21CCLC Blog

This blog was published in 2020 and updated on May 24th, 2023.

High-quality after-school programs serve an important purpose in our communities. Research shows they improve everything from educational outcomes and school attendance to social and emotional learning. 

The key to creating a successful grants management plan is making the best possible use of funds to set a program up for long-term success. Research is extremely important during this stage—and there are a few key things to remember:  

This blog was updated on July 25th, 2023.

After-school enrichment programs offer many benefits, such as:

• Building on different skill sets
• Inspiring future career paths
• Improving school-day attendance

In fact, nine in ten adults say after-school programs are important to their community. This article highlights a few ways that after-school enrichment programs help today’s youth.

Download our Guide to Creating a Successful Educational Grants Management Plan for Your After-School Program

Securing funding to keep an after-school program alive and thriving is challenging. Long-term thinking is essential for securing funding and sustaining after-school programs. By focusing on what is ahead—and putting a plan in place to manage grant funding—after-school program directors can give their programs a strong foundation for the future. This article explores the importance of long-term thinking when it comes to creating grants management plans for after-school programs.

After-school programs are essential to our communities. Without these programs, millions of parents would be left without a reliable, secure, and enriching space for their child to go before or after-school hours. But because these programs exist, participants are allowed the opportunity to receive additional education in a space that is safe and affordable. 

An after-school business plan helps support the long-term sustainability of a program. As programs grow and evolve, it makes sense to revisit funding strategy, particularly the funding sources that are needed to sustain a program as various grants end.

It’s no secret that attendance, both during and after school hours, has close ties to student success. Research has long shown that when students regularly participate in quality after-school programs, their school-day attendance, classroom work habits, and decision-making skills all improve.

It’s that time of year again, Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week! We are proud to team up with the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) to celebrate the professionals at the heart of after-school programs nationwide.  

Out-of-school time programs provide incredible value to our communities and those within them, especially for working parents in need of an affordable, safe solution for their children in the summer months. These programs go above and beyond the typical childcare environment, offering opportunities for engagement and a myriad of enrichment opportunities.

Attendance matters. In addition to being a factor in funding, it is also a major factor in student success. Studies have shown that “high attenders,” or students who attended their after-school programs (including summer sessions) nearly every day, gain more math, language arts, and social-emotional skills than 75-80 percent of their peers. Students who regularly attend their after-school programs are likely to experience the following benefits: