About After-School All-Stars
After-School All-Stars (ASAS) DC is a leading non-profit organization that provides free, daily afterschool and summer programs to low income students and schools in Washington DC. Each day from 3-6 pm, we offer a combination of academic support, enrichment, and health and fitness activities to those who not access them otherwise. Our mission is to provide free, comprehensive programs that keep children safe and help them succeed in school and in life. Our vision for our All-Stars is that they are safe and healthy, graduate high school and go on to college, find careers they love, and give back to their communities. ASAS DC is a chapter of the After-School All-Stars National Network which serves more than 70,000 children at over 350 Title I schools across the country. ASAS DC was founded in 2013 and began programming at Stuart Hobson MS. In SY 15-16, DCPS invited ASAS DC to bring services to Hart MS as part of the school’s 21st CCLC grant. This year ASAS DC is expected to serve over 500 children at five DC public schools: Stuart-Hobson Middle School (Ward 6), Charles Hart Middle School (Ward 8), César Chávez Prep Public Charter School (Ward 1), Leckie Elementary School (Ward 8), and Two Rivers Public Charter School (Ward 6). At these five schools, over 90% of the children are youth of color, with the exception of Cesar Chavez where 71% of the students are Hispanic/Latino, and the majority qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program, a proxy for poverty (68% at Stuart-Hobson, 79% at César Chávez, 45% at Two Rivers and 99% at Leckie and Hart). Key Initiatives
Our programs place special emphasis on offering students hands on learning opportunities related to our four national priorities:
1. Career Exploration Opportunities (CEO) is a financial literacy, career development, and entrepreneurialism program designed to help students learn to be self-sufficient adults, prepare them for the 21st century economy, and inspire long-term career planning. CEO also connects youth with community leaders from government, business, and nonprofit sectors to help them learn workplace skills and motivate them to create ambitious career goals.
2. We Are Ready (WAR) prepares students for life in high school, post-high school pursuits, and the workforce by targeting at-risk 8th graders and helping them develop skills to successfully navigate high school and prepare for continued education or training.
3. Sports as a Hook (SAAH) is a sports-based youth development program that connects sports to lessons on leadership, teamwork, health, community service, gender equality, and the environment. Wellness is an important component of SAAH, with Top Chef cooking classes that teach students to incorporate healthy eating in their daily life. School gardens provide principle of urban farming and the produce to be used in cooking classes, for a full exploration of new foods, healthy nutritional choices, and information on obesity and related illnesses.
4. Life Service Action (LSA) teaches students to design and lead their own service learning projects throughout the school year and participate in community-wide days of service, exposing students to new learning concepts while empowering them to proactively address issues in their communities.
