Introduction to our experts: An-Me Chung, Ellen Gannett, and Adriana de Kanter La Perla
	Afterschool programs -- setting the stage.
	What specifically is meant by the term "afterschool program"?
	Are there differing visions of what an afterschool program should be?
	Why are afterschool programs good for school-age children and youth?
	What benefits do afterschool programs offer to the schools, the communities, and the families who participate in them?
	Are kids being "over-scheduled"?
	Why has demand for afterschool programs increased so significantly?
	Where is the support and the funding for the development of these programs coming from?

Adriana de Kanter La Perla responds to the following question: There is a wide range of agendas for afterschool programs coming from different experts in the field. Can you describe a place where these different agendas overlap or converge?

Part 1 of 2 Part 2 of 2

Are there differing visions of what an afterschool program should be?

With so many stakeholders ¹ in the field, there are certainly many different visions of what an afterschool program should be. Yet there is also growing agreement on what the best practices are for any type of program. While uniform standards for the health and safety of students form the minimum requirements for a program, recent years have seen consensus developing around the standards of excellence toward which these programs should strive.

1.   

Ellen Gannett responds to the following question:

How are afterschool programs addressing learning standards?

As the field of afterschool time has evolved and matured, there has been growing agreement among practitioners and researchers that both these things are important when judging quality: the nuts and bolts of a program -- How many tables and chairs? How much outdoor space? What level of supervision? -- and how well the program meets the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of the children they serve. Quality afterschool programs can have many different focuses, while still providing the support and enrichment that best serve the student and the community.

In the Demonstration section, you will see examples of many different kinds of afterschool programs, serving elementary-, middle-, and high-school-aged students. These examples will present a look at the diverse and creative ways that communities and schools have responded to their own particular needs for afterschool care and the needs of their students.