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Afterschool programs faced numerous challenges due to COVID-19. However, they were able to persevere and provide care for many students. In Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19, the Afterschool Alliance shares the results of a survey of afterschool programs across the United States. According to this survey, 57% of afterschool programs during Spring 2021 extended their in-person hours to accommodate youth, families, and virtual learning schedules.

Helping stakeholders understand the value and impact of expanded learning programs can be vital to garnering their support. To help advocates communicate key messages about the impact of expanded learning programs, Learning Heroes has developed A Playbook for Educators, Out-of-School Time (OST) Providers, and Advocates. Materials include a video summary of key research insights, a research deck summarizing key findings from research studies, a one-page overview, messaging guidance, and strategies for using.

Demand for afterschool programs has remained strong during COVID-19, with parents seeing programs as providing critical supports. The fourth edition of America After 3PM, an Afterschool Alliance report on parent satisfaction with afterschool programs in 2020, finds that demand for afterschool programs remains high while cost and access barriers to participation and inequities persist. In addition to the report and executive summary, Afterschool Alliance has provided resources like infographics and fact sheets to help afterschool programs share information about the demand, need, and support for afterschool programs.

Y4Y has a two-part webinar series that explains how afterschool leaders can connect the dots and translate data into a powerful narrative. Topics include planning a program year with the end in mind, interpreting data to make decisions, and crafting a story about your data. That story will help you recruit partners, identify program champions, and market your program to the community.

It is always important for afterschool programs to make the case for afterschool and highlight ways our programs support students, their families, schools, and the community. This archived webinar from Afterschool Alliance brings together perspectives from several afterschool programs to discuss how they have raised awareness and generated support for their programs in challenging times.

No matter where you are in your grant cycle, having a communication plan to help you collaborate with partners and stakeholders is crucial to the program’s long-term viability. This publication from the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments provides guidance on developing an eight-step communication plan, a strategic roadmap for communication activities, and ways to support the sustainability of successes in your program.

A new report, From Risk to Opportunity: Afterschool Programs Keep Kids Safe, reinforces the vital role that afterschool programs play in turning the hours after school and before parents return home from work into a time of learning and growth for our young people. Produced by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, the report finds that the peak in juvenile crime on school days occurs between 2 and 6 p.m. The report includes state-level data and provides compelling examples of afterschool programs making a positive difference in young people’s lives. Consider sharing the report’s findings with your stakeholders to show the importance of afterschool.

The How Kids Learn Foundation has created a documentary on the history of afterschool programs in the United States since the 1800s. The film provides useful background to help expanded learning stakeholders understand the historic need for these programs and how they have supported youth and communities through the decades. The one-hour documentary can be viewed for free on the How Kids Learn Foundation website. There is also a learning guide and trailer for the documentary.

Planning sustainability is an important part of maintaining a thriving 21st CCLC program. The U.S. Department of Education’s You for Youth (Y4Y) web portal has a new blog post and webinar on sustaining your 21st CCLC program. The blog post outlines the “triple M” strategy to engage community members and partners: making a program meaningful, memorable, and motivational to the community. In the webinar, afterschool experts present the characteristics of a sustainable program and provide tips and tools for developing a sustainability plan.

Mayors and city council members can be powerful advocates for afterschool programs, especially if they understand the connections between afterschool programs and positive youth outcomes. This article from the National AfterSchool Association outlines strategies for getting municipal officials on your side to sustain and support afterschool programs.