Low Income Minority Afterschool Policy Briefs

About this grant

Supplementary educational activities – that take place in the afterschool hours, on weekends and during the summer – are increasingly viewed as critical to the intellectual and social development of children. In light of this fact, it is critical for state-level policymakers to have a clear understanding of what afterschool programs can do and the role that they can play as policymakers.Multiyear funding will enable the Council of Chief State School Officers to provide state policymakers with the tools to understand the benefits of extended learning opportunities for low-income and minority youth and better link extended learning initiatives to existing policy initiatives focused on children. Activities will include developing and publishing four policy briefs that explore the benefits of afterschool for disadvantaged children and youth; convening two meetings for policymakers, researchers and practitioners to track the development of the policy briefs; and disseminating the final policy briefs to key policymakers and other afterschool stakeholders.The council is a nationwide, nonprofit membership organization of public officials who head the departments of elementary and secondary education.