Needs Assessment of Recreational Space in Frog HollowPrepared by: Brigitte
Schultz·Associate Professor of Political Science·Trinity College Prepared for: Hartford Areas Rally Together·660
Park Avenue Trinity Center for Neighborhoods I. Introduction Before addressing the programs currently available to youths in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, a few general pieces of relevant information are in order. This information is based on official 1990 US census data. Frog Hollow's population of 11,110 is poorer than the city average. There are 2,433 families in Frog Hollow, 41% of which live below the poverty level. For families with children the situation is worse: 54% of families with children under 18, and 65% of families with children under age 5, live in poverty. The highest poverty levels are found in the 1,029 female-headed households: 85% of those with children under age 5, and 75% of those with children between the ages of 6 and 17, live below the poverty level. 24.5% of Frog Hollow residents are currently married, 12.6% are divorced, 7.4% are widowed, 7% are separated, and 48.5% are single. Two of the five Frog Hollow census tracts (5030 and 5028) have the highest population density in the city. 75% of Frog Hollow families live in 1- or 2-bedroom apartments. Over half (52%) pay 30% of more of their income on rent. Half of all Frog Hollow families have no car, while another 35% have one car. The rest have either 2 cars (12%) or 3 cars (3%). Another significant factor is that almost half (49%) of Frog Hollow residents have no high school diplomas. The per capita income ranges from $5,269 (Tract 5028) to $10,258 (Tract 5030). Unemployment stands at 18% (11% for the city as a whole), with male unemployment at 20% versus 16% for females. The racial composition of the Frog Hollow neighborhood has changed dramatically over the recent past. Between 1980 and 1990, the share of white residents has dropped by well over half to the current level of 18.5%. Hispanic residents made up 35% of the population in 1980 and now make up roughly 70% (62.2% are Puerto Rican). African Americans make up 10% of the Frog Hollow population. In Tract 5028, the share of Hispanic residents is 77%. Spanish is the language spoken in 30% of the homes, with that share reaching almost half in Tract 5028. Frog Hollow has a young population, with the median age of 25 (the Hartford median is 28.6). The number of children in Frog Hollow's population is higher than the average for the city of Hartford. Almost one out of three Frog Hollow residents (roughly 3,700) is under the age of 18, 1,205 of them under 5. Tract 5028 has the largest percentage of residents under 18: 41%. 81% of Frog Hollow residents who are under age 18 are of Hispanic descent. The picture that emerges from these statistics is that children growing up in the Frog Hollow neighborhood are likely to live in crowded apartments that leave little space for in-door playing. Chances are that at least one of the adults in the household does not have a high school diploma, and about a third of the children do not grow up in English-speaking households. Transportation is also a big problem, as the overwhelming number of children grow up in households that have either no or only one car. II. Where do Frog Hollow Kids Go to School? Finding the exact number of children attending elementary, middle, and high school turned into an unexpectedly daunting task. The closest we were able to come to authoritative figures was through Connecticut's State Department of Education, Bureau of Evaluation and Student Assessment. The figures provided by this Department are based on actual enrollment on October 1st of every year. The four main schools serving Frog Hollow children in grades K-8 are Burns, McDonough, and Maria Sanchez Elementary Schools, and South Middle School. Following is a breakdown of enrollment at these schools from October 1, 1990 through October 1, 1995. South Middle School has only existed since 1991, and the Maria Sanchez School since 1992. Numerical discrepancies are the result of unassigned students. Burns School (195 Putnam Street)
McDonough School (100 Wilson)
Maria Sanchez School (176 Babcock)
South Middle School (215 South Street)
The above figures indicate that total enrollment at these four schools was 2,522 in 1995 compared to 2,693 students in 1992, the first year for which statistics for all four schools are available. Despite wildly fluctuating numbers for individual years and grade levels, the overall number of children in grades 1-8 appears to have stayed about the same. There is, however, a roughly 10% increase between 1990 and 1995 in the number of children attending first and second grades, indicating that the number of children in the Frog Hollow neighborhood may actually be on the increase. Figures for high school students are not available separately for Frog Hollow youths. Assuming that the South Middle School figures reflect more or less accurately the number of Frog Hollow students moving into high school, the current number of high school students from the Frog Hollow neighborhood stands at between 600 and 800. According to the 1990 official census, there were 769 youths aged 16-19 in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, 283 (36.8%) of whom were not enrolled in school. Of those who were not enrolled in school, 238 (30.9%) lacked high school diplomas, reflecting a very high drop out rate from high school. III. Present After-School Activities For Frog Hollow Youths There are a great number of programs available for after-school recreational activities. Following is a brief description of each: Hartford Action Plan Hartford Action Plan runs "Always on Saturday," a 32-week program aimed at 9-13 year old boys to teach about male sexuality and sexual responsibility. Generally, there are 10-12 boys in the program, although the capacity is 20. The program begins in October and takes place at Mi Casa Family Service and Educational Center at 510 Park Street from 10AM-12AM or 10AM-1:30PM on alternate weeks. The longer meetings include lunch and often field trips. The program is free for participating youths. The main problem mentioned concerning the program is that there is a lack of adult Latino males willing to work with the children and to serve as role models. Hartford Dance Initiative This is a ballroom dancing class that takes place at McDonough School for youth ages 8-12 held after school on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-5PM. Hartford Neighborhood Centers After-school programs are available for children ages 5-13 on Mondays through Fridays from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. The number of children enrolled in the program is 80, with average daily attendance 60 kids. Students come in every day to receive individualized help with their homework between 3:30 and 4:15 PM. Help is provided by HNC staff as well as student volunteers from Trinity College. A file is kept on each child in order to monitor individual progress. The program seeks to establish lines of communication between the tutor, the parents, and the teacher of the child in order to ensure the child's academic progress. After 4:15, children are given snacks and then participate in enrichment activities designed to be fun but also educational. There are seven types of enrichment programs:
HNC also plans to hold educational workshops twice a month dealing with pertinent youth issues, including violence prevention and positive communication. As a reward to those children who behave well and have exemplary attendance, there will also be field trips every month, including trips to the library to teach about how to take out books. Transportation is provided for those who need it. Mi Casa Mi Casa has a very extensive number of programs available to Latino youths. Programs take place from Monday through Saturday for children ages 10-17. Before kids are allowed to join an individual program, they must attend a full 1-year program named "Phatt" ("People having alternative thoughts together") that teaches life issues such as Aids, substance abuse, and pregnancies. The format is basically that of an open forum/debate club. The program annually has between 40 and 60 enrolled participants and meets on Wednesdays from 5-6PM. Following is a breakdown of the Mi Casa programs available after graduation from Phatt:
During the coming school year, Mi Casa plans to expand its offerings to include computer classes on one night a week, swimming classes at the Pope Park Recreational Center on Mondays and Wednesdays, a tutorial program, as well as baseball and football on the weekends. OPMAD (Organized Parents Make A Difference) OPMAD operates after-school activities directly at individual schools, using parents to create and develop programs in close cooperation with students. The programs are run by community volunteers and are funded by the Department of Education via the City of Hartford. Getting enough parents to volunteer for the programs is the biggest difficulty. During the 1995/96 school year, OPMAD served 1,049 children at the four schools listed above. That makes OPMAD the largest after-school program for Frog Hollow kids in grades K-8. The following OPMAD programs are available:
Police Athletic League (PAL) The PAL is a place where kids can engage in boxing, basketball, gold, and educational activities such as reading, tutoring, and peer involvement. PAL also runs a basketball league with four teams of 10 youngsters ages 9-18. Pope Park Multipurpose Facility This is a brand new facility that will open up at the end of September. Regular staff will be assigned during regular hours of operation, which are yet to be determined. It is envisioned that the facility will be used by various community groups. During the remaining hours, it can be used by neighborhood youths on an ad hoc basis. South End Night Riders This program is open to kids ages 11-18 and runs year-long. During the school year, programs run from 4-9PM on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 2-7PM on Sundays. Programs include tutoring, computers, board games, basketball, football, and occasional trips. For example, last spring the South End Night Riders took a trip to visit a museum in Boston. Kids have to pay $1 per visit, or $4 for any particular full month. Trinity's Camp for Kids This is a program for local elementary school children that meets on one afternoon a week. Trinity student volunteers are paired with approximately ten children for various developmental and fun activities. IV) Conclusion Of the approximately 3,000 kids in grades K-12 in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, the programs listed above accommodate fewer than half on a regular basis. Several factors stand out about these programs:
Prof. Schulz has also completed a report on existing summer recreactional opportunities for children in Hartford's Frog Hollow Neighborhood.
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