Afterschool Alliance

Securing Funding and Long-Term Sustainability Finding funding is a top issue for afterschool programs everywhere — let’s talk about what you need to know to secure funds and advocate for long-term program sustainability. Designed to build on the Afterschool Alliance’s sustainability blog series, we’ll dig into questions about where programs can source funds and what they need to do to make sure afterschool remains in local, state, and federal budgets now and going forward. We’ll hear stories from the field as local programs describe how they’ve kept the lights on afterschool for kids in their communities.

This week, we’re highlighting the 10 biggest moments in afterschool as we count down to the new year! Youth voice took center stage with the premier of the Youth Voice Town Hall in March. Young leaders led powerful discussions about the opportunities youth need to thrive, shared their own afterschool stories, and inspired supporters to take action—showing what’s possible when youth are heard. 🎤 Want to check it out over the winter break? https://lnkd.in/eGDTD_Vu

Most public schools offer afterschool programs, but access is limited by staffing and funding issues. Explore the latest National Center for Education Statistics data on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eKg8xRAY

2024 was a banner year for afterschool STEM policy! Leslie Brooks walks us through what happened and what to expect in 2025: https://lnkd.in/eSvzErDj

Get your funding strategy organized for 2025! Our sustainability workbook has tons of resources to help you get ready for the new year. Check it out on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eMPbRB-U

Young people have the power and imagination to change the world. Afterschool programs are equipping them with the STEM skills to make it reality. See how they're doing it in the winter edition of the Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review. https://lnkd.in/eWxjeVHh

For public schools, meeting demand for afterschool and summer learning programs remains a challenge, with funding and staffing challenges among the top barriers. See what the state of afterschool looks like for public schools in new survey results. https://lnkd.in/eKg8xRAY

Congratulations to unCommon Construction and 2024 Afterschool Ambassador Aaron Frumin! If you're in New Orleans, keep an eye out for the orange skyline on Wednesday!🧡

Afterschool programs offer an antidote to social media harms. Big Tech settlements should foot the bill. Elizabeth Gaines, founder and CEO of the Children's Funding Project shares her take: "If there is a social media settlement, shouldn’t that money go toward the programs and activities we know work for young people? Wouldn’t out-of-school time programs be a worthy recipient of settlement funds for their proven ability to promote mental well-being and protect against risky behaviors?" https://lnkd.in/eruM5eaC

How can USDA nutrition assistance programs help you #FundAfterschool meals and snacks? Let's unpack (our lunchboxes)! 🍎 The USDA is a federal agency that promotes nutrition and food security for American families by partnering with school and community sponsors, like out-of-school time programs, to administer meals. From the Afterschool Snack Program to the Summer Food Service Program, there are plenty of ways to leverage these assistance programs to help you nourish young people in your program and community. Explore the full suite of resources and see if you qualify: https://lnkd.in/gNqT8UZn