Out-of-School Time

At a glance

  • Out-of-School Time (OST) is a supervised program that students can regularly attend when school is not in session.
  • Research shows that some OST programs can support student academic achievement. OST may even play a role in reducing health disparities.
  • Evidence-based OST programs aimed at improving personal and social skills of youth are linked with positive social behaviors.
Child on a swing with another child approaching the swings.

Overview

OST programs include before- and after-school programs on a school campus or in school facilities. Programs could include:

  • Academic programs focused on reading or math.
  • Specialty programs focused on: sports teams; arts enrichment; or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
  • Multipurpose programs with an array of activities, such as 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs.

About 7.7 million U.S. children go to after-school programs. OST programs provide these young people with safety and supervision.

Children in a garden, with their hands up in the air, holding picked greens.
Girl learning about plants in an afterschool program.

Out-of-school time and the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Approach

What happens on school grounds—before, during, and after school—can have a big impact on a child’s health and learning. OST program leaders and staff are natural partners in the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach. Many OST groups choose to help make physical activity and nutritious foods and beverages an everyday part of their programs.

Nutritious snacks and meals are important

Children often arrive at after school programs hours after their last meal. Hunger and thirst can make it difficult for students to focus. Federal after-school programs and summer snack and meal programs have nutrition standards. These programs can also improve children’s diet quality and food security, which may further support physical and mental health and learning. A healthy school nutrition environment provides students with:

  • Nutritious and appealing foods and beverages.
  • Consistent, accurate messages about good nutrition.
  • Ways to learn and practice healthy eating.

Movement matters too

Physical activity can improve concentration and memory. Given these important benefits, CDC and the Institute of Medicine highlight the importance of increasing physical education and physical activity in:

  • Before- and after-school programs.
  • Physical activity clubs, and intramural and extramural sports.

Coordination between school-day and OST staff and administrators is helpful. Coordination can offer students consistent messaging and opportunities related to physical activity and nutrition.

Young children kicking a soccer ball.
Street football—or soccer—can be part of outdoor OST activities.

Coordinating health services can help support children with chronic conditions

The health care needs of children with chronic illness, such as asthma and diabetes, can be complex. Such needs involve both daily management and preparing for potential emergencies. Good communication between school health services staff and after-school providers can support the needs of children with chronic health conditions. Researchers and public health professionals look to best practices to support the needs of students with chronic conditions in OST settings.

Connecting schools with OST programs

School district staff and school wellness teams can strengthen connections with OST staff.

School districts can do the following:

Invite key staff from school-based OST programs to be a part of the School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) and School Wellness Councils and include OST program administrators on communications related to school wellness initiatives and policies.

Review local wellness policies to see how they address physical activity and nutrition before or after school.

School teams can do the following:

Use the School Health Index to guide planning—for school health programming, policies, and messaging on school grounds—before, during, or after school. Engage after-school program staff to complete assessments and develop action plans.

School administrators can strengthen partnerships with OST programs to support student health and learning.

Programs on school sites may have affiliations with organizations that are already committed to adopting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) initiatives. These include National Afterschool Association–accredited programs and those run by the Y (YMCA), Boys & Girls Clubs, or Parks and Recreation. Developing relationships with these OST providers may help with local adoption and promotion of HEPA standards.

Types of OST programs on school grounds

There are many different OST programs available on school grounds, including childcare, youth development, and special interest activities like robotics clubs, arts programs, or sports clubs. Different organizations can run these programs, including schools and school districts, local chapters of national organizations (e.g., Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs), universities, community organizations, and parent volunteers. Some programs run until the evening (for instance, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM) and other programs operate for shorter time frames.

OST programs vary in their purpose, staffing and leadership, and contact hours with children. The programs also have varying levels of available resources (equipment, funding, space, and professional development offerings). These factors influence the kinds of physical activity and nutrition policies a program can implement.

Young student measures a potted plant on her desk, writing on a pad. Students and a teacher are in the background.
Students can enhance learning skills in OST programs.

Resources

Physical Activity and Nutrition:

• Afterschool Alliance | America After 3PM—research reports about OST

• CDC | School Health Index

• Data Brief: Provide Physical Activity Before and After School

• National After School Association HEPA Standards

• National Institute of Out of School Time: Healthy Out of School Initiative

• National Recreation and Parks Association: Commit to Health

• OSNAP Resources

• Out-of-School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) On Demand Training Module

• The Alliance for a Healthier Generation Healthy Out of School Time Resources

• The Alliance for a Healthier Generation Model Wellness Policy

• Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT 3.0)

Nutrition:

• USDA National School Lunch Program—Afterschool Snack

• USDA Child and Adult Care Feeding Program—Afterschool Meals

• USDA Summer Food Service Program

• No Kid Hungry Center For Best Practices: Afterschool Snacks and Meals

Physical Activity:

• CDC Physical Education and Physical Activity: Coordinated School Physical Activity Program

Social and Emotional Climate:

• An Ideal Opportunity: The Role of Afterschool in Social and Emotional Learning

• A Big-Picture Approach to Wellness: Afterschool Supporting Strong Bodies and Minds

Print
Content Source:
Division of Adolescent and School Health; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
  • Afterschool Alliance. America After 3PM: Demand Grows, Opportunity Shrinks. 2020. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/AA3PM-2020/AA3PM-National-Report.pdf
  • McCombs JS, Whitaker A, Yoo PY. The Value of Out-of-School Time Programs. RAND Corporation; 2017.
  • Lauer PA, Akiba M, Wilkerson SB, Apthorp HS, Snow D, Martin-Glenn ML. Out-of-school-time programs: a meta-analysis of effects for at-risk students. Rev Educ Res. 2006;76(2):275–313.
  • Durlak JA, Weissberg RP. Afterschool programs that follow evidence-based practices to promote social and emotional development are effective. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.expandinglearning.org/docs/Durlak&Weissberg_Final.pdf
  • Durlak JA, Weissberg RP, Pachan M. A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to promote personal and social skills in children and adolescents. Am J Community Psychol. 2010;45(3–4):294–309.
  • The Community Preventive Services Task Force. Promoting Health Equity Through Education Programs and Policies: Out-of-School-Time Academic Programs. US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2013.
  • Michael SL, Merlo CL, Basch CE, Wentzel KR, Wechsler H. Critical connections: health and academics. J Sch Health. 2015;85(11):740–758.
  • Ralston K, Treen K, Coleman-Jensen A, Guthrie J. Children’s Food Security and USDA Child Nutrition Programs. EIB-174; 2017. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84003/eib-174.pdf
  • Shankar P, Chung R, Frank DA. Association of food insecurity with children's behavioral, emotional, and academic outcomes: a systematic review. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2017;38(2):135–150.
  • Institute of Medicine. Educating The Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. National Academies Press; 2013. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18314/educating-the-student-body-taking-physical-activity-and-physical-education
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Guide for Schools. US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2013. Accessed September 24, 2024.
  • Beets MW, Webster C, Saunders R, Huberty JL. Translating policies into practice: a framework to prevent childhood obesity in afterschool programs. Health Promot Pract. 2013;14(2):228–237.
  • The Partnership for a Healthier America. Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Recreation and Park Association Join Partnership for a Healthier America to Create Healthier Environments for Five Million Kids. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.ahealthieramerica.org/articles/boys-girls-clubs-of-america-national-recreation-and-park-association-join-partnership-for-a-healthier-america-to-create-healthier-environments-for-278