Effective afterschool programs bring a wide range of benefits to youth, families and communities. Afterschool programs can boost academic performance, reduce risky behaviors, promote physical health, and provide a safe, structured environment for the children of working parents.
Brandeis University, Community, Families and Work Program (2004). Parental afterschool stress project: Report of findings. Retrieved from www.brandeis.edu/barnett/research/docs/PASS_Findings.pdf (PDF, 4 pages)
Huang, Leon, La Torre, Mostafavi (2008). Examining the relationship between LA’s best prgoram attendance and acedmic achievement of LA’s best students. Los Angeles, CA: National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.
Mahoney, J. L., Lord, H.,Carryl, E. (2005). Afterschool program participation and the development of child obesity and peer acceptance. Applied Developmental Science, 9, 202-215.
Naftzger, N., et. al. (2007). 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) analytic support for evaluation and program monitoring: An overview of the 21st CCLC performance data: 2005–06. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2010). 21st Century Community Learning Centers: Executive Summary 2008 – 2009. Retrieved from dpi.wi.gov/sspw/pdf/clcexecsumm.pdf (PDF, 8 pages)
Map My Community is a tool designed specifically to assist you in locating resources in your community to help you build and strengthen your youth program. Get ideas for new partnerships, identify gaps in your community, and learn about resources to avoid duplication of effort.
FindYouthInfo.gov is the U.S. government Web site that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news.