The field of after-school has experienced enormous growth over the past decade - in New York City alone staff now exceed 14,000. These educators are a remarkably diverse group, including high-school students (10-15%), parents from the community, college students, day school teachers (15-20%), artists, musicians, and more. Seventy-three percent are people of color, and 19% are men of color. This diversity is an important source of vibrancy for the field, and ensures that after-school is a place where students can interact with a group of role models who are more likely to share their backgrounds than are their teachers and administrators during the day.
It is this diverse workforce which has been charged with greater expectations than ever before, including helping to close the achievement gap for low-income and black and Latino students.
Fewer than half of young people in after-school programs in New York City are taught by an adult with a university credential. One-quarter of the after-school workforce have little or no college and are not currently in school. These workers have few, if any, options to pursue their field at the university level - unlike their peers in virtually every other social service profession. By offering dynamic college courses and financial assistance to the after-school workforce, the Center is working to radically change these statistics. An investment in the after-school workforce is also an investment in the future of New York City’s children.
