Building Brighter Tomorrows: The Lasting Impact of Afterschool Programs 

"Organized Afterschool Activities as a Developmental Context for Children and Adolescents," a longitudinal study led by Dr. Deborah Vandell of the University of California, Irvine, found that participating in afterschool programs benefits kids for life.

This study has followed a large sample of young people over 26 years to understand how various environments—including families, early education, schools, neighborhoods, and afterschool programs—affect educational, health, and career outcomes. The new data shows, for the first time, positive outcomes for young adults and affirms that benefits endure into adulthood. The findings are clear: kids who participate in afterschool are stronger learners, earners, and leaders.

As adults, those who participated in afterschool programs were more likely to graduate and pursue higher education, earn higher incomes and secure better jobs, and were more likely to engage in their communities.

Read more about these findings on Afterschool Snack - the Afterschool Alliance blog - or by reading the research report.