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America After 3PM spans a decade of data chronicling how children spend the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. — the hours after school ends and before parents typically return home from work. It highlights the trends of afterschool program participation, documents the benefits associated with participation in afterschool programs and measures public support for afterschool programs.Learn more about parents’ expectations of afterschool programs when it comes to health and wellness, satisfaction with the food and physical activity in programs, and how afterschool programs are helping to improve the health and physical fitness of our nation’s students.America After 3PM summer learning data build on what we know about learning opportunities children have during the out-of-school hours. Examine summer learning program participation rates, demand for summer learning programs and support for public funding of summer learning programs.Learn more about parents’ expectations of afterschool programs when it comes to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities in programs, and how afterschool programs are satisfying parent demand for afterschool STEM programming.

Demographics of Children in Afterschool Programs

Factors in Choosing an Afterschool Program

STEM Learning in Afterschool Programs

Demand for afterschool programs continues to grow. Today, 10.2 million children participate in afterschool programs. Another 19.4 million children would participate if a program were available. A majority of school-age children either are, or want to be, in an afterschool program.

Parents who have access to an afterschool program are highly satisfied with those programs. Parents agree that afterschool programs are providing a wide range of activities and enriching learning opportunities for their kids.

Parents overwhelmingly support public funding for afterschool programs, and recognize that these programs keep kids safe, inspire learning, and build skills that will help students reach their full potential and succeed in school, college, career and beyond.

Afterschool programs play an important role in improving the health and wellness of our nation’s students. Serving more than 10 million children and youth across America, with more than 19 million more who would be enrolled in a program if one were available to them, afterschool programs have great potential to help prevent obesity and instill lifelong healthy habits that can help our nation’s students get healthy, stay healthy and lead healthier lives.

Participation in summer learning programs is up, however, the demand for these programs is high. The most recent America After 3PM survey finds that 33 percent of families report that at least one child participated in a summer learning program in 2013, up from 25 percent of families in summer 2008. Still, more than half of families surveyed say that they want their children to participate in a summer learning program. With increased awareness of the problem of summer learning loss, parents recognize the value of summer learning programs to help their children succeed.

Afterschool programs have proven that they are vital partners in efforts to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) interest and skills for young people in our nation. America After 3PM highlights how widespread STEM programming has become in afterschool and the positive view parents have of afterschool STEM programming.

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