Publications & Research

We've gathered together essential STEM publications relating to afterschool.

From issue briefs to research articles, there are many resources to inform your STEM afterschool program.

Date Title

Page 1 of 4

Students learn more with afterschool STEM (April 2018)

A one-pager that makes the case for afterschool STEM using the latest research.

Download

Publications & Research

Find Afterschool Alliance publications on STEM, as well as research & resources from the field.

STEM

Go to Resource

Afterschool and the Environment: A Natural Fit (January 2009)

Children have a wonderful curiosity about nature and the environment, which, if encouraged through afterschool activities can have a profound impact on their health and well-being. Children also take readily to concepts of conservation which will make them excellent stewards of the future of our environment. This issue brief explores the relationship between children's health, academic enrichment and community awareness through developing a relationship with the wonders of their natural environment.

STEM

Download

Afterschool programs: At the STEM of learning (January 2008)

In order to better compete with their international peers in the 21st century, American students will need to be better prepared to work in the growing fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. This brief explains the ways in which afterschool can engage kids in the STEM fields.

STEM

Download

Afterschool: A vital partner in STEM education (May 2011)

This paper provides compelling reasons to include afterschool programs as integral partners in STEM education and highlights several existing models for providing infrastructure and building capacity to enable afterschool programs to facilitate high-quality STEM learning. By combining evaluation reports from afterschool programs with research findings that indicate an early interest in STEM careers is related to a pursuit of such careers, the paper presents a picture of how afterschool programs are contributing meaningfully to our nation's STEM education system.

STEM

Download

Afterschool: Middle school and STEM (September 2010)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the second of four issue briefs in this series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief highlights STEM learning as a critical component of 21st century education, and discusses how afterschool provides an ideal platform for building STEM learning in middle school.

STEM

Download

Computing & engineering in afterschool (December 2013)

The number of jobs requiring proficiency in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is projected to grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is almost double the growth of non-STEM occupations. Computing and engineering represent a majority of these STEM jobs, and it is important that students are prepared to take advantage of these opportunities. Afterschool programs represent an avenue to provide robust learning experiences in computing and engineering, especially as schools are under many constraints and pressures that might prevent them from offering these topics. This issue brief provides background on some of the challenges within K-12 education and highlights several afterschool programs that are doing an exemplary job of engaging kids in computing and engineering.

STEM

Download

Connecting to computer science: A resource for afterschool practitioners (August 2017)

A curated collection of curricula and other resources to get you and your students coding!

Download

Defining youth outcomes for STEM learning in afterschool (January 2013)

This report presents the results of a study to obtain consensus from afterschool experts on appropriate and feasible youth outcomes for STEM learning in afterschool. It presents a compelling set of developmental outcomes, indicators of progress toward these outcomes, and types of evidence that could be collected to demonstrate the impact of STEM programming in afterschool.

STEM

Download

Digital Media & Learning in Afterschool (February 2013)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the last 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 discusses the growing importance of digital media and technology in education, the "digital divide" between high- and low-income communities, and the many opportunities and challenges the afterschool field faces with implementing equitable digital learning.

Digital Learning STEM

Download