After-school services (often referred to as OST or Out-of-School Time) benefit children and young people of all ages and cover a wide variety of areas of prominence, including academic counseling, mentoring, youth development, arts, sports, and leisure.
The activities in which children and young people participate beyond school hours are vital to their development, demonstrating the need for quality after-school services in all communities.
There is a high demand for after-school services; existing figures indicate that almost 10 million children and young people participate annually in after-school activities, 10 million in summer camps, and 6 million in 4-H services alone.
Trends For After School Programs
- In supporting learning through development, the Maker Movement and After School are natural partners with the goal of providing young people with more opportunities to foster confidence, creativity, and spark an interest in science, technology, engineering, math and the arts.
- Look for after-school programs that bring together museums, libraries and other cultural organizations in order to engage young people in these creative learning initiatives. Until recently, it has also been difficult to get recognition for abilities and achievements gained outside of school.
- Digital badges provide a way for young people to be recognized for the talents and experiences they develop in after-school activities. Potential employers, members of the group, and even college admissions staff can go to a student’s online profile to see their portfolio of badges, related to the job and completed projects to earn the badges, to get a detailed view of the student beyond the classroom and beyond grades.
- Since traditional education in most countries has not been able to concentrate productively on social and emotional learning and growth, and because its benefits are so well documented and wide-ranging, there is a tremendous opportunity for the after-school sector to address a critical need.
- Similarly, “age three to grade three” policies supporting seamless pre-school and early elementary education will include after-school services and expanded resources for educators to work with both early childhood and elementary classroom teachers to encourage student success.
- High-quality after-school services generate positive results for young people, including improved academic achievement, behavior in the classroom, and health and nutrition.
When young people have healthy and meaningful ways to spend their time when their parents are at work, communities and companies often profit. Several federal agencies provide support and resources for after-school programs to help promote positive outcomes for young people.
What makes a good program?
A recent policy study published by Columbia University concluded that “good after-school services are better defined as opportunities to be created rather than issues to be handled by their approach to youth.”
According to the study, “What Do Adolescents Need for Healthy Development? Implications for Youth Policy,” good services should: assist young people to develop powerful, constructive re-management programs that provide enriching, innovative experiences in which they can engage.
They also provide opportunities for young people to develop leadership and decision-making skills. Concentrate on young people’s developmental needs by fostering the autonomy of teenagers.
Photo by olia danilevich
