Summary: Following each school day, more than 10 million students take part in afterschool programs in this country, taking advantage of a system that provides additional educational opportunities, social engagement, exposure to new skills. For parents, those programs provide comfort, knowing their child is safe and in a structured environment. The Afterschool Alliance says data demonstrates significant value for students that take part in these opportunities, but acknowledge that the quality and accessibility of afterschool programs varies across the country. They estimate that more than 11 million other children take care of themselves each day after school. In this episode of “Our American States,” we talk with Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance to find out what is happening nationally, and Texas State Representative Trent Ashby, to get a perspective on how these programs work on the state level. Transcription of Episode 24
