for families and youth

Children spend 80% of their waking hours beyond school. How do we collectively make those hours count? After-school and summer programs offer invaluable benefits to children by providing enriching experiences beyond traditional classroom hours. They also contribute to the holistic development of students by fostering social skills, teamwork, and self-confidence through diverse activities such as sports, arts, and college and career readiness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify 6 major strategies to prevent youth violence. One of the strategies identified is connecting youth to caring adults and activities which includes mentoring and after school programs. The CDC states “After-school programs provide opportunities for youth to strengthen their social and academic skills and become involved in school and community activities to expand their prosocial experiences and relationships.These approaches also address key risk and protective factors for youth violence by helping to provide supervision during critical times of the day, such as from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. when youth crime and violence peak.”

Youth Success Summit has gathered research articles and resources that support families in making informed decisions about out of school time programming for their child. Families are encouraged to explore the following sites for more information on the best ways to keep children growing!