Afterschool Alliance Research

Investments in Student Recovery: A Review of School Districts' Use of American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Afterschool and Summer Opportunities (October 2023)

Federal funds distributed to school districts across the nation to aid in pandemic-related recovery represent a unique opportunity to support students through afterschool and summer programs. This brief illustrates how school districts allocated their American Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds toward afterschool and summer learning opportunities and the strategies districts used to support students’ learning recovery. It also provides recommendations to maximize future investments in afterschool and summer programs to help young people learn, be healthy, and thrive.

• St. Louis Park Public Schools: Expanding support and opportunities for underserved students in afterschool and summer programs using ARP ESSER funds
• Chickasaw City Schools and Tuscaloosa City Schools: Braiding ARP ESSER funds to increase afterschool and summer opportunities

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Keeping Kids Safe and Supported in the Hours After School (May 2014)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the third of four issue briefs in our sixth series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief explores the variety of ways afterschool programs are keeping middle schoolers safe, getting them engaged in learning, and helping them take advantage of their full potential as they navigate school, peers and their surroundings.

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Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (March 2015)

This report discusses the current state of healthy eating and physical activity in afterschool, identifies areas for improvement, and provides recommendations moving forward. Kids on the Move is presented as part of the third edition of America After 3PM, which spans a decade of household survey data chronicling how children spend the hours between 3 and 6 p.m.

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Library and Afterschool Partnerships (Sept 2017)

With the support of STAR_Net (the Science Technology Activities and Resources Library Education Network), a project of the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL), and the American Library Association, the Afterschool Alliance surveyed 365 afterschool providers on their perceptions of public libraries, what kinds of partnerships they have, as well as ideas for future growth.

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Literacy and Reading in Afterschool Programs (2001)

Many quality afterschool programs offer literacy and reading activities that research indicates provide significant benefits to youth. This brief illustrates the several benefits these reading activities can offer participants, such as improved literacy skills, enjoyment of recreational reading, and building positive relationships with adults.

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Literacy in Afterschool: A Building Block for Learning and Development (2011)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the last of four issue briefs in our fourth series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief emphasizes the dramatic literacy gap between low- and high-income students, and explores how afterschool programs are uniquely positioned to fill those opportunity gaps and support the acquisition of reading and writing skills among underserved youth to help them develop a brighter future.

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Looking at the Data: Afterschool Programs Using Data to Better Serve Students (August 2014)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation is proud to present the last of four issue briefs in our sixth series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief addresses what afterschool programs gain through data collection and evaluation, how to evaluate a program effectively and how to use to data collected for program improvement.

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Navigating Afterschool Challenges in 2022 - Wave 7 (July 2022)

This dashboard includes findings from the seventh wave of the Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 series, conducted in spring 2022. Ninety-seven percent of providers across the country report that their programs were open in some capacity this year, but staffing remains a top concern, with almost 7 in 10 providers saying they are extremely or very concerned about finding staff to hire/staffing shortages, and 51 percent reporting waiting lists for their programs.

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Older Youth Need Afterschool Programs (2004)

Although much of the funding and programming for afterschool targets younger children, there are myriad of advantages for older youth who participate in afterschool, and 2.3 million more high schoolers would participate in programs if they had the opportunity. This brief explores the unique needs of teens, and the role afterschool can play by providing them a safe environment and preparing them for college and the workforce. Additionally, this brief addresses the challenges afterschool programs face in reaching teens and explores how to overcome them.

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Parents and Voters Support Afterschool and Summer for All (February 2023)

In a second brief highlighting results from an online poll of registered voters, conducted by Lake Research Partners November 9-14, 2022, this document includes both voter and parent opinions on afterschool and summer programs. It finds strong support for afterschool and summer programs, as well as high levels of agreement that programs are a valuable partner for schools.

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