For the past three years, five Topeka-area schools have participated in the Topeka Academy for Leading Learners program, or TALL. A 21st Century Community Learning Center Project funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Mott Foundation, TALL serves approximately 300 students through an after-school program in four elementary schools and one secondary school. The common thread among the five sites is a focus on academic enrichment through hands-on, student-driven activities with a well-trained staff. Instructional staff includes certified teachers, paraprofessionals and university students. Approximately 60 percent of the staff members are certified teachers, which raises the cost of staffing. Do the benefits of staffing after-school programs with certified teachers outweigh the costs? This article briefly discusses the benefits of after-school programs staffed with certified teachers.