As the only federal funding stream that provides dedicated funds for afterschool programs across the country, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative plays an important role in supporting the innovation that takes place in afterschool programs. Social innovation has been defined as "a novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than existing solutions." In the afterschool context, this kind of innovation can take the form of (1) learning approaches and curricula that promote academic achievement, (2) program practices that support continuous improvement, and (3) new research that sheds light on markers of program quality. The funding provided by 21st CCLC is often crucial for innovations that develop and test new ways to support children's learning and development, especially those that are informed by sound research and evaluation on what works and why. By providing a steady and reliable stream of funding, the 21st CCLC initiative can enable programs to move beyond survival mode and to think deeply about how to develop new and creative platforms for learning and incorporate them into their programming. The other major benefit of the initiative is the flexibility it allows--21st CCLC-funded programs are able to explore different ways of serving youth and do not have to be tied to a specific prescriptive model. This "Research Update" focuses on evaluations and research studies that showcase innovations in afterschool programs that are supported by 21st CCLC funding. 21st CCLC Funding for Innovation and Continuous Improvement is appended. A bibliography of programs/studies discussed in this research update is included. (Contains 1 table and 9 notes.)