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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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (March 2025) The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. This brief provides an updated overview of 21st CCLC programs, which serves more than 1.8 million students and families, highlighting the research demonstrating programs accelerate students' academic growth and success, activities and supports provided by programs, and the current state of funding for the initiative. 21st CCLC Issue Briefs |
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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (May 2024) The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. In addition to providing an updated overview of 21st CCLC programs, which currently serve more than 1.3 million students, this brief highlights the activities and supports provided by programs; the impact programs have on students’ school-day attendance, academics, and behavior; and addresses the current state of funding for the initiative. This brief also includes a callout feature on 21st CCLC programs increasing engagement in school and reducing chronic absenteeism. 21st CCLC Federal Funding Federal Policy |
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Recent Evaluations of 21st Century Community Learning Centers Illustrate Wide Range of Benefits (July 2023) This brief highlights a cross section of recently conducted statewide evaluations on 21st CCLC programs to illustrate the impacts of this initiative, which is accelerating academic growth, improving students' engagement in school and behavior in class, fostering well-being, and helping students thrive both in school and out. 21st CCLC |
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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (May 2025) The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. In addition to providing an updated overview of 21st CCLC, including the number of students and families served and activities and supports provided by programs, the brief highlights the impact programs have on students’ academic and behavioral outcomes and addresses the current state of funding for the initiative. 21st CCLC |
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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (May 2022) The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. In addition to information regarding how 21st CCLC programs have responded to the needs of their communities during the pandemic, this fact sheet provides an updated overview of the 21st CCLC program, highlights its outcomes and benefits, and addresses the current state of funding. 21st CCLC Federal Policy |
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This is Afterschool (May 2022) This fact sheet includes data points on how afterschool and summer programs are accelerating students' learning and growth, promoting healthy futures, and providing peace of mind to working parents. Despite programs being vital partners in supporting students’ well-being and academic growth, too many kids are being left out. 21st CCLC Summer Learning |
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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (April 2021) The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. In addition to information regarding how 21st CCLC programs have responded to the needs of their communities during the pandemic, this fact sheet provides an updated overview of the 21st CCLC program, highlights its outcomes and benefits, and addresses the current state of funding. 21st CCLC |
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The academic and social and emotional benefits of participation in 21st Century Community Learning Centers (March 2021) This short brief includes findings from state evaluations of 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs—locally designed school and community afterschool, before-school, and summer learning programs—that demonstrate the academic and social and emotional benefits that programs provide to support the whole child. 21st CCLC Federal Policy |
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Two Decades of 21st Century Community Learning Centers: Providing afterschool and summer opportunities to millions of young people and families (February 2021) The 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) initiative supports local afterschool, before-school, and summer learning programs serving students attending high-poverty, low-performing schools. Since the start of the initiative in 1994, 21st CCLC programs have grown and evolved—funding, demand, and the number of students served has increased, as well as what programs offer. Today, programs support whole-child development by providing a safe and supervised space for youth to take part in various enrichment activities ranging from service learning to physical fitness and health, explore their interests, build key life skills, and connect with positive adult mentors. This issue brief explores the history of the initiative and the program’s evolution over its 25 years, while highlighting the importance of 21st CCLC programs and the breadth of work that they do.
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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (March 2020) The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. This fact sheet provides an updated overview of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, highlights its outcomes and benefits, and addresses the current state of funding. 21st CCLC Federal Policy |
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The Afterschool Alliance is working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met. Learn more
