With a growing number of families with both parents in the workforce, there is a continuing struggle to find child care for school-age children during the out-of-school hours: before and after school, summers, and holidays. This report provides an overview of the need for school-age care in Arizona and highlights the state's major program…

This document consists of three issues from 2000 of a journal highlighting notable after-school programs, many funded by 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants, and the school-community collaboration they entail. The June 2000 issue features a cover story on the successful inclusion of parents in various after-school initiatives;…

Sustainability is a critical issue for out-of-school programs. Time-limited grants, narrow categorical funding streams, and difficult economic conditions leave program leaders in a continual struggle to find a stable base of resources to continue their program over time. In the face of these challenges, many out-of-school initiatives have…

Describes an after-school science program, "Hands On Science," in which children from kindergarten though sixth grade discover that the application of science and technology begins with simple materials, a need, and their minds. (Author/BB)

What are the common tasks facing cities committed to saturating their city with high quality out-of-school opportunities, available to every young person? While no list is definitive or complete, we identify ten critical tasks. (Background and Contact information is appended. Contains 5 footnotes and 9 figures.)

Many faith communities partner with schools to provide tutoring, safe havens, after-school programs, mentoring, and summer activities; they also inspire their membership to volunteer on behalf of children, youth, and families in the nation's schools. This booklet describes several faith community initiatives in a variety of areas that support…

The Child First Authority (CFA) is a Baltimore (Maryland) community-wide after-school program that seeks to improve the quality of life in low socioeconomic status communities. The CFA, which is funded by local government agencies and coordinated by Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), established after-school programs in 10…

Discusses the importance of collaborations between organizations specializing in child care, such as the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and public schools for enhancing the quality of after-school programs. Describes the collaborative efforts of elementary schools in Georgia with a Boys and Girls Club and state and county…

Master teachers working in real urban classrooms have shared their exemplary teaching practices in an After-School Pedagogical Laboratory (L-TAPL), a program for elementary students that aims to improve the achievement of urban students and the competence of their teachers. The L-TAPL enrichment program curriculum includes language arts, math,…

Researchers and policymakers are increasingly interested in the issue of school accountability. Despite this, program standards for afterschool programs are not as fully developed as they are in other fields. This study bridges that gap and presents the results from a study that identifies benchmarks and indicators for high quality afterschool…

The Brotherhood/Sister Sol helps young people develop into critical thinkers who are committed to themselves and to community change. In single-gender chapters throughout New York City, primarily in Washington Heights and Harlem, teenagers learn to embrace and embody the ideals of brotherhood and sisterhood and to appreciate their connections to…

This edition of "Policy Issues" looks at the status of access, equity, and quality issues affecting the 21st CCLC afterschool initiative. The issue begins with background information on the 21st CCLC program, followed by an overview of grantee data on 21st CCLC program characteristics from the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Collection…

Noting that various types of evaluations of after-school programming conducted over the last several years have provided useful information to providers and to policymakers, this report summarizes the lessons learned from independent evaluations of after-school programs. The following overall findings are supported with a delineation of findings…

Recognition of the range of potential benefits linked to out-of-school experiences has led to a rapid expansion of out-of-school time opportunities across the United States. This guide outlines an approach for bringing the community together to meet out-of-school time needs of children, youth, and families. Launched in 1994, the MOST (Making the…

Provides a historical and contemporary description of school-age child care and after-school programs. Focuses on funding, community initiatives, affordability and supply, program outcomes, program quality, and the role of community planning. (KB)