Developing a Comprehensive Agenda for the Out-of-School Hours: Lessons and Challenges Across Cities

Over the last ten years, national attention to programs in the out-ofschool hours has increased dramatically. With new urgency, individuals at all levels of decision making are calling for safe spaces between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., extended opportunities for academic learning, meaningful linkages between school and community, additional services for young people at risk, and improved supports for families with two working parents. Accompanying these calls are significant shifts in public will, public policy, philanthropy, and research.