Click on the picture to see an afterschool style activity in action. Use activites like these to help kids connect academics to real life. Like the game? More afterschool style activities are available from the Center.

Program Time

Afterschool offers unique opportunities for teaching and learning, afterschool style. Afterschool education is:

Active, engaging, hands-on, challenging and fun
Grounded in children's interests and supportive of social and individual development
Deliberately planned with techniques, activities and projects to fit varied learning styles, skills and talents

The Center for Afterschool Education works with programs across the country and provides tools to build the educational quality of afterschool time. Your program may be focused on arts, sports, fitness, risk prevention, career exploration, job readiness or combinations of many goals.

If part of your mission is also to help children succeed in school, shape program content deliberately to provide that support.

Steps for Educators

Steps for Educators

Plan Be clear about learning objectives, plan projects and activities to meet the objectives, and assess how they went.
Work with colleagues to reflect on what worked, what didn't, and how to make things work best for the kids.
Connect the learning Know what children are learning in school and the academic content standards for your grade groups. Talk with principals, teachers, and parents. Listen to the children and young people in your programs, ask what they're working on, and look at homework.
Use afterschool style Schools often treat math, science, English and other academic subjects separately. In afterschool; develop program content that includes projects and activities, hands-on applied learning, and explorations. Cultivate creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills across program time.
Children and young people can engage with creative problem solving, inquiry and explorations to expand their skills further.
Address areas well-suited to afterschool methods, including

21st century skills
Global education
Literacy
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics)
English language learning

Up Next: Learn more about Connections with Schools, Parents and Communities.