A foundational piece to achieving the American dream is a quality education. All children do not receive the same quality of education. Factors such as race/ethnicity, SES, teacher qualifications and expectations and others play a major role in student achievement. Children who participate in afterschool programs show increases in test scores, attendance, behavior and classroom participation. When self-efficacy experiences are infused into the afterschool programming, students not only increase their awareness of their ability to be successful, but they are also given an increased fortitude with which they will attempt to accomplish difficult tasks. This study examined an afterschool program in an urban district and found that participants achieved successful outcomes primarily due to the experiences the program provided for them. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]