ü      Increase youth resiliency:  Resilient youth are able to “bounce back”
effectively despite exposure to multiple and sometimes severe risk factors.
 Resilient youth are characterized by their social competence,
skills, autonomy, and sense of purpose and future.

ü      Increase community support for education:  Studies of after-school
programs have proved that if families and other community members
are engaged in activities in schools, their commitment to their children
and to public education increases.

ü      Increase collaborations that address intractable community issues: 
Best practices after-school programs are result from active collaborations
among schools, town agencies, community organizations, and families
who work to prevent the risk factors faced by many children.

ü      Increase involvement in community service projects:
Children who work with community volunteers, and who are encouraged
to volunteer themselves, show an increased sense of belonging and
commitment to their communities.

The Facts About After-School Learning Centers
Safety, Academics, and a Child's Future

The Need

Sixty-nine percent of all married-couple families with children ages 6-17 have both
parents working outside the home. In 71 percent of single-mother families and 85
percent of single-father families with children ages 6-17, the custodial parent is
working. The gap between parents' work schedules and their children's school
schedules can amount to 20 to 25 hours per week. -U.S. Departments of Education and
Justice Working for Children and Families: Safe and Smart Afterschool
Programs. Washington, DC, 2000

Safety

Nearly 9 in 10 police chiefs said expanding after-school programs will "greatly
reduce youth crime and violence." Nine out of 10 chiefs also agreed that "if
America does not make greater investments in after-school and educational child
care programs to help children and youth now, we will pay far more later in crime,
welfare, and other costs." -Mastrofski, Stephen D., and Keeter, Scott. Poll of Police
Chiefs, Washington, DC: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 1999.

About 10 percent of violent juvenile crimes are committed between 3 p.m. and 4
p.m. Children are also at a much greater risk of being the victim of a violent crime
(murder, a violent sex offense, robbery, or assault) after the school day, roughly 2
p.m. to 6 p.m. -Chung, An-Me. After-School Programs: Keeping Children Safe and
Smart. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 20

Youth ages 10-16 who have a relationship with a mentor, an important component
of a quality after-school program, are 46 percent less likely to start using drugs and
27 percent less likely to start drinking alcohol. -Chung, An-Me. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Education, 2000

Highland Park, Michigan reported a 40 percent drop in juvenile crime in the
neighborhood surrounding the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-
school program. -de Kanter, Adriana, et al . 21 st Century Community Learning
Centers: Providing Quality Afterschool Learning Opportunities for America's Families.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 2000

Academics

Nearly eight in 10 teens (79 percent) who participate in after-school programs are
A or B students. Teens who do not engage in after-school activities are five times
more likely to be D students than teens who do. -YMCA of the USA, After School for
America's Teens, Chicago, IL, 2001

Students who are engaged in learning behave better in school, have better work
habits, higher educational aspirations, improved attitudes toward school, a greater
sense of belonging in the community, and better relationships with parents. -
Miller, Beth M. Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success. Quincy, MA:
Nellie Mae Education Foundation, 2003

Children whose out-of-school time includes 20-35 hours of constructive learning
activities do better in school. -Chung, An-Me. After-School Programs: Keeping
Children Safe and Smart. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 2000

Recent evaluations of other after-school programs all found improved school
attendance, and documented improved reading and/or math scores or re-
designation from the status of "limited English proficient. " -de Kanter, Adriana, et
al. 21st Century Community Learning Centers: Providing Quality Afterschool Learning
Opportunities for America's Families, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 2000

The Future

Students who spent time in extracurricular activities were 6 times less likely to
drop out of school by senior year; 2 times less likely to be arrested by senior year;
and about 75 percent less likely to smoke cigarettes or use drugs. -Zill, N., Nord,
C.W. & Loomis, L.S. . Adolescent Time Use, Risky Behavior and Outcomes: An Analysis
of National Data. Rockville, MD: Westat, 1995

Research shows that children with the opportunity to make social connections in
after-school hours are better adjusted and happier than those who do not have this
opportunity. -Chung, An-Me. After-School Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 2000

Students who spent even one to four hours a week in extracurricular activities
were 60 percent less likely to have dropped out of school by 12th grade than their
peers who did not participate. -Chung, An-Me. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Education, 2000