The Rise of America’s Afterschool Program
The past decade has featured a steady increase in afterschool programs, as more students take advantage of the opportunities and educational activities that these programs have to offer. This increase was highlighted in the recent edition of the America After 3pm study, a decade of data chronicling how children spend the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. Since 2004, the Afterschool Alliance has facilitated the study, which has provided an extensive account of afterschool participation at both a national and state level. While also detailing the level of parent satisfaction with afterschool programs; barriers to participation; and disparities in both by income, race, ethnicity and community type.1