Out-of-school time programs encompass a wide range of offerings for young people that take place after school, on the weekends, and during the summer and other school breaks. Important considerations for out-of-school time environments include keeping young people safe, providing opportunities for positive relationships with adults and peers, time for physical recreation and unstructured play, development of skills and exploration of interests, enhancing positive character traits, and strengthening academic and life skills. Following are some of our most relevant resources for this topic.

• LEARNS: Out-of-School Time Resources
• Youth and Communities Helping Each Other: Community-Based Organizations Using Service-Learning as a Strategy During Out-of-School Time
• Beyond Fun and Games: Tips and Resources for Summer Programs

Effective Practices

• Starting an out-of-school program
• Identifying features of high-performing after-school programs
• Training new after-school volunteers
• Identifying features of high-performing after-school programs

Lending Library

• Half a Childhood: Quality Programs for Out-of-School Hours (Third Edition)
• Links to Learning: A Curriculum Guide for After-School Programs
• Beyond the Bell: A Toolkit for Creating Effective Afterschool Programs

Related Websites

• National Institute for Out-of-School Time
• Out-of-School Time @ Harvard Family Resource Project (HFRP)
• Partnerships for After-school Success