Building a Comprehensive National After-School Initiative

About this grant

After-School All-Stars (ASAS) has 15 chapters located in Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose and south Florida. Each chapter’s afterschool programs are based on unique local needs. However, federal, state and local funding guidelines are continuously changing, so there is a critical need to find a balance between a national standard and the flexibility to meet local needs.Multiyear funding will enable ASAS to develop a strategic plan to create a comprehensive national afterschool program model focused on improving student outcomes. Activities during the first year will include developing the core components and principles of a comprehensive program that can be implemented under a range of conditions; producing a preliminary program manual for participating cities; and identifying the most pressing professional development needs. Second-year activities will include providing professional development to support implementation of the program model; assessing the status of programming at the city level; and recommending ways to monitor and support continuous improvement.ASAS was created in 1991 to provide youth living in inner cities with a positive alternative to negative behavior.