Publications & Research

Examining the impact of afterschool STEM programs (July 2014)

Authors: Anita Krishnamurthi (Afterschool Alliance), Melissa Ballard (Afterschool Alliance), and Gil Noam (Program in Education, Afterschool and Resilency at Harvard University)

Afterschool programs that provide strong STEM learning experiences are making an impact on participating youth not only become excited and engaged in these fields but develop STEM skills and proficiencies, come to value these fields and their contributions to society, and -- significantly -- begin to see themselves as potential contributors to the STEM enterprise. This paper summarizes evaluation data from a selection of strong afterschool STEM programs, providing a snapshot of the types of substantive impacts afterschool programs are having on youth.

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Full STEM Ahead: Afterschool Programs Step Up as Key Partners in STEM Education (Sept 2015)

This report provides the first national look at access to afterschool STEM programs and parental attitudes towards such programs by outlining survey findings, identifying current challenges, and providing recommendations to improve afterschool STEM programming in the future. Full STEM Ahead 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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Getting started with the Next Generation Science Standards: A primer and resource guide for afterschool educators (July 2016)

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Getting started with the Next Generation Science Standards: A primer and resource guide for afterschool educators

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offer a powerful new vision for American science education for the 21st century. NGSS has already been adopted by 17 states, as well as many more individual schools and districts. This guide will help you learn what's relevant for afterschool providers, and help you develop a strategy for engaging with the new standards.

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Growing computer science education in afterschool: Opportunities and challenges (December 2016)

We asked the afterschool field about their familiarity and interest in computer science (CS) education, as well as the challenges to offering CS. The findings in this report provide K-12 CS education stakeholders with an understanding of how best to support the growth of quality, sustainable CS education within the afterschool field.

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Informal science learning and education: Definition and goals (2012)

Authors: Anita Krishnamurthi (Afterschool Alliance) & Leonie J. Rennie (Curtin University)

This paper relates informal science education to afterschool learning environments, comparing the goals of each space, and makes the case for an articulated set of outcomes for afterschool STEM learning. It is a commissioned paper from the National Academies, Board on Science Education's June 2012 summit on the assessment of informal and afterschool science education. 

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Partnerships with STEM-rich institutions (November 2013)

Afterschool programs have long partnered with other youth-serving and community organizations to better meet the needs of their students. As interest and momentum grows around STEM programming in afterschool , partnerships become increasingly important in offering high-quality, hands-on STEM experiences for youth. This issue brief demonstrates several models of how afterschool programs are partnering with STEM-rich institutions like science centers and museums, universities and colleges, business and industry, and government agencies. The brief highlights the strengths of each type of STEM-rich partner and describes the potential contributions to afterschool programs.

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STEM learning in afterschool and summer programming: An essential strategy for STEM education reform (2013)

Authors: Anita Krishnamurthi (Afterschool Alliance), Ron Ottinger (The Noyce Foundation), & Tessie Topol (Time Warner Cable)

This book chapter compiles research and best practices that demonstrate the positive impacts of afterschool and summer learning.  It provides a brief summary of some of the current trends in afterschool STEM programming and recommendations for how afterschool can become an essential partner in STEM education. In T. K. Peterson (Ed.), Expanding minds and opportunities: Leveraging the power of afterschool and summer learning for student success (pp. 133-139).

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STEM learning in afterschool: An analysis of impact and outcomes (September 2011)

This report presents an analysis of evaluation data from afterschool STEM programs around the country. A review of the evaluation reports shows that high-quality STEM afterschool programs yields STEM-specific benefits such as improved attitudes towards STEM fields and careers, increased STEM knowledge and skills, and higher likelihood of graduation and pursuing a STEM career. The report demonstrates that afterschool programs are playing a key role in engaging children and youth from diverse communities in STEM fields and careers.

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STEM learning in afterschool: Ready to soar (July/August 2012)

Authors: Anita Krishnamurthi & Ramya Sankar (Afterschool Alliance)

This article appeared originally in Association of Science-Technology Center’s (ASTC) Dimensions magazine. Reposted with permission from ASTC.

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