Meeting The Need: Afterschool Programs

According to a recent survey by Afterschool Alliance, many students still lack access to quality afterschool programming. “There are 24 million students who are not enrolled in an afterschool program, but would be enrolled if a program were available to them,” the survey says. Black and Latino families are more likely to face barriers to enrolling their students. Supporting these families through these educational services is more important now than ever before.

The main barrier to enrolling more students in afterschool programs, from the perspectives of both parents and providers, is cost. According to the survey, 57% of parents said that they didn’t enroll their child in an afterschool program because it is too expensive. 44% of program providers also reported an increase in cost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Afterschool programs continue to play an important role for our students and their families. According to the survey, 82% of parents believe afterschool programs keep their children out of trouble, 78% believe that programs help children build relationships with caring adults and mentors, and 66% believe that programs help parents connect to the children’s school day education. 

How Youth Speak Out International Is Meeting The Need

At Youth Speak Out International (YSO), we are meeting this pressing need for afterschool services. Our work is made possible with support from Prime Time Palm Beach County, Inc., which receives significant funding for its overall operations from the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County. With their support, we are able to serve afterschool programs across the county. Our students are overwhelming students of color from low-income communities. 

Through our curriculum, YSO aims to empower young people to raise their voices and become the best versions of themselves that they possibly can. Our programs also open the door to conversations at home about issues that are important to young people, such as technology overuse, cyberbullying, and misinformation on social media. 
Thank you to Prime Time Palm Beach County, whose generous support allows us to provide these services at no cost to the afterschool site. You can learn more about our current programs here.