ABSTRACT
In 2013, the Institutes of Medicine endorsed the whole-of-school approach as a means to increase physical activity among youth and address health concerns associated with inactivity (IOM, 2013). Aligning with Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model (WSCC; CDC, 2019; ASCD, 2015) the IOM and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that schools use a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program to promote youth activity before, during, and after the school day (CSPAP; CDC, 2013; IOM 2013). An often understudied and underdeveloped part of a CSPAP is the before- and after-school program. In this chapter, before- and after-school programs will be discussed as a part of the WSCC and CSPAP frameworks. Connecting before- and after-school programs within a whole child framework will demonstrate the importance of these programs in the model as they can be used to help contribute to increasing physical activity for youth while also reinforcing a culture of health in the school and community. Furthermore, best practices for programs and policy implications will be discussed.
