Afterschool programs inspire kids to learn, help them make better decisions, and give parents peace of mind. Throughout the pandemic, 21st Century Community Learning Centers have kept kids engaged and learning and met the needs of families nationwide. But the demand for these programs far exceeds the supply. 21st Century Community Learning Centers…

Getting more young people engaged in STEM is essential in part because jobs in STEM continue to grow at rates double those of non-STEM professions. Providing greater opportunities for STEM learning isn't just about preparing the future workforce. As the world continues to rely more and more on technology, everyone will require a greater level of…

As the world continues to rely more and more on technology, everyone will require a greater level of STEM literacy and fluency to understand how science and technology play a role. Greater STEM literacy also helps prepare students to better understand challenges and issues that affect them and their communities. Hands-on STEM learning…

This report aims to provide a current picture of the afterschool and summer program experience for children and families in rural America, using data from the most recent America After 3PM study. Building off findings from the previous 2009 and 2014 America After 3PM studies, "Spiking Demand, Growing Barriers: The Trends Shaping Afterschool…

This is the executive summary for the report "Spiking Demand, Growing Barriers: The Trends Shaping Afterschool and Summer Learning in Rural Communities," which aims to provide a current picture of the afterschool and summer program experience for children and families in rural America, using data from the most recent America After 3PM…

For many students, the summer is a time for family vacations, new friendships, new adventures in camps and summer learning programs, or taking summer classes to catch up or get ahead in school. For some families, affordable summer programs and camps can be a lifeline, while other families who may not be able to afford summer programs or activities…

While data for the 2020 edition of America After 3PM were collected pre-pandemic, to accompany the data and determine how the pandemic has affected families' needs during the hours after school, the Afterschool Alliance commissioned a nationally representative follow-up survey of parents in October 2020. The follow-up survey found that afterschool…

The report "Time for a Game-Changing Summer, With Opportunity and Growth for All of America's Youth," finds that as participation in summer programs prior to the pandemic was on an upwards trajectory, there remained a significant number of children missing out. For every child in a summer learning program in 2019, another would have been…

After six months in a COVID-19 world, with the continued uncertainty of when things will return to normal, this brief, "Preparing for Back to School and Navigating Summer in the Time of COVID-19," combines findings from a survey of parents along with the second in a series of surveys of afterschool and summer providers to monitor the…

Given the promising role afterschool programs can play in addressing the inequities faced by families living in communities of concentrated poverty, and with the rise in the number of people living in communities of concentrated poverty, this special "America After 3PM" report examines the afterschool program experience of children and…

Findings from "America After 3PM" document the role that afterschool programs play in supporting families living in high-poverty areas by answering questions about what afterschool program participation looks like, what the demand for afterschool programs is, what is preventing parents from taking advantage of and children from…

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, as well…

The "America After 3PM" survey is the nation's most comprehensive household survey of how children spend the hours after school and asks parents and guardians of school-age children in the United States a number of questions about availability and access to afterschool programs. In addition to asking for information about afterschool…

The "America After 3PM" survey is the nation's most comprehensive household survey of how children spend the hours after school and asks parents and guardians of school-age children in the United States a number of questions about availability and access to afterschool programs. In addition to asking for information about afterschool…

"America after 3PM" began in 2004, precisely because of the absence of reliable data about such topics. That year, the Afterschool Alliance set out to fill the information gap, conducting what was at that point the most in-depth study on how children spend their time after school. The 2014 "America after 3PM" edition spans a…