Afterschool Alliance Research

Active Hours Afterschool: Childhood Obesity Prevention and Afterschool Programs (2006)

The obesity crisis in America has become so dire that health experts warn this generation of children may be the first to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This brief addresses the current epidemic of childhood obesity, its health and economic costs, and how after afterschool can play a role in combating childhood obesity by offering healthy snacks and encouraging physical activity in a safe and educational environment.

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Afterschool Programs: Helping Kids Succeed in Rural America (2007)

In communities where infrastructure and resources are limited, afterschool programs may offer the only opportunity for academic, recreational, and creative enrichment. This brief explores how afterschool programs in several rural communities are successfully serving their children, families and communities with vital resources.

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Afterschool Programs: Keeping Kids - and Communities - Safe (2007)

Rising violence among youth is a concern nationwide, with youth involvement in crime peaking in the afterschool hours from 3 to 6 pm. This brief examines the role afterschool programs play in decreasing crime by increasing student safety and supporting youth. The brief also highlights how some communities are using afterschool programs to to enhance juvenile delinquency prevention efforts.

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Afterschool Programs: Helping Kids Compete in Tomorrow's Workforce (2007)

Preparing youth for success in tomorrow’s workforce is of increasing concern to our nation’s schools, communities, policymakers and businesses. This brief discusses the unique opportunities afterschool programs can offer students to prepare them for the workforce, including the development of important core competencies, such as interpersonal, critical thinking and leadership skills.

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Afterschool Partnerships with Higher Education (2007)

Community partnerships are the cornerstone of some of the most successful afterschool programs. This brief describes the benefits higher education institutions can provide as partners to afterschool programs. College students can serve as mentors, tutors or youth workers, and faculty can provide assistance with evaluations or curriculum development—all of which can be beneficial to college students and institutions in return.

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Afterschool: A Powerful Path to Teacher Recruitment and Retention (2007)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the first of four issue briefs in a series examining the vital role afterschool programs play in supporting children, families and communities. This brief examines the current teacher shortage facing schools, the impacts of this shortage, and the ways afterschool programs can help meet the need for recruiting and retaining new teachers.

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Expanding Learning Opportunities: It Takes More than Time (2007)

Recent pressure to increase academic achievement has led new educational reform strategies to include ideas on extending the school day. However, increased classroom time alone may not be enough to improve academic outcomes. This brief examines the high-quality afterschool program model and the goals of the extended school day movement, seeking to identify the role the afterschool program model can play in informing the implementation of a quality extended day initiative.

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Afterschool: The Bridge Connecting Schools and Communities (2007)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the second of four issue briefs in a series examining the vital role afterschool programs play in supporting children, families and communities. This briefs addresses the benefits of bridging schools and communities, outlines how afterschool can help build this bridge and identifies quality programs that are already successfully linking school and communities.

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Afterschool Fosters Success in School (2008)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the third of four issue briefs in a series examining the vital role afterschool programs play in supporting children, families and communities. This brief addresses afterschool’s role in improving school attendance, engagement in learning, test scores, grades, reducing risky behaviors, and supporting social and emotional development to foster student success.

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Afterschool: Supporting Family Involvement in Schools (2008)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the last of four issue briefs in a series examining the vital role afterschool programs play in supporting children, families and communities. This brief emphasizes the benefits to students, schools and families that comes with family involvement in school and explores the various ways afterschool programs create linkages between school and home.

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