Afterschool and expanded learning programs are particularly well suited for incorporating STEM activities and content into their academic enrichment. STEM programs work best when they are hands-on and inquiry based, and programs can take advantage of community partners and the natural setting to enhance their STEM offerings. For example, local environmental groups, such as the Audubon Society, zoos, local computer and engineering companies, colleges and universities, community parks, and gardening groups, can all help you develop high-quality STEM learning opportunities.

Reading and literacy can be incorporated into your program as stand-alone activities (e.g., book clubs or journalism or newspaper clubs) or as part of other enrichment activities (e.g., journal writing as a reflection activity or reading cookbooks and science texts as part of other academic enrichment activities). Reading and literacy activities can be a fun way to promote a lifelong love of reading. Furthermore, writing activities in afterschool and expanded learning programs can provide a variety of methods for self-expression (e.g., poetry, creative pieces or play writing), unlike traditional school-day writing exercises. Regardless of how you embed this content into your programming, be sure your staff members have the skills to support struggling readers and writers. Afterschool and expanded learning programs that aim to improve reading fluency should be sure to use experts to plan and implement activities and measure success.

Creative arts programming may range from drawing to clay, painting, sculpture, woodworking, fashion design, theater, and voice. Planning for creative arts programming is a perfect time to think about how to draw on community resources and the talents and expertise of your staff members. Many programs hire teaching artists or partner with community-based organizations specializing in arts programming to offer these kinds of activities to participants. Arts integration is a method in which teaching artists pair with afterschool and expanded learning staff members and teachers to offer arts experiences that are academically enriching. You also can build creative arts into your program through field trips to local museums or performances. To some extent, your program options will vary based on the ages and interests of your participants. A participant survey can help you determine which arts programs are of greatest interest to older youth. Younger youth may want to be exposed to a wide variety of activity types as a way to determine what they want to pursue as they get older.

Health and wellness programs are often paired with sports and fitness programs. They often include topics such as nutrition and physical wellness while also addressing mental health and well-being. Cooking classes are a great way to engage youth in something they enjoy (everyone loves to cook and eat!) while teaching them about nutrition and even core mathematical concepts such as measurement. Health and wellness can be brought into sports programs - for example, rather than playing basketball purely for recreation, time can be spent before or after basketball drills to talk about being healthy, staying fit, and making good choices.

One strength of afterschool and expanded learning programs is their ability to promote and support the development of personal and social skills among youth participants by creating a strong youth development foundation for all programming (read more in the program design section) and offering specific activities geared toward building these skills. The latter (activities geared toward building personal and social skills) can take many forms and include social and emotional learning programs that focus on building self-awareness, self-management, relationships, decision making, and problem-solving skills. Personal and social skill development also can be integrated into other content areas. During reading and literacy activities, for example, time can be spent discussing the different characters' feelings or how their actions had an impact on other characters. Creative arts activities offer a prime opportunity to role-play different emotions or act out social situations, such as joining a new group of friends, dealing with negative emotions, or making responsible decisions. Finally, sports and recreation activities can emphasize the power of teamwork and offer youth opportunities to collaborate with their peers to accomplish goals.

Afterschool and expanded learning programs that offer recreational activities play an important role in promoting healthful, active lifestyles in youth. Recreational activities, such as sports, outdoor activities, and activities emphasizing physical fitness or movement, can encourage positive youth values, improve social skills, teach responsibility, improve grades, increase mental alertness, and promote lifelong healthful habits. Promoting healthful habits is a crucial part of eliminating childhood obesity, and afterschool and expanded learning programs are an ideal venue for addressing this issue. Effective sports and recreation activities offer a variety of fun, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant activities based on community interest; create a sense of belonging for youth (i.e., activities are developed to eliminate isolation and comparison of youth); have fair and consistent rules; are challenging but positive; promote physical as well as social and emotional development; promote youth development (i.e., staff members build on the strengths of youth); focus on teamwork and leadership rather than competition; provide youth opportunities to lead and coach; and are run by positive, enthusiastic staff members who actively participate in the activities. Each characteristic is important for creating a recreational activity that is relevant and purposeful while keeping youth engaged and enthusiastic. Use Tool 76: Staff Development Tool on Recreational Activities to plan your program activities and ensure that they meet the characteristics of effective recreational activities described above.

To promote young people's physical development, be sure to select age- and ability-appropriate activities. In addition, make sure that your programming considers the learning styles and young people's physical abilities. Youth will stay interested if they are learning new recreational skills and consistently being challenged. For example, if some youth have high recreational skills and abilities, let them coach and teach others how to gain these skills. If some youth have lower skills, set up activities that will allow them to increase their skills through mastery. To support physical development, become familiar with the key development stages in youth and adolescence and find multiple activities that are appropriate for the grade levels served. Then observe ability levels and adapt activities accordingly.

In addition to promoting physical development, recreation and sports programs play a huge role in promoting the social and emotional well-being of young people. They can help build skills in teamwork, decision making, strategic thinking, and conflict resolution. In addition, young people who are engaged in sports often experience increased levels of self-confidence, which can be important for success in school and life.

How do you determine locations for recreational programs? Finding a suitable space and adapting it to the needs of your program are two of the most important responsibilities of staff members. With recreational programming, these tasks also can be the most challenging. Programs can be located in various locations: schools, community buildings, faith-based facilities, parks, and other places. Each location has different spaces and resources. Wherever your program is run, be sure to communicate frequently with the staff and management of that facility.

Assess your space to determine what activities you can plan. If you are limited to a classroom but want to do a physical activity, you will be forced to be creative with your programming. For example, you could have a martial arts club or dance class in that space. Ideally, of course, you would love to have unlimited gymnasiums, dance studios, and outdoor spaces to run your program. Because the space most likely will be limited, however, you should assess your needs, resources, and space before beginning to plan recreation programming. See Tool 77: Assessment of Recreational Needs, Resources, and Space.

Service learning is a hands-on approach to learning that provides participants with the opportunity to learn critical skills through project development, implementation, and reflection. By participating in high-quality service-learning experiences, participants build on social and academic capacities (e.g., the ability to organize information and resources and work with peers) to complete tasks. Programs can use service learning to help improve youth academic achievement, develop youth leadership skills, strengthen ties to the community, and provide structured activities that apply learning to real-life experiences.

Youth Service California (n.d.) has identified seven key elements of high-quality service learning: (1) Quality service-learning projects offer a variety of opportunities for youth to apply academic content to their experience (i.e., integrated and applied learning). (2) Service-learning projects bring youth, teachers, and community partners together to meet the needs of their community. (3) A high-quality project incorporates many partners in its design and implementation, including youth, families, community-based organizations, school personnel, and recipients of service. (4) Youth participate actively in every step of the project (i.e., have youth voice), including identifying community needs and choosing and planning the project. (5) By participating in a service-learning project, young people learn that they can have an impact on their community (i.e., civic responsibilities); they learn that their voice counts and that what they do can make a difference. (6) Service-learning projects incorporate reflection time before, during, and after the project to connect the social and personal aspects of the project (e.g., team building); discuss accomplishments, attitudes, and feelings; and apply academic skills and concepts to the real world. (7) Measuring and tracking progress toward meeting a project's goals keeps everyone accountable. When evaluation is done properly and all partners participate (including youth), the project can be championed by everyone in the community.

Endless topics and possibilities exist for service-learning projects, and they provide great opportunities for engaging youth in a full range of learning. Projects can be structured in a variety of ways to address the interests of individual youth or small groups. Service-learning projects offer staff members a great opportunity to empower youth to work together, make collective decisions (when age appropriate), and choose topics that interest them. Activities such as a community garden, a mural, a beautification project, or a recycling campaign are good for all ages and connect youth to the world around them. Staff members can take the opportunity to engage older youth in longer, more complex projects (such as organizing events, mentoring younger youth, or petitioning to change school policies). When possible, staff members can formalize service projects to act as a career development experience (e.g., an internship) to help build work experience and develop career skills and responsibility. Staff members and youth can use Tool 78: Community Inventory for Service Learning to begin assessing where they can make the biggest impact.

The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (2000) and Youth Service California (n.d.) offer multiple suggestions for incorporating service learning into afterschool and expanded learning programs. These suggestions include ideas for the program staff, for youth, and for partners.

Have youth brainstorm ideas and ask them what types of interests, needs, and issues they want to address in the community. Older youth can take more of a leadership role in brainstorming and planning. Across age groups, youth can investigate and research issues together. Another suggestion is to choose appropriate projects. Have youth work together to narrow their choices and remember that younger youth respond better to quick and tangible projects whereas older youth respond better to longer projects that require planning and relationship building. One way to help narrow the focus is to have youth vote for their choice.

Have older youth walk around and survey the neighborhood (e.g., interview community members, take notes on the strengths and weaknesses of the neighborhood, or research issues on the Internet). They can then develop ideas for improvement (i.e., brainstorm ways to turn weaknesses into strengths), and their project can stem from those ideas. Use Tool 79: Service Learning Project Development to get started.

Keep it simple. Try to arrange a project that can be done easily and close by. Look at the resources around you. A good project does not require complicated materials or transportation. You also should develop partnerships. Create a partnership with a nearby community center, food bank, nursing home, homeless shelter, or hospital. Have a representative from one of these organizations talk to youth participants about how a service-learning project can help a specific issue or group in the community.

It is important to engage youth in reflection. Reflection should be done throughout the planning and execution process. After the project has been completed, ask youth what they thought of the project, whether they made a difference, what else can be done, and what they learned. It is equally important to celebrate contributions. Make sure you and all the partners involved congratulate, recognize, and thank youth for their work. The culminating activity at the end of the project provides a great opportunity for all the stakeholders to celebrate their accomplishments and reflect on sustainability.

For more information, tools, and tips on service learning, see the websites of Youth Community Service  or the National Service-Learning Partnership.

Some of the most common types of activities in afterschool and expanded learning programs are homework help and tutoring. Almost every program builds in some time for youth to complete homework, whether it is half an hour of self-study in a supervised location or a one-on-one tutoring activity that lasts for an hour or more. No right way has been developed for conducting homework help and tutoring activities, but a few characteristics are shared by many high-quality programs: (1) Regardless of whether your program is held in a school or some other location, your homework help and tutoring should take place in a comfortable space that is conducive to learning and study. The specific space can vary widely from program to program, from standard desks and tables to more cozy study nooks. (2) Youth should have the necessary materials to complete their work (e.g., textbooks, worksheets, resource materials such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, and computer software), and they should be allowed to develop their own solutions on homework assignments and in projects. (3) Make sure that you provide alternative learning opportunities for youth who do not have homework or have already completed it. The youth-to-staff ratio should be appropriate for the level of interaction desired. (4) Program staff members should provide guidance and instruction that is appropriate to the young person's developmental level that helps youth engage in and understand the material rather than simply get the answer. Staff members should be knowledgeable about the academic content that youth are learning and equipped to provide support in a variety of ways. (5) Likewise, staff members should be kept informed about what youth are doing in their classes and what homework their teachers have assigned. Families should be included in the process through homework logs or other methods of communication that inform them of their children's progress and areas for improvement. (For additional ways to involve families in your program as a whole, see the section on partnerships and collaboration.)

Homework help and tutoring activities are often popular with family members because they like their children to complete their homework before returning home from school. Teachers are appreciate these activities because they know that these activities result in increased rates of homework completion and improved youth understanding. Homework help and tutoring sessions are especially helpful for youth whose family members may not know enough English to help them with their homework or for youth who benefit from having a consistent time and place to complete their work. Use Tool 80: Homework Help Tool to better understand how your program can provide strong homework help activities for youth.

Many websites offer resources for homework help. Review them to determine whether they will be useful for youth in your program. Make sure that you don't overwhelm youth with information. Choose one or two sites that you like best and let youth get comfortable with them before adding more. Some helpful websites are as follows: National Geographic Kids, the Scholastic Homework Hub, U.S. Government for Kids, the Discovery Channel's Cosmeo, the Fact Monster Homework Center, and The Math Forum @ Drexel .

As you plan your activities, you'll have to consider many critical details about the activity itself, your goals for the activity, the length and time of the activity, how you will staff the activity, integrating technology, and providing options for youth who don't have or complete the activity early.

Activity Considerations

You will need to determine whether participating in your homework help and tutoring activities should (1) be optional or mandatory, (2) require registration or referral, or (3) happen on a drop-in basis. Homework help and tutoring activities generally can be seen as a direct extension and expansion of the work that youth do during the school day, although tutoring activities sometimes fall under the classification of academic enrichment. These activities don't have to take place at a school, however. They can be located at a community center, a faith-based facility, or some other location. Regardless of the location, you'll need to decide how your staff members will be informed about homework assignments. Will staff members be told by the young person or the classroom teacher (in person, by note, by phone, or by e-mail)? Will there be a formal structure (e.g., written in a planner and signed by the teacher, posted on the school website, or written on a homework sharing tool)? Use Tool 81: Homework Sharing Tool and Tool 82: Tutoring Log as ways to share information about homework assignments and tutoring assistance between classroom teachers and program staff members. Developing a strong communication strategy with classroom teachers (perhaps by means of class webpages) can help determine whether big projects are on the horizon or multiple projects or tests have the same due date. Often, subject matter teachers may not be aware of assignments in other subjects. A strong communication strategy also can help determine whether a young person is keeping up with or turning in work.

Activity Goals

Think about whether your goal should be to help youth finish homework or help them understand the concepts they are learning and identify the recommended approaches that staff members should take when a young person is having problems with a homework concept. Will staff members try to clarify the problem, urge the young person to note on the homework what he or she does not understand, share the information (in person, by note, by phone, or by e-mail) with the classroom teacher, or use another approach? Alternatively, helping youth develop stronger executive function skills (e.g., organizing their papers, managing their time well, and turning in assignments) may need to be the focus of your homework time with some young people (particularly those who struggle with organization). Organization issues tend to compound themselves as students get older and assignments get more complex, so addressing the topic directly may be the most important skill a young person can learn.

Choosing the Appropriate Time and Length of Homework Help and Tutoring Activities.

Afterschool and expanded learning programs differ in terms of when they offer homework help and tutoring activities and how much time they devote to such activities. Some programs begin with the homework portion of their program offerings to ensure that the homework will be completed and so youth won't be distracted by other activities. Other programs offer youth a break from the school-day routine by conducting academic enrichment and recreational activities first and leaving the homework help for the end of the day. Some programs have found that this second method is helpful in ensuring that family members don't pick up their children too early. What are the pros and cons for each option of homework completion? If homework is done first, youth still have the school-day mind-set and may be better able to focus on homework without distraction. Homework is completed early, which means it is more likely that it will be completed before a family member arrives to pick up the young person. And depending on whom you use as volunteer tutors, they might be more willing to serve if they can leave earlier in the evening. But the disadvantages of doing homework first also must be considered. Youth may need a break from the school-day routine and a chance to transition to an afterschool and expanded learning mind-set. In addition, some programs have discovered that offering homework help first leads more family members to pick up their children early, which means the youth do not have an opportunity to experience activities that are more engaging.

What if homework is done last? Three advantages exist: (1) Youth have fully transitioned into the afterschool time and have had a break from the work of the school day, (2) youth are calm and under control when family members pick them up, and (3) a later homework period may allow more flexibility for volunteer tutors who either work or have college courses in the late afternoon or early evening. Despite these advantages, two disadvantages also must be considered: (1) Youth may be too wound up to concentrate on their homework after finishing the day's recreational activities, and (2) youth may not be able to complete all their homework in the time remaining, causing family members to have to help them (as needed) at home. (Note: Such a scenario may actually be desirable if you want to encourage family involvement in homework time.)

No right answer for the timing of homework help can be found in the literature. Some programs even choose to blend the two approaches by offering multiple sessions of homework help and tutoring that run concurrently with other activities to allow youth to choose when they want to participate.

It's also important to consider how much time you allow for homework help and tutoring activities, which can vary widely depending on where your participants go to school and their age. Typically, youth in Grades K-3 need 15-30 minutes, youth in Grades 4-8 might need 30-45 minutes, and high school youth might need as much as an hour or more.

It is critical to have a quiet space for tutoring and homework help. Too often, space constraints result in young people trying to do homework on gymnasium floors or in other spaces that aren't conducive to concentration. Do your best to coordinate your schedule so that there is dedicated time and space for homework completion if it is a part of your program offering.

It is important to understand the difference between homework help and tutoring because, ultimately, they have different purposes. The goal of homework help is to provide an opportunity for youth to complete their homework assignments. This goal is achieved through by youth with the knowledge, conceptual understanding, and study skills to accomplish their work. The goal of tutoring activities, on the other hand, is to help youth learn. This goal often is accomplished through homework assignments, additional instruction, and the provision of opportunities and resources targeted to skill development. In summary, both activities involve completing homework. Homework help activities result in a completed homework assignment, whereas tutoring activities result in improved youth learning.

Staffing the Activity Using Peers, Older Youth, and Volunteers

The two activities differ in terms of the amount of individual attention that youth receive. Homework help tends to have a higher youth-to-staff ratio than tutoring. Tutoring can be one on one or involve one tutor working with a small group of youth. The two activities also measure success differently. The success of homework help is usually measured in terms of homework completion rates and the quality of the homework completed. Tutoring activities involve measurements that are more complex, possibly including pretesting and posttesting plus tutor or teacher assessments of a participant's progress. See the section on evaluation to learn more about measuring academic success.

Afterschool and expanded learning programs can provide more individual support to youth by employing peers, older youth, and volunteer adults as tutors. This strategy has many benefits (e.g., allowing youth to help their peers or younger youth is a great way for individual youth to practice responsibility), but it also can require additional care to ensure that the quality of support is consistently high for all youth. When using nonstaff tutors, you should first figure out how you will obtain tutors. Will they be family members, local college or high school youth, classroom teachers, or other youth of the same age? Make sure that your tutors have the knowledge and the skills required to provide high-quality support to youth and provide the tutors with training on academic content and teaching skills. As much as possible, try to match the same young person with the same tutor for every session. Providing a consistent tutor helps to ensure that the tutor is aware of the individual young person's academic standing and the types of material he or she is studying. Try to find volunteers who are willing to commit to a full program session rather than just coming once or twice. Establish procedures for situations that may arise and make sure that your tutors are aware of these procedures. Possible situations include conflict (verbal, physical, or otherwise) between two youth, conflict between a young person and a tutor, medical emergencies or fire alarms, and communication with family members.

Integrating Technology

Many software programs promise to help youth learn academic concepts in fun, engaging ways. Afterschool and expanded learning programs often use these software programs and the Internet to provide additional learning experiences after youth have completed their homework or help youth work on a specific academic area that needs to be strengthened. When considering using software in your programs, begin by teaching youth how to use the Internet as a resource for learning. Point out specific interesting sites and include them in the computer's bookmarks or favorites list so that youth can easily access them. Be sure to teach safe search skills if younger youth are using the Internet and set up the browsers to use search sites with parental controls set at the highest level. Search engines specifically intended for schools are also available for purchase (e.g., NetTrekker). These search engines provide lists of safe links.

You'll also want to do some research before purchasing a software program that provides academic content. Search for independent product reviews by researchers, teachers, and family members. See if there is a trial version available for download and make sure that the type of activities and academic content fit the goals of your program.

Make sure that you have staff members or volunteers present when youth are using computers. These people can answer questions as well as monitor youth computer use. Remember that no substitute exists for face-to-face interaction. When possible, combine online or computer-based tutoring with in-person instruction for optimal learning.

Providing Options for Youth Who Finish Their Homework Early

Afterschool and expanded learning programs should have preplanned activities for youth who finish their homework before the end of the designated homework time or do not have any homework to do. Consider the following possibilities: (1) Allow youth to do self-study on a question of the day. At the end of the session, provide a reward for youth who find the answer. (2) Have youth act as peer tutors for other youth. Having youth teach material will help them solidify and retain that knowledge for the future. Peer tutors should be chosen carefully and monitored. Ensure that the support they provide is useful to the young person being tutored. (3) Allow youth who are finished with their homework to use an educational software program. (4) Have a daily or weekly riddle or puzzle. Allow youth to work together to figure it out. Provide a reward to the group that gets the question or riddle right or to all youth for the work of their peers. (5) Provide quiet reading time and materials for youth or have one young person read a book aloud to another. We recommend providing reading incentives (contests or campaigns) and reflective questions on reading topics.