COVID Funding & Recovery Resources | Accessing American Rescue Funds

Issue Briefs

Drawing connections between pressing issues and afterschool

Name almost any topic and the Afterschool Alliance can tell you how it intersects with afterschool in these briefs that are chock-full of information.

Afterschool programs are a key partner in strengthening communities across the country, whether it's keeping kids active and healthy in the hours after school or meeting the needs of underserved populations to promoting parent engagement and beyond. These briefs demonstrate the connections between afterschool and a wide range of hot topics, presenting contextual data on the topic, providing examples of promising afterschool programs, and making the case for greater investment in afterschool.

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Where Did All the Afterschool Staff Go? – Wave 6 (January 2022) Finding staff to hire or staffing shortages, and maintaining staff levels through health concerns and safety protocols are the top two concerns among afterschool providers based on the Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 Wave 6 survey, conducted by Edge Research between Nov. 1 and Dec. 13, 2021. While staffing challenges are not a new issue for the afterschool field, this survey of 1,048 afterschool program providers confirms that now, more than ever, staffing is impacting the ability of providers to meet the needs of the children and families they serve. Issue Briefs Surveys	Download Featured
From Prevention to Diversion: The Role of Afterschool in the Juvenile Justice System (May 2020) Involvement with the juvenile justice system can have devastating impacts for youth, their families, and their communities. Through a broad spectrum of services and supports, the afterschool field has leveraged the out of school hours to help keep young people out of the juvenile justice system. From building protective factors that promote resiliency to serving as diversion programs that function as alternatives to detention, afterschool programs can be an essential part of the work to support the young people at risk of becoming involved or currently involved with the juvenile justice system and help reframe and redirect their futures. In addition, in-depth afterschool program profiles that demonstrate these range of supportive roles that programs can play complement this issue brief: Promise South Salt Lake: Connecting youth to supports in the community Burlington Expanded Learning Opportunities: Instituting restorative practices to build community and mitigate harm The Center for Restorative Youth Justice and Evolution Youth Services: Serving as diversion programs that provide alternatives to detention Issue Briefs Service	Download Summary
Afterschool: Fostering Protective Factors that Can Last a Lifetime (September 2019) New research tells us that the adolescent years are a highly important developmental period for brain growth and “the second most critical period of development.” However, there are factors at the individual and community levels that impact the development process. This includes both risk factors that increase the likelihood that one will take part in unhealthy behaviors, such as substance misuse, and protective factors that spur healthy behaviors and development. This issue brief, accompanied by in-depth afterschool program profiles, examines the way in which afterschool and summer learning programs promote protective factors to help young people to build up the skills and competencies they will need to navigate life’s challenges and become the country’s next generation of leaders, thinkers, and trailblazers. Montrose Recreation District’s Summer Enrichment Program and the Learning Enriched Afterschool Program: Providing an environment that models and makes time to practice positive skill development Todos Juntos and the Harlan County Boys and Girls Club: Being a resource for students and their families to help them connect to appropriate systems of support Southeast Asian Young Men’s Group: Building self-awareness and self-confidence through youth voice and choice Health and Wellness Issue Briefs	Download Summary
Afterschool Supports Service Opportunities from Youth to Young Adulthood (April 2019) All individuals, regardless of age, can benefit from service opportunities. For youth, service-learning projects promote strong community ties and positive development outcomes, while experiential service programs promote similar personal and professional gains for young adults. This issue brief details the way in which afterschool and summer learning programs are expanding access and availability of service opportunities for youth and young adults alike. Accompanying this brief are six in-depth afterschool program profiles that highlight the different roles programs play in the healthy development of both the next generation and our democracy: Einstein Enrichment Program and Breakthrough Cincinnati: Connecting underrepresented youth and young adults to service Civic Nebraska and OregonASK: Enhancing future prospects through foundational skills and competencies Youth Health Service Corps and City Year: Creating an avenue for career exploration Issue Briefs Service Vista Youth Development	Download Featured Summary
Taking a Year-Round Approach to Literacy (March 2016) The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with Dollar General Literacy Foundation, is proud to present this issue brief focusing on the year-round support needed to help students with their reading, writing and critical thinking skills. This issue brief will also delve into the variety of ways afterschool and summer learning programs are taking a year-round approach to literacy, helping students catch up and keep up. Issue Briefs Literacy	Download