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Home › Articles › Safety › After-school Programs

After-school Programs

A Creative, Safe Outlet for Our Youth

By Teri Brown

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What an After-school Program Can Do
"A good after-school program provides many positive experiences for a young person," Shah says. "First, it provides a safe, structured or semi-unstructured environment with caring adult supervision. With positive adult role models who know and care for the children as program staff, participants are exposed to a range of activities that help to develop their interests and talents. Programs keep kids safe until their parents or a guardian can pick them up after school."

According to Shah, high-quality after-school programs also provide an active and/or creative outlet for youth. Since after-school programs are typically more unstructured than the regular school day, young people can continue learning while releasing pent-up energy in positive ways. Through sports, performing or creative arts, community service or leadership opportunities, young people find their voice to express themselves.

"Additionally, some after-school programs have a specific violence prevention or gang prevention focus where local police teach kids how to be safe, how to defend themselves and how to say no," Shah says.

What to Look For
High-quality after-school programs will have a range of activities for young people to choose from. There will be an academic component where children can do homework and receive tutoring assistance from teachers or older youth. There will also be choices of sports and recreation/fitness activities, as well as arts enrichment.

"The activities and learning should be engaging and motivating for the children," Shah says. "There should be open communication between after-school program staff and the school day teachers/administration to ensure that what's happening after school is aligned and supportive of the school day curriculum in a more creative and engaging way."


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