Issue Briefs

Credit for Learning: Making Learning Outside of School Count (Nov 2021)

Creating new and engaging learning opportunities for middle and high school students can help them find their inspiration, gain skills that will benefit them in and outside of the classroom, and play an active role in designing their own learning journey to reach their full potential. This issue brief, complemented by in-depth afterschool program profiles, explores the ways in which afterschool programs can provide older youth with opportunities to explore their interests and participate in activities that also allow them to earn credits toward their graduation requirements.

• Riverzedge Arts and Laconia School District’s Extended Learning Opportunities program: Integrating youth voice and student created curriculum to promote engagement
• YouthForce NOLA and L.E.A.D. Afterschool program: Creating a path for career exploration and readiness
• FabNewport: Fostering relationships to create a strong sense of belonging
• Sail Academy: Leveraging school partnerships to best serve students

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Building Workforce Skills in Afterschool (Nov 2017)

A strong and vibrant economy is reliant on a strong and vibrant workforce equipped with the necessary skills, competencies, and knowledge. This issue brief highlights the ladder of supports afterschool and summer learning programs provide to help students develop the skills and gain the experience that will benefit them in the workforce, from building students’ communication and teamwork skills in elementary school to connecting students to internships and apprenticeships in high school. In addition to this issue brief, six complementary in-depth afterschool program profiles highlight different roles programs play to build students’ workforce skills:

Building students’ foundational skills and competencies that will help them in the workforce and in life

• Minneapolis Beacons

Introducing students to new interests, opening their eyes to potential career pathways

• MedTWO
• The City
• YWCA Greater Miami-Dade Clubhouse

Providing real-world work experiences that help build students’ familiarity with and capabilities in the workforce

• EVOLUTIONS After School Program (Evoking Learning and Understanding Through Investigations in the Natural Sciences)
• Sunrise of Philadelphia

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Summary

Building Literacy in Afterschool (March 2015)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with Dollar General Literacy Foundation, is proud to present this issue brief examining the vital role afterschool programs play to build students' literacy skills. This issue brief will explore the additional support needed to help students with their reading, writing and critical thinking skills; delve into the variety of ways in which afterschool programs are successfully developing students' literacy skills; and provide examples of afterschool programs that are fostering students' love and appreciation of reading and writing.

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Back to School in the Time of COVID-19 – Wave 3 (November 2020)

Eight months into COVID-19, three key trends are shaping the landscape of afterschool programs across the nation. First, many more afterschool programs are operating now than were in the spring and summer. Second, programs are able to serve only about half as many students as they supported before the pandemic. Third, the children being left behind are disproportionately those from low-income families. These findings are documented in the brief, Back to School in the Time of COVID-19, based on the third in a series of surveys of afterschool program providers to monitor the state of the afterschool field. The Wave 3 provider survey of 1,445 program providers, was conducted between September 28 and October 27, and represents more than 7,300 program sites.

• Wave 3 Toplines
• Waves 1, 2, and 3 Comparison Toplines
• Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 survey page

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Arts Enrichment in Afterschool (2012)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the second of four issue briefs in our fifth series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief addresses the positive influences art has on a child's development, the challenges schools face in providing comprehensive arts education and the role afterschool programs can play to support arts enrichment.

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Arts and Afterschool: A Powerful Combination (2005)

In this increasingly competitive information age and creative economy, art education is being squeezed out of school curricula, but knowledge and skills in the arts remains important. This brief addresses how the arts support creative achievement, unite communities, encourage self-expression and teach students about cultural history. This brief also highlights the role afterschool programs can play in filling the current gap in art education.

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An Ideal Opportunity: The Role of Afterschool in Social and Emotional Learning (May 2018)

Ensuring all children and youth thrive as they move through school and into their adult lives requires that they have the opportunity to develop the skills and competencies that will help them land their first job, navigate and overcome the challenges they will face, keep positive relationships, and make good decisions. Learn more in this issue brief about afterschool and summer learning programs, which have long been a place for positive youth development, helping in students' social and emotional development. In addition, in-depth afterschool program profiles that highlight the different roles programs play to support social and emotional learning complement this issue brief:

• WINGS for Kids: Taking an intentional and integrated approach to build students' social and emotional skills and competencies
• Girls on the Run: Prioritizing staff training and development
• Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley and McKinley Afterschool Program: Providing relevant and engaging project-based opportunities
• The Possibility Project: Promoting youth agency and voice

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Summary

Aligning Afterschool with the Regular School Day: The Perfect Complement (2011)

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the first of four issue briefs in our fourth series examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief discusses the benefits of aligning afterschool with the regular school day, including attacking the achievement gap, and provides strategies necessary for making alignment successful.

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Afterschool: The Natural Platform for Youth Development (2004)

This brief discusses the relatively new "youth development" movement, and explores the ways in which this movement can utilize afterschool programs as a solution to the increasing number of challenges our unsupervised youth are facing today.

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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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