How the Arts Can Enhance After-School Programs

INTRODUCTION

Today, more than 28 million school-age children have parents who work outside the home, and as many as 15 million "latch-key children" return to empty homes after school. Those statistics and others, such as the fact that serious juvenile crime tends to peak in the hours between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., demonstrate the need for effective after-school programs. To help communities meet that need, the U.S. Department of Education has instituted the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports after-school, summer and weekend activities in neighborhood schools.

This report provides a brief introduction to the role of the arts in those programs. It consists of a brief summary of recent research findings about both arts and after-school programs, a description of the key elements of successful programs and some key examples that showcase partnerships between schools and community-based organizations. For the purposes of this report, arts activities cover a wide range, including instrumental and vocal music, dance, theater, creative writing and the visual arts such as painting, sculpture, digital art and photography.
Research results to which the report refers come from a series of recent studies that are cited at the end of the report under "Publications," along with information on how to obtain them.

This report is issued under the auspices of the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education that brings together schools, community organizations, employers, congregations and parents working in common to improve education for all children.

For more information on after-school programs contact us at:

U.S. Department of Education
Partnership for Family Involvement in Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-8173
E-mail: partner@ed.gov
Telephone: 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
FIRS: 1-800-877-8339, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., ET, M–F

National Endowment for the Arts
Nancy Hanks Center
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20506-0001
Telephone: 202-682-5400

Acknowledgments
The concept for this report was formulated by Adriana de Kanter and Andy Finch of the U.S. Department of Education and Lee Kessler of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional editing and advice came from Scott Shanklin-Peterson, Robbie McEwen and Patrice Walker Powell at the National Endowment for the Arts and from Terry Peterson and Menahem Herman at the U.S. Department of Education. The staff of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, including Robert Stonehill, Shawn Mussington, Sara Koenig, Jennifer Rinehart, and Steven Balkcom, gave invaluable assistance in identifying exemplary programs.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

TThe 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program has been reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Of the $1 billion appropriated in fiscal year (FY) 2002 to fund the 21st CCLC program, approximately $310 million will be available for new grants. The $310 million will be awarded by formula to state departments of education, which in turn must sponsor competitions for local 21st CCLC grants. Additional information about the state-administered 21st CCLC program, including a list of state contacts, is available on the Department of Education website at www.ed.gov/21stcclc.

Since responsibility for managing the 21st CCLC now resides with the states, eligible applicants -- which now include public and private entities as well as elementary and secondary schools -- must now apply directly to their respective State Educational Agency (SEA). SEAs are required to make awards only to applicants that will primarily serve students who attend schools with high concentrations of poor students. States must also give priority to projects that will target services to low-performing schools and for applications that are submitted jointly by schools and community-based organizations.

The purpose of this program is to establish or expand community learning centers that provide students attending high-poverty and low-performing schools with academic enrichment opportunities, as well as additional activities designed to complement their regular academic program. Centers – which can be located in elementary or secondary schools or other similarly accessible facilities – provide a range of high-quality services to support student learning and development, including tutoring and mentoring, homework help, academic enrichment, and community service opportunities. In addition, 21st CCLC programs provide youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, technology education programs, art, music and recreation programs, and counseling and character education to enhance the academic component of the program. Community learning centers also must offer literacy and related educational development to the families of these students.