Past Investment: 1997-2002
The issue…
Seventy percent of children's waking hours (including weekends and vacations) are spent outside school, leaving many vulnerable to unhealthy or dangerous behavior. Research shows that constructive use of out-of-school time can contribute positively to young people's educational, social, emotional, moral and physical development. Yet, there is a critical shortage of safe places, especially in high-need communities, that could offer engaging, meaningful activity before and after school and in the summer months.
The response…
From 1997 to 2002, The Wallace Foundation supported partnerships aimed at transforming public schools in low-income communities into responsive Extended Service Schools. Remaining open from morning to night, on weekends and over the summer, these exemplary programs offered young people educational programs and a range of social services.
The strategies…
With technical assistance offered by a partner organization, school-based programs provided youth and families with much needed educational enrichment and recreational opportunities. Grants allowed communities to adapt locally one of these nationally recognized extended school models:
- Beacon Schools, NYC (with The Fund for the City of New York): operated by a community-based organization at a public school site.
- Bridges to Success, United Way of Central Indiana (with United Way of America and Institute of Educational Leadership): administered by the United Way and several community-based organizations.
- Community Schools, Children's Aid Society of New York City (with Children's Aid Society and Fordham University): run by a community-based school and a university.
- West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC), University of Pennsylvania: administered by a university.
The accomplishments…
Wallace's Extended Service Schools initiative awarded $19.6 million to help transform 57 underused school facilities in 20 low-income communities. A final report on program impact on youth and families, program costs, and practices associated with high quality programs, was published in 2002.
Recent publications…
- Getting Started with Extended-Service Schools: Early Lessons from the Field, a handbook published in 2000, provides practical advice to local programs applying for the U.S. Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding - a federal program that will help districts establish after-school programs for academic enrichment.
- Multiple Choices After School: Findings from the Extended-Services Schools Initiative, a report analyzing and describing the costs and benefits of Foundation-supported after-school programs, was published in 2002 by Public/Private Ventures and Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation. The report, which provides evidence and practical lessons from an evaluation of Wallace's ESS sites, concludes that high-quality after-school programs that offer a variety of learning activities are affordable and help young adults resist negative temptations and develop character, social skills, perseverance and problem-solving skills.