$10.9 Million Awarded for After-School Programs

New grants, totaling $10.9 million have been awarded to 68 Advantage After School Programs (AASPs) across New York State, providing thousands of school-age children with quality youth development opportunities for three hours at the end of each school of school-age children with quality youth development opportunities for three hours at the end of each school day. The statewide programs reduce the burden on parents and guardians who work in the evenings and are proven to boost academic achievement, enrich relationships with their peers and increase school attendance.

AASPs offer a broad range of educational, recreational, cultural, and age-appropriate activities that integrate what happens in the school day. Programs operate five days per week during the regular school year, and may also operate during school breaks or extend hours into the early evening. AASPs are supported by school, community, and public-private partnerships, and involve youth and their families in planning and implementation. Additionally, the programs integrate lessons learned throughout the school day with less formal learning experiences, and encourage the active participation of children, youth and families in the design and delivery of program activities.

The AASP was created to help provide New York’s children with educational, interesting and fun activities to fill the vital three-hour gap directly after school. A growing body of research shows that children who participate in quality after school programs have higher school attendance and academic achievement, and are less likely to be involved in risky behaviors after school hours. Additionally, studies have found that children who attend quality after school programs have better relationships with their peers, fewer behavioral and emotional problems, better grades and fewer absences from school than their peers who are unsupervised after school.

AASPs are funded primarily through state funds and a contribution of federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds. The funds were awarded following a competitive Request for Proposal process with regional allocations based on the number of children aged five through 17 residing in each OCFS-designated region and in the five boroughs of New York City, according to the 2010 Census.

The contracts, administered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), are scheduled to begin September.

The 2014 awardees in BROOKLYN are: