The negotiation of complex social settings and the creation of an integrated identity are major tasks of adolescence. Institutions such as after-school programs can influence social-emotional development through organizational and interpersonal practices, and prosocial growth can be encouraged through the alignment of supportive structures with developmental needs. This qualitative study explores the developmental and environmental fit of an urban after-school program for its participants. Using participant-observation and interviews, we explore how youths’ experiences in this setting are congruent with the developmental needs of pre-, early, and midadolescence. We find that program activities and relationships shift as youth mature to provide levels of support congruent with youths’ changing social-emotional and self-representation needs. These shifts provide contexts aligned with contemporary theories of adolescent development.
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