Fact Sheets

Building Workforce Skills and Inspiring Future Careers (March 2020)

In a 2019 survey of employers, more than 80 percent encountered challenges recruiting qualified job candidates and among that group, 3 out of 4 reported a skills gap among applicants. This fact sheet describes the ways in which afterschool and summer learning programs are uniquely positioned to help address this major challenge and prepare young people for the jobs of tomorrow.

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What Does the Research Say About Afterschool? (Nov 2017)

Afterschool and summer learning programs inspire students to learn, keep children and teenagers safe, and give parents peace of mind. This fact sheet provides a small sampling of findings—from meta-analyses to program-level evaluations—that show that there is demonstrable evidence of the positive impact programs have on students' academics, school-day attendance, engagement in learning, and behavior. 

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What Does the Research Say About 21st Century Community Learning Centers? (Nov 2017)

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) are afterschool and summer learning programs that are locally-designed school and community solutions that help kids learn and grow, keep children and teenagers safe, and support families to balance work with home. This fact sheet provides a small sampling of findings from evaluations of the federally-funded Community Learning Centers programs that demonstrate the positive impact programs across the country are having on students' academics, school-day attendance, engagement in learning, and behavior. 

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Thriving in Afterschool: Promoting Healthy Futures for Young People (June 2021)

Afterschool and summer enrichment programs have been a consistent source of support to young people and families who are juggling remote school or work, dealing with the health and economic stressors created by the pandemic, and managing the toll that COVID-19 is taking on their mental health and overall well-being. Throughout 2020 and into 2021, afterschool and summer learning programs have risen to meet the needs of their students and families, finding ways to support them as the nation continues to navigate the short- and long-term effects of the pandemic.

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This is Afterschool: Helping Kids Reach Their Full Potential (June 2019)

From birth through young adulthood, our brains are continuously developing: brain pathways grow stronger, information is processed more rapidly, and we build more complex connections that enable more complex thinking. Children and youth need continued support throughout this development. Reaching 10.2 million children and youth, afterschool and summer learning programs are a part of the continuum of supports that promote learning and foster healthy development.

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This is Afterschool: Building Workforce Skills and Inspiring Future Careers (June 2019)

Afterschool and summer learning programs provide students—from elementary to high school—with a ladder of supports that help them reach their full potential, offering a step up to discover who they are and what they love to do. From building foundational skills to opening students’ eyes to potential career pathways to providing opportunities to gain real work experience, afterschool programs are helping prepare young people for the jobs of tomorrow.

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This is Afterschool STEM (2019)

Jobs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields power our economy and build shared prosperity among our society. Investing in afterschool and summer STEM learning programs will help students explore their interests, build skills, connect with mentors, and prepare for jobs in growing fields like health care, information technology, and cybersecurity.

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This is Afterschool Fact Sheet (March 2020)

After the school day ends, 1 in 5 kids across America are alone and unsupervised. These hours—from 2 to 6 p.m.—are the peak time for juvenile crime according to a 2019 report by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national organization of law enforcement leaders. Afterschool programs turn that time of risk into opportunity, keeping kids safe and helping them realize their full potential. Across the county, afterschool programs are inspiring learning, providing safety, promoting smart choices, and supporting working parents.

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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.

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Featured

Summer Learning Programs Nourish Kids Bodies and Minds (2013)

Not only do summer learning programs keep kids safe and engaged in academically enriching activities that help stem the "summer slide," they also help parents ensure their kids are getting nutritious food while school's out. This fact sheet highlights the important role summer learning programs play in feeding high-needs children, addresses the challenges programs face in providing a summer meal and outlines the benefits of programs’ participation in the USDA Summer Food Service Program.

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