New report on virtual learning from AIR and After School Matters

Few people would be surprised to hear that children and educators alike have been negatively impacted throughout the pandemic. Children are experiencing everything from learning loss and social and emotional difficulties, to food and housing insecurity; and educators, apart from dealing with their own stresses, challenges, and trauma during this period, have been asked to go above and beyond to provide for their students.

A new report, Summer Learning From Screen to Screen: Lessons Learned from After School Matters Summer 2020 Programs, by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and After School Matters, a nonprofit organization that provides enriching afterschool and summer opportunities to Chicago public high school teenagers, confirms a lot of what we already know: in particular, that teenagers are currently facing significant, adult-like challenges, but afterschool programs are critical and can help support students during these challenging times.

When schools shut down last March, After School Matters shifted to provide remote summer programming to continue to support nearly 10,000 teens throughout the city. At the end of summer programming, the study collected data from three summers (2018, 2019, 2020) to better understand the daily realities faced by both students and instructors, as well as the quality of virtual programming compared to previous years. The study also considered survey data from roughly 4,000 teenagers and 370 instructors who participated in the 2020 summer program.  

The report found that teens are experiencing serious challenges during the pandemic, including food insecurity, increased financial hardships, and technology gaps. Specifically, the report found that:

• 1 in 3 teens face food insecurity.
• Roughly half of teens (48 percent) report stress scores at or above the median. Those in more vulnerable areas of the city and in areas with higher COVID-19 cases reported higher levels of stress. 1 in 6 teens (17 percent) felt that their difficulties were piling up so high that they could not overcome them.
• Nearly half of teens (49 percent) reported some sort of internet connection problem. Most students accessed virtual programming through their smart phones.
• 56 percent of instructors note that teens in their program were coping with the loss of loved ones.

However, while students are experiencing significant challenges, After School Matters served as an effective support system for teens. Teens in the program reported strong relationships with their instructors and peers, and 9 in 10 reported a strong sense of belonging in their program. These relationships and feelings of belonging have helped students cope with COVID-19; the study found that those students who reported a greater sense of belonging also reported lower perceived stress. Additionally, the study found that:

• The program has helped teens develop critical skills, with teens reporting the largest gain in their ability to overcome an obstacle from the beginning of the program (62 percent) to the end of the program (91 percent).

• Nearly 7 in 10 teens (68 percent) report that the program helped them strengthen and/or build new friendships and relationships.
• More than 3 in 4 teens (78 percent) feel more hopeful about their future as a result of participating in the program.

While programming in 2020 looked different to previous years, the report found that it was still of high quality and effective. In fact, compared to previous summers, teens reported statistically significant higher ratings in their relationships with their instructors and the skills they gained. However, their feelings of safety and hopefulness for the future were significantly lower than previous summers of in-person learning. Overall, the report concluded that remote learning still can provide opportunities for teens to develop key skills, build relationships, and can provide a supportive environment for teens to have fun and explore their interests.

As we continue to move forward, the research is clear that afterschool programs are a critical component in helping youth navigate through the increased hardships brought on by COVID-19. To learn more about teens’ experiences during COVID-19 and the impact of After School Matters, read the full report.