AfterZones: Creating a Citywide System to Support and Sustain High-Quality After-School Programs

Increasingly, research has shown that participation in out-of-school-time (OST) programs can lead to improvements in youth’s educational outcomes (e.g., academic achievement, school behavior, attitudes toward school, attendance and educational expectations); enhance social and emotional development (e.g., self-esteem, positive social behavior); and reduce the likelihood that they will engage in risk-taking behavior. However, two conditions must exist for these benefits to accrue: The programs must be high quality and youth must participate over a sustained period of time.

See an updated report, Outcomes for Youth Participating in Providence’s Citywide After-School System, here.