Issue Briefs
Drawing connections between pressing issues and afterschool
Name almost any topic and the Afterschool Alliance can tell you how it intersects with afterschool in these briefs that are chock-full of information.
Issue Briefs
Drawing connections between pressing issues and afterschool
Name almost any topic and the Afterschool Alliance can tell you how it intersects with afterschool in these briefs that are chock-full of information.
Afterschool programs are a key partner in strengthening communities across the country, whether it's keeping kids active and healthy in the hours after school or meeting the needs of underserved populations to promoting parent engagement and beyond. These briefs demonstrate the connections between afterschool and a wide range of hot topics, presenting contextual data on the topic, providing examples of promising afterschool programs, and making the case for greater investment in afterschool.
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Afterschool: A Strategy for Addressing and Preventing Middle School Bullying (2011) The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the second 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 how afterschool programs, in partnership with schools, parents and the wider community, can help produce more emboldened students that know how to stand up to bullies, thereby promoting a bully-free environment in which all students can learn and grow. |
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Afterschool: A Powerful Path to Teacher Recruitment and Retention (2007) The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the first of four issue briefs in a series examining the vital role afterschool programs play in supporting children, families and communities. This brief examines the current teacher shortage facing schools, the impacts of this shortage, and the ways afterschool programs can help meet the need for recruiting and retaining new teachers. |
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Afterschool: A Place for Older Youth to Mentor and Be Mentored (2009) The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the last of four issue briefs in this series examining critical issues facing older youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief discusses the benefits of mentoring programs to mentors and mentees, the barriers to successful mentoring programs, and how afterschool programs can provide an ideal venue for older youth to mentor and be mentored. |
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Afterschool: A Natural Platform for Career Development (2004) In the information economy of the 21st century, a “skilled” workforce is vitally necessary. Students must leave high school with more than basic proficiency in core subjects to continue on to higher education, career success and productive adulthood. This brief explores how afterschool programs can help all youth prepare for the workforce by building 21st century skills and offering exposure to various career fields or academic areas, which may be missed in the regular school day curriculum. |
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Afterschool: A Key to Successful Parent Engagement (2012) The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the third of four issue briefs in our fifth series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief demonstrates the ties between parent engagement and student success, why afterschool programs are an ideal partner to help schools break down the barriers often present between parents and schools, and how they create unique opportunities that also encourage parent engagement. |
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Afterschool: A High School Dropout Prevention Tool (2009) The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the third of four issue briefs in this series examining critical issues facing older youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief discusses the current dropout problem, the broader impacts of high school dropout rates, and how afterschool programs are proven to support graduation by addressing the issues and risk factors that lead to dropout. |
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Afterschool: A Bipartisan Solution to Help Young People Thrive (October 2022) At a time of deep partisan divides, Afterschool Alliance surveys of parents of school-age children before and during the pandemic have found an area of consensus around support for afterschool and summer learning programs. Across the political spectrum, parents identifying as Democratic, Independent, and Republican strongly agree that afterschool and summer learning programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring learning, and providing peace of mind to working parents, with overwhelming majorities in favor of public funding for such programs. Parents and Families Surveys COVID-19 |
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Afterschool, Community Service and Volunteerism (2004) Parents and teens show overwhelming support for participation in community service, and they would like to see their afterschool programs offer volunteering opportunities. This issue brief explores how afterschool programs can give youth the opportunity to volunteer and discusses the benefits of volunteering, including learning applicable life skills, forming bonds with community organizations, and discovering the value of community service. |
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Afterschool Supports Service Opportunities from Youth to Young Adulthood (April 2019) All individuals, regardless of age, can benefit from service opportunities. For youth, service-learning projects promote strong community ties and positive development outcomes, while experiential service programs promote similar personal and professional gains for young adults. This issue brief details the way in which afterschool and summer learning programs are expanding access and availability of service opportunities for youth and young adults alike. Accompanying this brief are six in-depth afterschool program profiles that highlight the different roles programs play in the healthy development of both the next generation and our democracy:
Issue Briefs Service Vista Youth Development |
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Afterschool Supporting Students with Disabilities and Other Special Needs (February 2014) The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the second 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 the importance of a high school diploma for students with disabilities and other special needs, and how afterschool programs can provide an inclusive learning environment that supports students of all abilities. |