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As kids across the U.S. head back to school this month they also head back to the after-school programs that bridge the critical gap between 3 and 6 pm. Some of these programs serve as a supplement to regular classroom learning, providing school-age children with both social and academic skills, while other programs serve primarily as a way to keep "kids off the street".

Researchers at nonprofits nationwide are tackling important questions about these often overlooked educational settings. What works in after-school programs? What barriers exist for students in accessing after-school education? How do we measure the impact of after-school programming? And what can and should we expect from out-of-school time?

We encourage you to dig into some of this eye-opening research, even if it's just to read the short summaries of the work presented here. With more than 11 percent of all school-aged children in the U.S. taking part in after-school programs (and millions more seeking to enroll), this topic is well-worth a closer look.

Browse all research titles on the topic of "afterschool" at: http://www.issuelab.org/tag/afterschool

IssueLab is an online publishing forum for nonprofit research. If you know of work that you would like to see included in the archive or you yourself do research for a nonprofit, please create a free account with IssueLab today. http://www.issuelab.org/rc_accounts/start