Afterschool Alliance Research

Informing providers, advocates, and policymakers for 20 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. 

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Topline Poll 2003

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This is Afterschool (May 2025)

This fact sheet includes research demonstrating that afterschool programs help students build foundational skills, offer a lifeline for families, and provide a strong return on investment. Also featured is a graphic illustrating how participation in afterschool programs has both short- and long-term benefits, leading to young people becoming stronger learners, earners, and leaders.

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Featured

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.

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States on the Move to Afterschool for All

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Spotlight on New Hampshire

Summary of findings from Spotlight on New Hampshire report.

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Spotlight on Maine

A summary of findings from New England After 3 PM: Spotlight on Maine.

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Spotlight on Connecticut

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New England After 3 PM (2006)

New England After 3 PM is a series of reports, supported by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and focused on the state of afterschool across the New England region. Collectively, the New England After 3PM reports present a picture of how youth in New England currently spend their time afterschool, how stakeholders throughout the region view afterschool, whats currently happening to help advance afterschool and what next steps remain to be taken to make afterschool for all a reality in New England. Released in May 2006, the first installment, New England After 3 PM, examined afterschool across the region with a special focus on Massachusetts.

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June 2000 Afterschool Alliance Poll

June 2000 Afterschool Alliance Poll

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Findings from a Nationwide Survey on Afterschool Programs Memo

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