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�5 A -v� school and early evenings. An alternative to hanging -out, PAL After Hours has counseling for groups, families, and individuals; life skill workshops for youth and parents, which include pregnancy education, drug diversion education, leadership, self- esteem, and conflict resolution. • PAL Academic Tutoring and Truancy Droarams The PAL Academic Tutoring program offers no cost tutoring to Redwood City youth that are at high risk for retention in grade and have very low State test scores. The PAL truancy program has a truancy officer that works with truant families and students to improve school attendance. The programs receive referrals from Redwood City Schools. These PAL programs provide a means of bringing together police officers and other community leaders, who volunteer their time to the youth of Redwood City. Their efforts combat the on -going problem of juvenile crimes and provide positive role models through mentoring and modeling social skills. The skills that are learned through the programs and volunteers help the youth to build self- esteem, confidence, and interpersonal skills. Many times it is life changing for the youth and their family. The PAL program serves more than 3,000 Redwood City youth and their families each year. The program has been state evaluated by an outside team of evaluators (Community Crime Prevention Associates) who rated the program a 96 out of 100. The program is very cost efficient with an hourly cost of $4.00 per participant. In 1998/1999, the program served 5,645 clients with a total of 62,013 hours of client services. Community Crime Prevention Associates developed an evaluation tool that showed total life skill improvements of the participants in PAL at 25% positive growth in one year. (The tool used pre -tests and post -tests to measure safety, violence, gangs and peers, mobility, drugs, social competence, problem solving, self - control, and life goal setting.) This displays that the PAL program is impacting the youth of Redwood City in a positive way and therefore would be a viable program to support. Buildina and Proaram Needs for the Future With considerable hard work on the part of the volunteers, sizable programs are operating. Due to the generosity and support of W.L. Butler Construction, temporary usage is being made of the building at 2003 East Bayshore on Broadway at Jefferson to house the karate and boxing programs. Redwood City PAL needs a future for the youth of Redwood City and to many of our participants a PAL Building means a good future. When the PAL program is displaced out of the 2003 East Bayshore building, it will mean that many youth will have nowhere to go after school and will most likely be on the streets of Redwood City. The momentum that has been gained in making a positive difference in the lives of Redwood City youth and their families should not be lost. A new building center is crucially needed if Redwood City PAL is to continue becoming more viable for the youth Cel