Afterschool Alliance

06/05/2026

Too often, young people are left out of the conversations that impact their futures.

The Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) is working to change that by expanding civic engagement opportunities within afterschool programs and helping youth tackle community challenges using STEM skills and knowledge.

Check out the latest round up of resources, events, and opportunities from these programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic engagement:

A compilation of upcoming opportunities, resources, and events relevant to out-of-school time practitioners in STEM, civics, and teen leadership for the month ahead. This blog is part of the

06/04/2026

Afterschool programs are vital for engaging young people in STEM education. But federal funding for these programs is currently at risk, which could leave millions of young people without access to these critical hands-on learning opportunities.

Learn how to talk to your elected officials about the importance of these programs using our STEM talking points and other resources:

This blog is part of our Advocating For Afterschool series, where we share tools and best practices to help make the case for afterschool to policymakers at the local, state, and national levels. To

06/03/2026

TOMORROW: Don’t miss the latest STEM Talk episode!

Hosts James Brown and Della Cronin speak about the latest federal policy updates, what signals they’re sending to the field, and how STEM leaders should be prepared to respond. Plus: A deep dive into the Department of Education and Department of Labor solicitations and an exclusive preview of new Alliance for Learning Innovation research!

Tune in tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET to hear more. Register here: https://bit.ly/3PTOtW7

06/02/2026

Help turn a candidate into an afterschool champion! 💪 Our new one-pager includes hard-hitting data on public support for afterschool, program supply and demand, and positive outcomes on youth, families, and communities.

Here's how to put it to work:

✅ Download this one-pager & mail or email it to all candidates along with a personal letter discussing how the issue affects your area. Bonus points if you can tailor the guide to include data specific to your locality!

✅ Bring it to candidate forums and ask candidates directly about their plans to invest in afterschool and summer learning.

This blog is part of our Advocating For Afterschool series, where we share tools and best practices to help make the case for afterschool to policymakers at the local, state, and national levels. To

06/02/2026

New data finds that affordability is the top barrier limiting youth participation in summer programs. Nearly 4 in 10 parents cite cost as a factor influencing their ability to enroll.

Read more on the barriers families face in new summer findings: aa3pm.co

06/01/2026

More than 5,300 young people shared over 3,700 ideas in the Dollar Challenge. From those entries, 1,500 submissions were selected as Round 1 winners, and now, 60 are moving forward to the final event.

These 60 standout submissions were created by 84 students from 22 states – they’re bringing bold ideas to life.

Each semifinalist submission – represented by one to three students – will receive a $5,000 award and compete in the final event in Flint, Michigan, THIS MONTH!

Learn more: https://bit.ly/mottmillion60

05/28/2026

Summer can be a time of opportunity for young people. As Lindsey Blevins, extended learning coach and 21st CCLC director at Tuscaloosa City Schools, puts it: "For many students in Tuscaloosa, summer is where they discover their interests, their talents, and possibilities they may not even know exist yet."

But new data finds that across the country, 12.6 million young people don't have access to these kinds of engaging summer opportunities.

K-12 Dive peels back the curtain on what summer looks like for families — the unmet demand, barriers, and what parents are saying: 👇

Cost, transportation and availability are barriers to these programs despite strong interest from families, an Afterschool Alliance report finds.

05/28/2026

This is how you advocate for afterschool — a message from Colorado Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera:

"When you combine compelling stories with clear outcomes, you create a message that reaches across political divides. Afterschool programs strengthen communities, improve educational outcomes, and create opportunity for the next generation.

Your presence and persistence matter. The fact that you continue showing up for young people, year after year, matters. So continue building those relationships. Continue telling those stories. And continue making the case for the young people who depend on these programs every day."

Read her remarks from the 50 State Network Meeting earlier this month:

Photo courtesy of the Colorado Afterschool Partnership. By Dianne Primavera, lieutenant governor of the state of Colorado. This speech was recently delivered by Lt. Gov. Primavera during the 50

05/27/2026

Nationwide, parents of 24.6 million kids want a summer program for their child. However, roughly half of these children are missing out on the positive and engaging experiences summer can hold.

New data paints the full picture of summer program participation in America: aa3pm.co

05/27/2026

Summertime has a way of sneaking up fast — and for school districts, planning for summer programming comes with its own distinct set of challenges around capacity, funding, and sustainability. ☀️

A new brief from The Wallace Foundation examines key strategies for supporting and advancing summer learning, drawing on lessons from 13 school districts:

✅ Engaging in early, collaborative planning to build internal capacity and commitment
✅ Building broad demand and buy-in for summer learning
✅ Building diverse and durable partnership networks
✅ Tapping multiple funding streams from a mix of federal, state, local, and private sources

In a new blog, we take a deep dive into each of the findings:

Summer is a time of opportunity for young people. In high-quality summer programs, young people can boost academics and prepare for the upcoming school year, be physically active and spend time