Afterschool Alliance Research

Informing providers, advocates, and policy makers for 15 years

Delve into our vast collection of research resources that show afterschool programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring learning, and helping working families across the country.

An integral component of Afterschool Alliance’s mission to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs is research that assesses and examines the ways children spend their time during the afterschool hours, the opportunities afterschool programs provide the children and families in their communities, and the public support for these programs.

This section contains research materials the Afterschool Alliance has produced over the past 15 years. Find the resource that best fits your needs by searching by document type or by issue area. If you are interested in learning more about afterschool programs, explore Afterschool Essentials, or find out how many children are in afterschool programs by visiting the America After 3PM page. You can also search by issue topic and learn more about afterschool programs supporting young people in variety of areas and subjects, ranging from the arts to health and wellness to STEM.

Afterschool Essentials

Find valuable information that will help you make a strong case for afterschool.

America After 3PM

Spans a decade of data chronicling how children spend the hours between 3 and 6 p.m.

Fact Sheets

Fact sheets offer to-the-point information on a variety of key afterschool topics.

Issue Briefs

Issue briefs balance exploring topics in greater detail and delivering information in a succinct package.

Reports

Reports are the Afterschool Alliance’s longer, more in-depth research work.

Public Opinion

Learn more about Americans' views on afterschool, including their support for programs.

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Promoting Civic Engagement Through Afterschool Programs (Nov 2018) Civic engagement, which has been linked to positive short-term and long-term outcomes including a stronger connection to the community and improved wellbeing, starts with young people. This issue brief, created in partnership with the Center for Global Education at Asia Society, details the way in which afterschool and summer learning programs are promoting students’ civic dispositions, bringing lessons of democracy to life, and empowering youth to enact change. Accompanying this brief are five in-depth afterschool program profiles that highlight the different roles programs play to inspire youth to be knowledgeable, engaged, and civically minded individuals: Alternatives, Inc. and Equity Alliance MN’s Youth Executive Board: Helping students know their rights and responsibilities After-School All-Stars Hawaii Life Service Action Offering opportunities for students to take action YWCA New Britain House of Teens Program and YMCA of Port Angeles’ Youth and Government program: Providing authentic opportunities for students to lead and govern Youth Development	Download Featured Summary
America for Afterschool (Oct 2018) This 2018 national poll finds that there is strong public support for afterschool and summer learning programs. In this poll, designed by the bipartisan team of Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group and administered by Ipsos through an online omnibus survey, nearly 9 in 10 adults agree that afterschool programs are important to their community and 2 in 3 adults say that they want their federal, state, and local leaders to provide funding for afterschool and summer learning programs.	Download Featured Toplines
A Big-Picture Approach to Wellness: Afterschool Supporting Strong Bodies and Minds (September 2018) A comprehensive approach to wellness—which includes healthy eating and physical activity and extends to additional aspects of health, such as social and emotional skills and competencies—can provide the necessary supports for healthy children grow into healthy adults. This issue brief details the national public health issues children are facing today and discusses the afterschool field’s ability to provide a place where children feel safe, are surrounded by supportive mentors, have access to nutritious foods, are able to be active, can form relationships with their peers, learn how to set positive goals for themselves, and feel empowered to take charge of their lives. Accompanying this brief are five in-depth afterschool program profiles that highlight the different roles programs play to support their students’ physical and social and emotional health: Zhang Sah Afterschool Program: Focusing on activities that intrinsically embrace HEPA and SEL Coaching Corps: Using HEPA as a vehicle to build students’ social and emotional skills and competencies DC SCORES and A World Fit for Kids!: Training staff to model healthy behaviors Camp Fire Lone Star: Empowering students to take charge of their health Health and Wellness	Download Featured Summary
This is Afterschool Fact Sheet (2018) Decades of research show that afterschool programs help kids learn, grow, and make smart choices. Programs spark interest in learning so students attend school more often, get better grades, and improve their behavior in class. This fact sheet summarizes research demonstrating the multitude of benefits programs have on kids and their families.	Download Featured
Topline Poll 2003 pdf	Download
Surveys and Polls Show Strong Support for Afterschool A Summary of Findings Highlighting the Need and Demand for More Afterschool Programs for Children and Older Youth.	Download
States on the Move to Afterschool for All	Read Resource
Spotlight on New Hampshire Summary of findings from Spotlight on New Hampshire report.	Read Resource
Spotlight on Maine A summary of findings from New England After 3 PM: Spotlight on Maine.	Read Resource
Spotlight on Connecticut	Read Resource