Abstract
Low socioeconomic status (SES) can negatively influence children's development (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). While research has demonstrated that participation in out-of-school programming can contribute positively in this area, few studies have explored the perspectives of the children who take part in these programs. Place attachment, the conceptual framework employed in this study, is useful for exploring children's experiences with regard to their attachment or bonding to a place and the role that social relationships play in that attachment process (Low & Altman, 1992). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to perform an in-depth exploration of the experiences of children of low SES who participated in a community recreation program (UrbanKidz Youth Centre). Seven children took part in drawing activities and semi-structured interviews. Additional data were collected using observations, field and reflective notes, a focus group interview with adult staff and document analysis. The overarching theme of Having Opportunities emerged from the thematic analysis of the data. The children talked about having opportunities at the centre in three main ways: (a) opportunities to do, (b) opportunities to connect, and (c) opportunities to be. These themes, and by extension, the children's experiences, are discussed within the framework of place attachment (Scannell & Gifford, 2010), and the literature on place, SES and out-of-school programming. Implications for recreation programming and research with children of low SES are also presented.
