This guide provides information on the benefits of afterschool programs and the qualities of good after school programs. Afterschool programs reduce the risk of juvenile delinquency, substance use, and violent crime victimization. Children involved in quality programs decrease their chances of dropping out, earn higher grades, and develop better…

"Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California" is an anti-crime organization led by more than 200 California sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and victims of violence. This report brings together new evidence from California and around the nation showing that the after-school hours are the peak time when youth become involved in…

To address reduced physical education (PE) in elementary schools, a 12-week physical activity protocol was tested on 5-12-year-old, primarily African American, girls (n = 226) and boys (n = 344) at 14 YMCA after-school care sites. The 3 times/week, 45-min session curriculum included cardiovascular, resistance, and flexibility training, in which…

Two schools in Maryland received ARRA SIG (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act School Improvement Grants) funds to enable them to implement their turnaround efforts. This paper describes the outcomes of these two ARRA SIG recipient schools: (1) G. James Gholson Middle School; and (2) Commodore John Rodgers Elementary School. The experiences of…

This article presents evidence from a national evaluation of the effects of 21st Century Community Learning Center after-school programs. The study was conducted in 12 school districts and 26 after-school centers, at which 2,308 elementary school students who were interested in attending a center were randomly assigned either to the treatment or…

In September 2005, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) launched the Out-of-School Time Programs for Youth (OST) initiative to provide young people throughout New York City with access to high-quality programming after school, on holidays, and during the summer at no cost to their families. Working closely with…

In September 2005, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) launched the Out-of-School Time Programs for Youth (OST) initiative to provide young people throughout New York City with access to high-quality programming after school, on holidays, and during the summer at no cost to their families. Working closely with…

This article explores the study of learning through drama in light of contemporary theories of knowledge acquisition. The learning explored includes acquiring content knowledge represented in the topics of dramatization, interpersonal and personal understandings gained through enacting situations, and the development of attitudes and motivations…

After-school programs can be implemented by school nurses to facilitate healthy lifestyle choices in children with the goal of decreasing obesity. Kids Living Fit[TM] (KLF), an after-school program designed by community hospital nurses, was implemented in elementary schools and focused on best lifestyle choices regarding foods consumed and…

This report examines the efforts of Youth Education for Tomorrow (YET), a best-practices-based literacy program developed by a group of faith-based schools, churches, and community organizations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In each YET Center, a qualified teacher and volunteer assistants helped children improve as readers using proven…

Increasingly, out-of-school time programs are being asked to provide data that documents their progress and demonstrates their results. But for many OST programs and their over-worked staff this added responsibility is the "straw that broke the camel?s back." Across the country there is a cry from programs for help in deciding what to measure and…

Two studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of an after-school tutoring program. Results indicated that at-risk junior high students and students with learning disabilities (n=14) who were failing classes could earn average or better grades on quizzes and tests if they had the support of trained adult tutors. (Contains references.)…

A preliminary evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program at four San Francisco middle schools found no significant statistical evidence on academic achievement. The program successfully implemented its first-year objectives: positive perceptions among parents and students and solid student participation. Influential factors…

A project was designed to expose and orient Hispanic high school students in New London, Connecticut, to vocational education generally not available to them and to provide them with effective bilingual vocational education. Twenty Hispanic youths aged 13 to 21 were enrolled in an after-school exploratory vocational program. Students were exposed…

This report by the National Institute on Out-of- School Time (NIOST) in association with The Forum for Youth (FYI) investigates how after-school programs in Boston can most effectively promote positive youth development as a support to academic achievement. The positive youth development approach addresses the broader developmental needs of youth,…