National, statewide, and local research agrees that after-school programs are a crucial support system for today’s youth – providing constructive activities, supervision, and safety in the after-school hours.
Through the leadership of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and with the support of City Council, Denver has built a strong partnership with Denver Public Schools and community-based organizations to leverage resources to advance quality after-school programs that support the development and education of children and youth throughout the community. Annually, the City provides over $2 million dollars in funding for school-based after-school programs through the Lights on After School Initiative (LOAS) and after-school programs hosted by the City's Parks & Recreation Department.
LOAS has conducted a four-year longitudinal evaluation of Denver's school-based after-school programs. The evaluation outcomes show that multi-year participation in diverse after-school programs has a positive impact on student achievement and student attendance.
LOAS intentionally supports staff development by providing free training and technical assistance opportunities to all Denver providers. Spotlight on Youth Development trainings focus on positive youth development and are designed to give providers practical tools for working with youth.
Denver has received national recognition for its efforts to advance quality after-school programs. In 2005, Denver was selected as one of 8 cities in the nation for a year-long technical assistance grant by the National League of Cities, Institute for Children, Youth, and Families. The goal of the City Leaders Engaged in After-school Reform (CLEAR) project is to create a city-wide infrastructure to support quality after-school programs. With the assistance of the Colorado Afterschool Network, Denver conducted an assessment, A Snapshot of Afterschool in Denver 2006, of after-school programs to form a common base of knowledge about the availability of services, capacity and needs of providers.
The City is a member of the Denver Quality After School Connection, a coalition of youth-serving organizations focused on networking and finding opportunities to coordinate work to strengthen the quality and capacity of after-school programs in Denver.