• As a society, it is our job to ensure that the future is in good hands. That means making sure our young people have access to a full range of opportunities throughout their childhood.  When young people have opportunities to be positively engaged in their schools and communities, they are more likely to develop into healthy and productive citizens and leaders.
• Where are our Kids? Children spend, on average, 1,000 hours a year in school but 5,000 in their communities and with their families.[i] How they spend this time can facilitate positive development and growth experiences, or place them at risk for negative outcomes.
• We know that this time students spend out of school matters. Science tells us that youth who are engaged in constructive pursuits during their free time are more likely to develop initiative, better understand themselves in relation to others, experience optimism toward the future, and develop skills and competencies that promote a successful transition to adulthood.[ii]
• Afterschool programs help build a strong foundation. Quality afterschool programs give young people the opportunity to explore new ways of learning, to acquire new skills, and to form positive relationships with adults in their community.  Good afterschool experiences literally help build a foundation that can transform a young person into a productive and engaged member of our community.  When that happens, we all benefit.
• We need to work together to make sure our kids are on the road to success. Since quality afterschool programs play an important role in assuring our children have the opportunities they need to be successful citizens and future leaders, we need to take collective responsibility for supporting and replicating them across the state.

Special thanks to Voices for Vermont’s Children for their assistance in the development of these Talking Points for Vermont Afterschool.

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[i] David Berliner, Our Impoverished View of Educational Research, Teachers College Record 108, no.6: 949-95 (2006).    [ii] Erin Hiley Sharp, Out of School Time Matters: Activity Involvement and Positive Development Among Coos County Youth, Carsey Institute New England Issue Brief No. 17 (2010).

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