Page 1 of 5
The STEM Greenhouse 2024-2025 Impact Report highlights that the organization served 1,068 students and provided 16,000 learning hours across programs such as STEM Scholars, SAGE, and Sankofa STEM Academy. Strong student outcomes were reported, including 100% of students in Sankofa STEM Academy and STEM Scholars 2.0 expressing interest in attending college. Specifically, Sankofa STEM Academy successfully helped close math gaps, increasing the percentage of 6th-grade students performing at or above the benchmark from 49.1% to 66.7%. The program primarily serves students of color from low-income families.
This evaluation finds that when comparing students who gained admittance through a lottery to StudentU – a comprehensive afterschool and summer program for middle and high school students – to students who were not selected through the lottery, StudentU participants who entered the program with low baseline achievement accumulated more course credits, experienced the greatest gains in GPA, and were significantly less likely to be suspended than their peers who were not accepted through the lottery. The author reports that these outcomes “suggest that comprehensive services provided outside of the regular school may be a particularly effective strategy for improving outcomes of the most disadvantaged students.” Additionally, the author predicts that StudentU participants have an estimated 4 percentage point higher likelihood of graduating from high school than their non-participating peers.
This randomized control trial of the Boston Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) finds that youth selected to participate were 4.4 percentage points more likely to graduate on time and 2.5 percentage points less likely to drop out of high school compared to their non-participating peers. Evaluators also conducted a mediation analysis to understand the factors driving these outcomes. The analysis finds that improved daily attendance, reduced chronic absenteeism, gains in GPA, and the development of important foundational skills, such as punctuality and emotional regulation, are potential factors contributing to improved on-time high school graduation rates among SYEP participants.
This quasi-experimental evaluation of the Please Call Me Mister (PCMM) program—a 4-year afterschool program in Franklin County, Kentucky, for middle and high school African American and Hispanic males focused on violence prevention and positive youth development—found several statistically significant positive outcomes for PCMM participants, including a decrease in carrying weapons and lower levels of alcohol consumption. PCMM participants also saw increases in resiliency and a decrease in levels of depression.
This study found that students who participated in the Sacramento 4-H Water Wizards program from 2012-2016 had a better understanding of water science and a heightened awareness of water issues and conservation behavior. Program staff reported a higher level of understanding around content knowledge (different aspects of water science) and teaching pedagogy (teaching science in an inquiry-based way), as well as increased enjoyment of science. Evaluators found that including training sessions, teaching materials, and coaching opportunities throughout the program for staff helped contribute to the program's success, and 80 percent of staff said they would teach the program again.
This quasi-experimental study examines students who attended Aim High, a voluntary summer learning program that provided academic and social and emotional learning (SEL) supports, during 2013-2014 and/or 2014-2015 to middle school students in the San Francisco Unified School District. The study analyzes how students’ participation in the program impacts both behavioral engagement and academic achievement. Evaluators found that program participants were significantly less likely to be chronically absent and suspended, as well as have slight improvements in English/language arts state assessments and school-day attendance than their peers who did not participate in Aim High. Additionally, this study found that these effects are greatest for Aim High participants who are boys and Latinx students.
A randomized control trial following 436 youth who had overweight or obesity in 12 Harlem Children’s Zone afterschool programs in New York. The study sought to assess the impact of Healthy Harlem’s Get Fit program, a 12-week afterschool program designed to improve students' physical activity and eating habits, on participants’ body mass index (BMI). Students participating in the Get Fit program experienced a decrease in BMI z-score, and a greater percentage of students in the treatment group improved their weight status than in the control group. However, there was no statistically significant effect on obesity. Additionally, the Get Fit program had an impact on BMI among girls but not among boys.
A quasi-experimental study examining high school students participating in EduCare Foundation’s ACE program found higher academic achievement—as measured by the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in English language arts (ELA) and math—among ACE participants compared to matched peers attending general afterschool programs. For example, the mean CAASPP ELA score of high school students participating in the ACE program was 35.7 points higher than the matched control group; a statistically significant difference with a moderate to large effect size. When looking at CAASPP mean math scores, ACE participants scored 30.9 points higher than their matched peers, a statistically significant difference with a moderate effect size.
Science Club is a partnership between Northwestern University and the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, utilizing long-term mentoring relationships to engage low-income urban youth in science. In this selection of evaluation data from the 2013-2014 school year, participants demonstrated gains along three major categories of youth outcomes—interest in STEM, capacity to engage in STEM, and finding value in STEM.
1616 H St., NW Suite 820
Washington, D.C. 20006
(866) KIDS-TODAY | Email us
The Afterschool Impacts Database is a project of the Afterschool Alliance.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.
Afterschool Impacts Database