Afterschool Alliance and NAA Partner for Afterschool Workforce Initiative

The Afterschool Alliance and the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) have announced a strategic partnership aimed at fostering a skilled and stable workforce within the afterschool and summer field to ensure increased access to quality programming for children and youth.

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The collaboration between the two organizations comes at a time when the nation is coping with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and programs are experiencing staffing shortages while students’ needs are continuing to grow.

This is the first time that the two organizations are formally collaborating by combining NAA’s leadership on professional development with the Afterschool Alliance’s policy and advocacy expertise.

The needs prompting this collaboration include:

  • Staffing shortages and the ability to recruit staff have been challenges for program providers. More than eight in 10 report concerns in surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023.

  • Program provider surveys in the past three years have found a majority of programs reporting difficulties hiring or retaining staff. The most recent survey in 2023 found that 57% of providers reported this to be the case.

  • Resources that the two organizations have been told would be most helpful for programs include advice on staff burnout and keeping teams engaged.

“Research and the lived experience of our workforce shows that skilled and knowledgeable program staff are critical to desired youth outcomes, and our initiative strives to provide research, resources, standards, and best practices to strengthen the workforce,” said NAA CEO Gina Warner.

Planned Initiatives

The new partnership officially began in March. Activities planned as part of the initiative include:

  • NAA hosted the third annual Workforce Summit as part of the 2024 NAA Convention.

  • NAA began circulating draft national OST Job Quality Standards, set for release on June 25.

  • The Afterschool Alliance and NAA, along with various partners, released a searchable online database featuring promising national, state, and local strategies to address workforce challenges.

  • The Afterschool Alliance and NAA convened afterschool and summer advocates to share resources and strategize at the Alliance’s 23rd annual Afterschool for All Challenge.

For more information on the initiative, visit the NAA’s website.

About Afterschool Alliance 

The Afterschool Alliance is the leading national voice for afterschool and summer enrichment programs and the young people and families who depend on these programs to keep youth safe, support working families, and offer enriching learning opportunities.

The NAA focuses on supporting, developing, and advocating for those who work with and for youth in out-of-school time.

Providers, Families, NewsNathan Dukeafterschool programming, early childhood education, Afterschool Alliance, National AfterSchool Association