POST (Partners in Out-of-School Time) is dedicated to raising the awareness of the importance of out-of-school time (or “afterschool”) programs and advocating for quality affordable opportunities for all children and youth of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
For great tips and tools on how you can personally help to raise awareness with policy makers, community leaders, and the media, please visit the Afterschool Alliance Advocacy Page. Also, be sure to check out the "Upcoming Events" listed on the right sidebar of this page for upcoming opportunities to advocate and show your support in our community.
Out-of-school time/afterschool programs keep kids safe, support working parents, and enhance academic achievement. Please refer to the Afterschool Issue Overview as presented by the Afterschool Alliance.
The first-ever National Household Survey on How Kids Spend the After School Hours, ”America After 3 PM”, is the most in-depth study ever to explore how America's children spend their afternoons, shows that our nation is failing to give its children safe, supervised activities during the often-dangerous afternoon hours.
In communities today, 14.3 million children take care of themselves after the school day ends, including almost four million middle school students in grades six to eight. Just 6.5 million children are in afterschool programs - but the parents of another 15.3 million children say their children would participate in afterschool - if a program were available.
America After 3 PM was commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance with funding from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. Click on the links below to review the need for expanded afterschool/out-of-school time programs in North Carolina:
