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SUBJECTS › HEALTH › After School and Late Night Programs for Youth
Updated 6/09

Afterschool and Late Night Programs for Youth

Contents

The Need for Teen Programs

Teens hanging out in malls and downtown street corners are perceived as a potential problem.   The merchants complain, citizens feel threatened and are concerned about personal safety, and the teens themselves may be at risk.  No one has come up with a perfect solution to get teens to "hang out" in safer places, but an increasing number of cities realize that programs are needed to capture the interests of older youth.   

Programs catering to teens provide activities that appeal to their needs, including sports, fitness,  learning programs, a safe place to socialize,  and opportunities to participate in community volunteer programs.  Some of the programs are  sponsored by park and recreation departments, some are sponsored by organizations like the YWCA, others are created through public-private partnerships or receive partial public funding.  This page provides links to information resources  for creating programs and  program illustrations.  Much of the information is from larger cities, but they may generate ideas that can used in smaller communities.

Information Resources

  • After School.gov  - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Afterschool.gov is a one-stop website connecting the public, and particularly afterschool providers, to federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school time. See in particular the resources under the heading “Running a Program.”
  • National Institute of Out-of-School Time  - The National Institute on Out-of-School Time at Wellesley College has moved the afterschool field forward through its research, education and training, consultation, and field-building.
  • The After School Alliance  - The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children. It is supported by a group of public, private and nonprofit organizations that share the Alliance's vision of ensuring that all children have access to afterschool programs by 2010.
  • Older Youth Need Afterschool Programs, After School Alliance Issue Brief No. 20, October 2004 
  • What makes a good afterschool program? By Tori DeAngelis, Monitor on Psychology, Volume 32, No. 3,  March 2001
  • Project for Public Spaces Teens as Community Builders  - At Project for Public Spaces, we believe it's important to highlight accomplishments of young people. In our work around the U.S., we witness all too often how young people are shunned and treated almost like undesirables by the owners and managers of public spaces. On top of that, there seems to be continuous press coverage of negative activities undertaken by teens. This makes it even more important to tell stories of youth who are doing positive things to improve their communities. In addition, these examples of teens' success can provide inspiration to other youth who are struggling to make a difference, and trying to create public places that are comfortable for them and their peers - places where they have a sense of ownership and involvement

Local Program Examples