How afterschool programs are having an impact

By the UpMetrics Staff

Working closely with our partners, we see the time and effort that afterschool professionals put in every day. It's a grind, and they're not in it for the fame or fortune—it's not often enough that afterschool professionals are recognized for the tremendous difference they make. Time and time again, we hear anecdotal stories about how these programs allow families to work, keep their children safe, provide an outlet for physical activity, and create a sense of community. 

In addition, our work supporting our partners with data collection and analysis allows us to see the real, tangible benefits that come from participating in afterschool programs. Our partners' data consistently shows that students who participate in afterschool programs are missing fewer days of class, and out-performing their peers in school.

"As afterschool professionals, the stories of the students we serve—the anecdotes and qualitative side—are deeply personal to us," says former EduCare Foundation VP of Afterschool programs, and current Managing Director at UpMetrics, George Hernandez. "I see those stories as painting a black-and-white picture of our work—quantitative data, then, adds color to those stories, and makes them more compelling and complete."

In honor of Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, here are three examples of real afterschool impact from our partners.

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Benefits of Athletics Participation at Green Dot Public Schools
When comparing the GPA for non student-athletes to student-athletes for the two most prominent ethnicities at the Green Dot Public Schools-CA studied, there is a strong positive correlation in GPA for participating in athletics.

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​Consistent America SCORES Program Participation Tied to School Attendance 
​In an effort to understand the benefits of increased program participation, America SCORES New York found that participants that attended 100+ hours of ASNY programming had higher in-school attendance than participants with less than 100 hours of program engagement.

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GPA in Relation to just keep livin Program Attendance
When looking at GPA as a function of just keep livin Foundation events attended, we see that there is a slight correlation between students' attendance and their GPAs: Students that attend more JKL events have a higher GPA on average.

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So, from the team at UpMetrics, thank you to all the afterschool professionals out there who are serving their communities and participants in a space that deserves more recognition—the impact of these programs is clear. Let's continue to build a data-driven approach that informs what we know anecdotally with quantitative analysis. 

Learn more about how UpMetrics partners with impact programs via our Solutions page. ​

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