The purpose of this interpretive study was to understand how students made sense of their experiences in a technology-based youth development program. This study was framed by James P. Connell and Michelle A. Gambone's, Community Action Framework for Youth Development, conceptual model for understanding youth development that identifies the processes that promote a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood and what it will take to transform communities into places where all young people, particularly those young people currently least likely to succeed, can achieve their fullest potential. The study was guided by three primary research questions: How does this program seek to expand participants' access to and growth in media literacy, civic engagement and self-expression? How do students make sense of their experiences in this technology-based youth development program and How does the program influence their understanding of and involvement in media literacy, civic engagement and self-expression? Norman Denzin's (2001), methodology, interpretive interactionism, guided this in-depth case study of the program at the JFK Center and the lives of four boys who participated in it. Through interviews and observations of four boys, we see the challenges that the boys faced in school, at home and in their communities and how the JFK Center provided a physically and socio-emotional safe place for them to engage with technology during non school hours and summers. This study captures the processes at the JFK Center that created greater supports and opportunities for the boys, specially around their experiences with technology. The findings of this study offers educators, community organizations and policymakers greater insight into the obstacles facing youth who struggle to gain access to and use of technology. The findings of this study suggest that current educational policies, accountability and high-stakes testing, focusing only on the cognitive academic needs of youth are problematic, as are afterschool experiences that merely extend the school day. Through the findings of this case study, we see that students benefit greatly by technology-based educational/recreational programs that address the broader spectrum of human needs-social, emotional, academic and for today's youth-technological. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]