We know that opportunities to learn and grow must begin in the earliest years of life, with parent education and support as well as community-wide initiatives that emphasize early literacy. Home visiting programs, supports for informal caregivers (family, friends, and neighbors), mayor’s book clubs and universal access to preschool for three- and four-year-olds all make it more likely that young children will enter school ready to learn and succeed.

It has been demonstrated that afterschool programs and other enrichment opportunities during out-of-school time play critical roles in helping children and youth continue to learn, grow, and stay out of trouble. Quality standards for afterschool programs, expanded access to out-of-school time offerings in underserved neighborhoods, and city partnerships with libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions can all support academic achievement as well as broader youth development and public safety goals.

Finally, it is clear that high school completion and postsecondary training and education are essential to long-term success in today’s rapidly changing labor market and global economy.  Bold new scholarship programs, dropout prevention and recovery initiatives, and additional postsecondary access and completion efforts can send powerful messages to all youth that two- and four-year colleges as well as vocational and technical institu-tions are within their reach and help ensure that less advantaged youth succeed in these settings.

Key areas for action include:

• Parent education and support
• Early literacy and preschool programs
• Afterschool programs and other enrichment activities during out-of-school time
• Dropout prevention and recovery initiatives
• Scholarship programs and other postsecondary access and completion efforts

Examples of local targets to consider:

• Number or proportion of children attending prekindergarten or afterschool programs
• High school graduation rates
• Number of scholarships provided for postsecondary education and training
• Postsecondary enrollment and completion rates

For Further Information and Resources

Early Care and Education:

» NLC Institute for Youth, Education, and Families

» United Way of America

» National Center for Family Literacy

» Parents as Teachers

» Child Trends

» Zero to Three

» National Association for the Education of Young Children

» National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral

» Voices for America's Children

Afterschool:

» NLC Institute for Youth, Education, and Families

» Afterschool Alliance

» The Finance Project

» Harvard Family Research Project

» The Wallace Foundation

» Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

» AfterschoolResources.org

» Mott Foundation Statewide Afterschool Networks

» Afterschool.gov

School Improvement:

» NLC Institute for Youth, Education, and Families

» Public Education Network

» Annenberg Institute for School Reform

» Council of the Great City Schools

» American Association of School Administrators

» National School Boards Association

» Urban Institute

Dropout Prevention and Recovery:

» NLC Institute for Youth, Education, and Families

» Alternative High School Initiative

» American Youth Policy Forum

» America's Promise Alliance

» Jobs for the Future

» Center for Law and Social Policy

» National Youth Employment Coalition

» YouthBuild USA

» Everyone Graduates Center

Access to College:

» I Have a Dream Foundation

» Federal TRIO program

» Council for Opportunity in Education

» Early College High School Initiative

» San Antonio Education Partnership

» Denver Scholarship Foundation

» Kalamazoo Promise