In the thesis, I explored the participants’ level of satisfaction with the Postojna Day Center for Children and Youth. I focused on their satisfaction with the center in general, the daily activities provided there, and the relationships with the employees and the other children and youths. Moreover, I was interested in how content the participants were with the center’s facilities and its organization, if the participants’ involvement in the day center contributes to positive changes in their lives, whether the center is successful in achieving its objectives, and if given the ability, would the participants change anything, and if so, what.
In the theoretical section, I discuss childhood and youth broadly, then I present the theory of “child-centrism”, and continue with the description of socialization by defining education and various educational styles. I then analyze the importance of communication and relationships in the adolescent phase, illustrate factors of growing up that define the life of a participant, and distinguish between protective and threatening factors. Next, I highlight family, school, social environment, and gender as risk factors. Lastly, I introduce the Postojna Daytime Center for Children and Youth, the conditions for inclusion in the program, and the program itself, its objectives, and the activities that take place within the program.
In the practical section, I present the problem, objectives, hypotheses, the implementation of the hypotheses, and the methodology used. Next, I present the results of the study in which twenty-three participants of the Postojna Day Center for Children and Youth participated. The results are followed by a discussion, conclusion, and proposals. I present the data obtained by separating the participants by age (younger: age 6–12, and older: age 13–15), the frequency of visits (daily visits: 2–3 times per week, or occasional visits: once per week or less), and by the duration of their involvement in the activities of the center (long-time participants: 2 or more years and newer participants: a year or less). The research shows that the children and youths involved in the center are largely satisfied with their visits to the center, as well as with its activities, facilities and organization. Moreover, they are very satisfied with the relationships within the day center, be it with employees or with other children and youths. Similarly, I observed that most of the children experience many positive changes in their lives after their inclusion into the day center. I also observed a desire to participate in activities that they have not yet taken part in, such as playing football or visiting the zoo. Finally, the study showed a desire for additional staff (e. g., volunteers) and for larger spaces which would allow for more privacy.
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