Professional Development

While summer learning is an emerging strategy for education reform, uncertainty over how to pay for it, especially in an environment of tough budget choices, has been a barrier for school districts and community partners alike. But for those who know where to look and devise creative strategies to combine funding streams for summer learning, there is also substantial opportunity.

In the United States today, more than a third of kids are overweight or obese. On any given day, up to 20% of American children do not consume any fruits, and up to 30% do not consume any vegetables. Two in three do not get enough daily physical activity. At the same time, nearly 15 million school-aged kids are on their own after school. Fortunately, it has been recently announced that two of the nation’s largest providers of low-cost or free out-of-school time activities have committed to create healthier environments for five million kids in their programs.

The Wallace Foundation and the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) has teamed together to provide a resource dedicated to examining afterschool programs and how they can be financed. Financing Expanding Learning Time in Schools: A Look at Five District Expanded-Time Schools offers brief case studies of five different models for funding an expanded school day in district schools. By examining the funding sources, challenges and opportunities associated with each model, the report provides some preliminary answers to the question of how schools and districts are paying for expanded learning time.

High-quality afterschool programs, which provide rich opportunities for growth, learning and fun, reach only a small percentage of children and teens today. Hear national experts discuss what cities can do to close this gap and boost quality and participation in dynamic out-of-school-time programs brought to you by The Wallace Foundation.