New to Afterschool? Here are the basics.
If you’re new to the world of afterschool or are thinking about joining this field, here’s what you need to know.
In communities across the United States, 11.3 million children are without supervision between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. which means 1 in 5 children do not have someone to care for them after school. (America After 3PM).
By the time they reach 6th grade, middle class kids have likely spent 6,000 more hours learning than kids born into poverty (Source). This 6,000-hour gap primarily reflects disparities in opportunities to participate in activities during the out-of-school time hours--before school, afterschool, and in the summer--and contributes to what is commonly known as the “opportunity gap.”
Per a September 2018 national poll, nearly nine in ten adults (89 percent) say they believe afterschool programs are important to their communities. And they should! Afterschool programs address the opportunity gaps by providing a range of services that support healthy development through engaging activities that enable children and young people to learn and practice important 21st century skills that support social-emotional, behavioral, and physical health. Quality afterschool programs (Source):
Keep kids safe
Support working families
Help students improve school attendance, behavior and grades
Keep kids active
Improve students’ feelings and attitudes
Only 20% of a child’s time is spent in the classroom. Afterschool programs offer the opportunities to extend learning into real-life application, connect students with mentors and caring adults and connect students with each other.
Children and youth need access to amazing afterschool programming. And to make that happen, the field of afterschool needs leaders and staff with top skills. That’s where we come in :)
