they enjoyed, what challenged them, what relationships mattered, and how the program impacted them. This is also the moment where students are often most emotional and honest.
[00:01:45] And those reflections, those are the ones that are important. Those are the stories funders, schools, families, and future parents need to hear. So instead of rushing through closure, slow down and intentionally capture it. Now let's go ahead and get into student reflections and testimonials. To do this, you do not need a giant production setup to collect meaningful student reflections. You just need a structure.
[00:02:16] Here's a few easy ways to do it. Write reflection prompts. Some of those reflection prompts could be, what was your favorite moment for this year? Was something new you learned? What challenged you the most this year? What advice would you give next year's students? And, or, what's one word that can describe your experience? Now if you have smaller children and you want them to participate in something like this, you can make it very simple. You can narrow it down to these three things.
[00:02:47] I learned, I liked, and I wish. Now you can also collect video testimonies. Those are very powerful. You can use those for your social media. You can use those for different campaigns. You can use those for future advertisement videos that you want to make. These are very powerful and it's always good to have these on hand. So, you can set up a simple recording station where kids can sit and be comfortable. Ask students, what did this program mean to you?
[00:03:17] What was your favorite project? And last but not least, how did this program help you? Keep it short. 30 seconds to a minute is enough. Another great thing to do while closing out the year is have a showcase, a celebration event, so kids can show the work that they've been doing. Don't just tell people what students did. Give them a chance to see it in action.
[00:03:42] Some of the ways that can be done is through a gallery walk during your showcase, doing student-led projects, performances that can take place, and then you can also host a family fun event night. The key is helping students become the storytellers because student voice is always more powerful than program marketing. And here's a sidebar. As you're putting this showcase together, make a task list so you know exactly what needs to be done.
[00:04:11] It helps you stay organized and shows you which tasks you can delegate to your staff so you're not handling all the logistics by yourself. Now, let's talk about data. And I know sometimes people hear data and immediately think, spreadsheets and stress. I completely get it. But data collection does not have to be complicated. Your goal is simple. Collect enough information to understand the impact and improve the program.
[00:04:38] Here are the key things you should collect before the last day of programming. Attendance data, student and family surveys, and staff observations. Staff observations are not what you think, but I'll give you more context when we get down to that part. So let's start with attendance. When you look at attendance data, look for consistencies, patterns, drop-off points, and high attendance activities.
[00:05:08] This helps you identify what students were really into and what they enjoyed. Next, you want to think about the structure of your student and family surveys. The main thing is, as you are making the surveys, they should be short, sweet, simple, to the point. Nobody wants to fill out a 40-question survey during the last week.
[00:05:32] Focus on questions that capture program enjoyment, student engagement, sense of belonging, skill development, and favorite activities. And that one will come in handy the most because you know what you could recycle for the following year and also what you need to put aside and replace. And since families notice growth differently than staff do, their feedback surveys should ask questions like,
[00:06:01] did your child enjoy the program? Did you notice any changes or growth in your child after they started participating with us? And what would you like to see in our program next year? It gives you more of an idea of how you can assist families but also continue to pour in the students that you serve. In this feedback process, it's also important to give staff a role. Have them complete an observation form that does a few things.
[00:06:31] This form will document student growth, identify program and student challenges, also pinpoint behavior improvements, leadership moments, and engagement shifts. These qualitative observations matter because they give you a different perspective of the program outside of your own. Last but not least in this process is collecting program artifacts. What do I mean? Well, let me tell you.
[00:07:01] Make sure that you are keeping samples and you're saving certain things. Some of those things that you can save are student work, photos that you've taken, whether you're going on trips or photos of different events that you've done at programming. Lesson examples, when the children are done with their final work. Keep those that capture the lesson the best. And all of those other wonderful things as far as artifacts is concerned. Maybe it was a favorite saying.
[00:07:31] Maybe it was a quote. Maybe it was an aha moment a student had and they were able to fill it out on a form or write it down on a paper for a specific discussion activity or circle time that you all may have. Keep those things. Those items, they build the proof that your program is being impactful and also that you are building a skill set, not just memories. Finally, let's talk about how we can turn all of these things into stories.
[00:08:02] Here's where a lot of programs go from. They collect the data, they save the photos, and maybe create a folder. But they never actually turn the information into stories. And stories are what people remember. For example, don't just say students improve communication skills while they participated in your program.
[00:08:25] Instead, say, at the beginning of the semester, one student refused to speak during program activities. But by the final showcase, they were hosting and leading actual portions of the showcase in front of family and friends. Now, that's a story people want to learn more about. How this child has developed and grown while they participated in this particular program. Stories create emotional connections.
[00:08:51] Stories help with funding, recruitment, partnerships, staff morale, family trust, and community support. So as you collect reflections and data, ask yourself, what moments represent the transformation we wanted students to experience? Capture those moments, write them down, and save them. In closing, as you wrap up your program, remember, closure is not the end.
[00:09:20] It's documentation, it's reflection, it's storytelling, and it's preparation for what's next. Before the last day arrives, make sure you're collecting student feedback, gathering meaningful data, saving artifacts and examples, and turn moments into stories that prove your impact. Because the programs that grow are the programs that can clearly communicate what changed. Thanks for listening.
[00:09:48] And make sure that you sign up for our newsletter so you can download the Impact Report workbook that covers the information we'll be discussing in this series. I'll see you all in next week's episode where we'll talk about staff debriefing, retention, and building a strong team for next year. Well, everyone, that brings us to the end of our show. If you like what you heard and you enjoyed our conversation, make sure that you're following us on YouTube, but also hit that like button so we know what you are enjoying.
[00:10:18] You can also find us on other podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts if you want to listen to our audio version as well. To get more behind the scenes stuff, make sure that you're following us on our social media accounts, Instagram and Facebook at School After Hours. Well, that's all I have for today. In the words of Mr. Arthur Ashe, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can. Until next time, y'all.
[00:10:48] Bye-bye.