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USHER joins us for Lights On—and this year's billboard is designed by youth!

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USHER joins us for Lights On—and this year's billboard is designed by youth!

READ FULL STORY

RECENT AFTERSCHOOL SNACKS

STEM

Earn, learn, belong: Inside Dent Education's career-connected learning model
News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: September 30, 2026
research

The current landscape of afterschool and summer research
STEM

New Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review highlights how afterschool STEM builds pathways to the workforce

FEATURED FOR Oct 2, 2026

STEM

From curiosity to careers: How afterschool programs support STEM workforce development

Posted On: 09/25/2026
Lights On Afterschool

Have some fun this Lights On Afterschool — host a carnival!

Posted On: 09/24/2026
News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: September 23, 2026

Posted On: 09/23/2026
News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: September 23, 2026

Commission Talks Out-of-School Education Needs, Career Pathways, Alabama Political Reporter (Alabama) In 2025, the Alabama state legislature established the Joint Interim Study Commission on...

Funding

Where afterschool funding is right now

Lights On Afterschool

5 ways to bring health and wellness to your Lights On Afterschool event

Afterschool, before-school, and summer learning programs play a vital role in supporting both the physical and mental health of the young people they serve, and Lights On Afterschool is the perfect...

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: September 16, 2026

Keeping Afterschool Special: Reducing Childcare Burdens Opens Possibilities for Students, The Journal Gazette (Indiana) In a recent guest column for the Journal Gazette, Wellspring Interfaith...

Policy

The FCC seeks input on E-Rate: What's at stake for afterschool internet access

On August 14, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on the future of the E-Rate program, which provides discounts to help schools...

STEM

Exploring youth perspectives on STEM identity versus Civic identity

Photo courtesy of Sawhorse Revolution By Leah Silverberg and Anita Krishnamurthi. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society...

Lights On Afterschool

Celebrate your students' talents during Lights On Afterschool

Policy

Proposed Department of Education Grant Rules could impact federal education funding

Update: Sep. 23, 2026: The Afterschool Alliance submitted comments on the proposed changes to EDGAR on September 21. On August 24, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) published...

The FCC seeks input on E-Rate: What's at stake for afterschool internet access

On August 14, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on the future of the E-Rate program, which provides discounts to help schools and libraries afford internet access and internal network connections. The Commission asks whether...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      09/14/26

Afterschool funding and the state of FY2027 appropriations

Last week the House approved and the President signed into law the continuing resolution (CR) passed by the Senate in early August, preventing a government shutdown on October 1 and funding the federal government through December 11, 2026. With several work periods scheduled for the fall and...

BY: Erik Peterson      09/08/26

What "Science: A New Golden Age" means for afterschool STEM

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. The White House recently released an ambitious blueprint for reshaping the nation’s research and development enterprise. Although “Science: A New Golden Age” is not primarily an education policy document, STEM education and...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/01/26

FY27 Appropriations update: Competing Continuing Resolutions pass as August recess begins

With the House and Senate in recess for the rest of the month of August, it’s a good time for an update on the status of the FY2027 appropriations process. The federal current fiscal year (FY2026) ends on September 30, 2026, meaning by that date there needs to be temporary funding in place as...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/10/26

Newly-introduced bipartisan STRONG Kids Act could expand access to sports-based youth development

Last week, Representatives Mike Carey (OH-15) and Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) introduced the Sports Training, Recreation, and Opportunities for the Next Generation Act (H. R. 9839). Also known as the STRONG Kids Act, the bipartisan bill directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human...

BY: Dan Gilbert      08/07/26

Workforce Pell goes live: What this means for afterschool and summer learning

Workforce Pell is a new provision in the federal budget reconciliation law enacted last year that, for the first time, allows Pell Grants to help pay for short-term workforce training. Pell Grants are need-based federal aid, not loans, so students do not repay them. Awards are prorated by...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      08/06/26

Interagency agreements, explained: Congress takes opposing paths

An interagency agreement, or IAA, is how the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has been shifting day-to-day administration of specific programs to other federal agencies, without changing the underlying law that assigns those programs to ED. Since May 2025, ED has signed 14 such agreements...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      08/04/26

Bipartisan bill would strengthen mentoring and afterschool programs

A new bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced on July 16, 2026, could help afterschool and youth development programs recruit more mentors, volunteers, and community leaders. The Building Community in America Act (S. 5031/H.R. 9766), introduced by Senators John Curtis (R-Utah) and Mark Kelly...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/03/26

House FY2027 CJS bill creates uncertainty for STEM education programs

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. Afterschool STEM advocates have a stake in nearly every federal agency and spending bill, but the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill is particularly important. It funds several agencies...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/25/26

Summer for All Act reintroduced in the Senate

On June 22, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), both members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced the Summer for All Act. The legislation aims to help provide high-quality summer enrichment opportunities to all children,...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      06/25/26

New Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review highlights how afterschool STEM builds pathways to the workforce

The Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, is delighted to share the fall 2026 edition of our Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review (ASQRR) newsletter. This newsletter summarizes recent research in afterschool, summer, and out-of-school time (OST) science, technology,...

BY: Leslie Brooks      09/28/26

From curiosity to careers: How afterschool programs support STEM workforce development

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs.  September is National Workforce Development Month, an opportunity to recognize the programs, educators, employers, and community organizations helping Americans develop the skills they need to succeed in a changing economy. For the STEM...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/25/26

Exploring youth perspectives on STEM identity versus Civic identity

Photo courtesy of Sawhorse Revolution By Leah Silverberg and Anita Krishnamurthi. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of...

BY: Leah Silverberg      09/11/26

Host a rally for Lights On Afterschool

We’re 7 weeks out from the 27th annual Lights On Afterschool! One of the most powerful ways to celebrate Lights On Afterschool is by hosting a rally. These events bring communities together, create a collective call-to-action for greater investment in afterschool, and attract media...

BY: Lucy Maddox      09/03/26

What "Science: A New Golden Age" means for afterschool STEM

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. The White House recently released an ambitious blueprint for reshaping the nation’s research and development enterprise. Although “Science: A New Golden Age” is not primarily an education policy document, STEM education and...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/01/26

America After 3PM: Afterschool STEM Takes Off

A parent looking for an afterschool program wants a few essentials: a safe environment, caring staff, and engaging activities. Increasingly, those activity expectations include engaging children with building, coding, asking questions about how things work, and preparing them to engage with the...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      08/26/26

How to craft messaging for the right audience

This blog is part of our Advocating For Afterschool series, where we share tools and best practices to help make the case for afterschool to funders, partners, and policymakers at the local, state, and national levels. To see more installments of the series, check out the Advocacy tag on The...

BY: Leah Silverberg      08/24/26

Why STEM skills are civics skills: What that means for afterschool programs

Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Mathematics By Laura Lim, Afterschool Alliance STEM intern. When talking about STEM and civics, people often picture two very different learning environments and experiences. Science, technology, engineering, and math are usually not in the same...

BY: Guest Blogger      08/18/26

Teaching young people how to use AI is no longer enough

By Josephine Vu, Research Fellow, Afterschool Alliance. A middle school student today can learn how to use ChatGPT in just a few hours after school. Within an afternoon, they may learn how to generate homework responses, brainstorm ideas for an essay, or ask a chatbot almost any question...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/31/26

What the House FY2027 proposed education funding bill means for STEM education and afterschool programs

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. The House Appropriations Committee has taken the next formal step in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations process by approving its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) spending bill on a...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/28/26

Weekly Media Roundup: September 23, 2026

Commission Talks Out-of-School Education Needs, Career Pathways, Alabama Political Reporter (Alabama) In 2025, the Alabama state legislature established the Joint Interim Study Commission on Expanding Access to High-Quality Out-of-School Education Programs to study ways to boost afterschool and...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/23/26

Weekly Media Roundup: September 16, 2026

Keeping Afterschool Special: Reducing Childcare Burdens Opens Possibilities for Students, The Journal Gazette (Indiana) In a recent guest column for the Journal Gazette, Wellspring Interfaith Social Services CEO Ermina Mustedanagic sounds the alarm on unmet demand afterschool programs in her...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/16/26

Weekly Media Roundup: September 9, 2026

New Haven Kicks Off Low-Cost Afterschool Program for Thousands of Students, WFSB-TV (Connecticut) The New Haven Afterschool Initiative, which will provide afterschool programming for up to 2,000 students at 20 schools throughout the Connecticut city, has launched. Thanks to a partnership between...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/09/26

Weekly Media Roundup: September 2, 2026

3 Things Districts Need to Know About the $17B Meta Social Media Settlement, K-12 Dive On August 26, Meta announced a $17 billion settlement with 52 states and territories in a lawsuit that alleged the social media company illegally collected youth data and misled the public about the safety of...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/02/26

Weekly Media Roundup: August 26, 2026

More Kids Get STEM Content in After-School Programs, Education Week A new study released yesterday by the Afterschool Alliance finds that 92 percent of parents of afterschool students report their child’s program offers STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning, up from 69...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/26/26

Weekly Media Roundup: August 19, 2026

Boxing Out Negativity Opens North Lawndale Gym, Giving West Side Kids a Place to Thrive, Block Club Chicago (Illinois) Seventeen years ago, Derek Brown founded Boxing Out Negativity to help keep the next generation safe from gang involvement and gun violence. Brown first joined a gang at age 12....

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/19/26

Weekly Media Roundup: August 12, 2026

Twin Falls Nonprofit Culture for Change Moves to Bigger Space to Serve More of the Community, Idaho News 6 (Idaho) Culture of Change, a nonprofit offering afterschool and summer programs in Twin Falls, Idaho, will hold a grand opening for its new location this fall after outgrowing its original...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/12/26

Weekly Media Roundup: August 5, 2026

Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty Expanding Grades for Student Members, The Journal-News (Ohio) The Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty in West Chester Township, Ohio, will welcome kindergarteners through third graders for the first time at its afterschool program this...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/05/26

Weekly Media Roundup: July 29, 2026

Orlando Science Schools Summer Camp Helps Students Build Robots and Real-World STEM Skills, Spectrum News 13 (Florida) At the Orlando Science Schools Robotics Summer Camp in Florida, students in third through ninth grade are building robots while developing problem-solving and collaboration...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/29/26

Weekly Media Roundup: July 22, 2026

A Wisconsin School District Made Summer School Fun. Now 2,600 Kids Show Up, Wisconsin Watch (Wisconsin) More than 2,600 children, about two-thirds of the Pulaski Community School District's student population, are participating in the district’s free summer school program in Pulaski,...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/22/26

Proposed Department of Education Grant Rules could impact federal education funding

Update: Sep. 23, 2026: The Afterschool Alliance submitted comments on the proposed changes to EDGAR on September 21. On August 24, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) published proposed changes to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) that would make...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      09/10/26

Afterschool funding and the state of FY2027 appropriations

Last week the House approved and the President signed into law the continuing resolution (CR) passed by the Senate in early August, preventing a government shutdown on October 1 and funding the federal government through December 11, 2026. With several work periods scheduled for the fall and...

BY: Erik Peterson      09/08/26

FY27 Appropriations update: Competing Continuing Resolutions pass as August recess begins

With the House and Senate in recess for the rest of the month of August, it’s a good time for an update on the status of the FY2027 appropriations process. The federal current fiscal year (FY2026) ends on September 30, 2026, meaning by that date there needs to be temporary funding in place as...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/10/26

Interagency agreements, explained: Congress takes opposing paths

An interagency agreement, or IAA, is how the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has been shifting day-to-day administration of specific programs to other federal agencies, without changing the underlying law that assigns those programs to ED. Since May 2025, ED has signed 14 such agreements...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      08/04/26

House FY2027 CJS bill creates uncertainty for STEM education programs

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. Afterschool STEM advocates have a stake in nearly every federal agency and spending bill, but the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill is particularly important. It funds several agencies...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/25/26

Federal Scholarship Tax Credit guidance preview: What the field needs to know

On June 9, 2026, Kevin Salinger, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Tax Policy at the Department of the Treasury, previewed initial guidance on the upcoming Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). The FSTC, which goes into effect on January 1, 2027, was enacted last summer as part of H.R. 1, a sweeping...

BY: Jillian Luchner      06/24/26

House passes bill to change federal childcare operations

On June 3, the House of Representatives passed bill HR 7726, The Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026. The bill continues efforts begun early in the year to establish new requirements in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (CCDBG) also known as the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)...

BY: Jillian Luchner      06/23/26

Bipartisan Child Care Modernization Act introduced in the House

This week, a bipartisan group of representatives led by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie along with Reps. Kristen McDonald-Rivet (D-Mich.), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), and Susie Lee (D-Nevada) introduced the Child Care Modernization Act. The legislation would update the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act...

BY: Erik Peterson      06/12/26

Proposed OMB changes to federal grant rule could impact afterschool and summer learning programs

On May 29, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released proposed revisions to the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance that would make significant changes to the “uniform guidance” that governs federal grant management and the use of federal funds. These proposed...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      06/11/26

FY27 education spending bill passes House subcommittee, maintains afterschool funding

UPDATE: June 10, 2026: Late in the day on June 9, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act by a partisan vote of 34 to 28. The Senate is now expected to take up their FY27 Labor...

BY: Erik Peterson      06/05/26

Afterschool funding and the state of FY2027 appropriations

Last week the House approved and the President signed into law the continuing resolution (CR) passed by the Senate in early August, preventing a government shutdown on October 1 and funding the federal government through December 11, 2026. With several work periods scheduled for the fall and...

BY: Erik Peterson      09/08/26

House hearing surfaces opportunities and challenges for school-age care

On September 1, 2026, the House Committee on Education and Workforce subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing on “Supporting Working Families: State-Led Child Care Solutions.” The Hearing, led by Subcommittee Chair Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) and...

BY: Jillian Luchner      09/04/26

FY27 Appropriations update: Competing Continuing Resolutions pass as August recess begins

With the House and Senate in recess for the rest of the month of August, it’s a good time for an update on the status of the FY2027 appropriations process. The federal current fiscal year (FY2026) ends on September 30, 2026, meaning by that date there needs to be temporary funding in place as...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/10/26

Newly-introduced bipartisan STRONG Kids Act could expand access to sports-based youth development

Last week, Representatives Mike Carey (OH-15) and Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) introduced the Sports Training, Recreation, and Opportunities for the Next Generation Act (H. R. 9839). Also known as the STRONG Kids Act, the bipartisan bill directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human...

BY: Dan Gilbert      08/07/26

Interagency agreements, explained: Congress takes opposing paths

An interagency agreement, or IAA, is how the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has been shifting day-to-day administration of specific programs to other federal agencies, without changing the underlying law that assigns those programs to ED. Since May 2025, ED has signed 14 such agreements...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      08/04/26

Bipartisan bill would strengthen mentoring and afterschool programs

A new bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced on July 16, 2026, could help afterschool and youth development programs recruit more mentors, volunteers, and community leaders. The Building Community in America Act (S. 5031/H.R. 9766), introduced by Senators John Curtis (R-Utah) and Mark Kelly...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/03/26

What the House FY2027 proposed education funding bill means for STEM education and afterschool programs

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. The House Appropriations Committee has taken the next formal step in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations process by approving its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) spending bill on a...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/28/26

House FY2027 CJS bill creates uncertainty for STEM education programs

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. Afterschool STEM advocates have a stake in nearly every federal agency and spending bill, but the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill is particularly important. It funds several agencies...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/25/26

Federal Scholarship Tax Credit guidance preview: What the field needs to know

On June 9, 2026, Kevin Salinger, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Tax Policy at the Department of the Treasury, previewed initial guidance on the upcoming Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). The FSTC, which goes into effect on January 1, 2027, was enacted last summer as part of H.R. 1, a sweeping...

BY: Jillian Luchner      06/24/26

House passes bill to change federal childcare operations

On June 3, the House of Representatives passed bill HR 7726, The Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026. The bill continues efforts begun early in the year to establish new requirements in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (CCDBG) also known as the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)...

BY: Jillian Luchner      06/23/26

New Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review highlights how afterschool STEM builds pathways to the workforce

The Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, is delighted to share the fall 2026 edition of our Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review (ASQRR) newsletter. This newsletter summarizes recent research in afterschool, summer, and out-of-school time (OST) science, technology,...

BY: Leslie Brooks      09/28/26

From curiosity to careers: How afterschool programs support STEM workforce development

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs.  September is National Workforce Development Month, an opportunity to recognize the programs, educators, employers, and community organizations helping Americans develop the skills they need to succeed in a changing economy. For the STEM...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/25/26

What "Science: A New Golden Age" means for afterschool STEM

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. The White House recently released an ambitious blueprint for reshaping the nation’s research and development enterprise. Although “Science: A New Golden Age” is not primarily an education policy document, STEM education and...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/01/26

America After 3PM: Afterschool STEM Takes Off

A parent looking for an afterschool program wants a few essentials: a safe environment, caring staff, and engaging activities. Increasingly, those activity expectations include engaging children with building, coding, asking questions about how things work, and preparing them to engage with the...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      08/26/26

What the House FY2027 proposed education funding bill means for STEM education and afterschool programs

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. The House Appropriations Committee has taken the next formal step in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations process by approving its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) spending bill on a...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/28/26

New Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review spotlights rural afterschool STEM

The Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, is delighted to share the summer 2026 edition of our Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review (ASQRR) newsletter. This newsletter aims to provide summaries of recent research in afterschool, summer, and out-of-school time (OST)...

BY: Leslie Brooks      06/30/26

House FY2027 CJS bill creates uncertainty for STEM education programs

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. Afterschool STEM advocates have a stake in nearly every federal agency and spending bill, but the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill is particularly important. It funds several agencies...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/25/26

Setting up a site visit: Insights from an afterschool STEM program leader

Photo courtesy of Scientific Adventures for Girls By Amy Miller, Executive Director, Scientific Adventures for Girls. Scientific Adventures for Girls is an afterschool and summer STEM enrichment program that provides hands-on, project-based learning. Our programs encourage dialogue,...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/16/26

Use the afterschool STEM Talking Points in your messages to policymakers

This blog is part of our Advocating For Afterschool series, where we share tools and best practices to help make the case for afterschool to policymakers at the local, state, and national levels. To see more installments of the series, check out the Advocacy tag on The Afterschool...

BY: Leslie Brooks      05/26/26

Congressional budget battles put STEM education and afterschool programs at risk

By Della Cronin, Principal, Bose Public Affairs Group. The FY2027 budget and appropriations process could be one of the most consequential federal budget debates for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, scientific research, and afterschool learning in years. The...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/15/26

After$chool Funding: Funding Spotlight: Idaho Invests in Afterschool

By Riley Hayden, Summer Policy Intern. Idaho’s growing demand for afterschool programs highlights the need for sustainable state investment. 2025 America After 3PM data illustrate high demand for afterschool programs. For every child enrolled in an afterschool program,...

BY: Guest Blogger      08/14/26

FY27 Appropriations update: Competing Continuing Resolutions pass as August recess begins

With the House and Senate in recess for the rest of the month of August, it’s a good time for an update on the status of the FY2027 appropriations process. The federal current fiscal year (FY2026) ends on September 30, 2026, meaning by that date there needs to be temporary funding in place as...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/10/26

Interagency agreements, explained: Congress takes opposing paths

An interagency agreement, or IAA, is how the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has been shifting day-to-day administration of specific programs to other federal agencies, without changing the underlying law that assigns those programs to ED. Since May 2025, ED has signed 14 such agreements...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      08/04/26

More states receive ESSA Waivers: What this means for afterschool and 21st CCLC funding

Update: August 4, 2026: The Department of Education has approved Returning Education to the States Waivers for two additional states: Arkansas on July 7, 2026, and South Dakota on July 24, 2026. Arkansas is the fifth state, and South Dakota the sixth, to receive this waiver, bringing the...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      06/26/26

Summer learning advocates share America After 3PM data, personal stories in Senate briefing

On Wednesday, June 10, the Senate Afterschool Caucus hosted a briefing for Congressional staff, Summer Learning & Afterschool: Supporting Students and Families Year-Round. The briefing spoke to the impact and importance of summer learning programs and detailed the recently...

BY: Jillian Luchner      06/12/26

Proposed OMB changes to federal grant rule could impact afterschool and summer learning programs

On May 29, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released proposed revisions to the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance that would make significant changes to the “uniform guidance” that governs federal grant management and the use of federal funds. These proposed...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      06/11/26

FY27 education spending bill passes House subcommittee, maintains afterschool funding

UPDATE: June 10, 2026: Late in the day on June 9, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act by a partisan vote of 34 to 28. The Senate is now expected to take up their FY27 Labor...

BY: Erik Peterson      06/05/26

New legislation authorizes $10 billion a year for afterschool and summer learning

This month, Representatives Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), along with 9 other members of Congress, introduced the Afterschool for All Act (HR 8654). The Afterschool for All Act is new legislation that would authorize $10 billion in federal funding annually for 10 years for the 21st...

BY: Erik Peterson      05/12/26

Where things stand: FY2027 Appropriations Update

As Congress works through Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) appropriations, afterschool and summer learning programs are once again drawing broad bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. From Senate testimony to House spending debates, Members on both sides of the aisle are reaffirming the critical role these...

BY: Steven Ramdilal      05/05/26

Providers participating in child care subsidies show distinct offerings and needs in recent provider survey

Edge Research conducted a survey of over 1,000 afterschool providers between October and December 2025, as part of a wave of surveys the Afterschool Alliance has conducted since 2020. Overall, the survey found providers worried about program sustainability and the potential of losing funding, many...

BY: Jillian Luchner      04/30/26