What’s the purpose of the Commission?
The Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time is dedicated to crafting the vision and strategies to ensure Minnesota’s young people have engaging opportunities to learn and develop in their non-school hours.
Why should we care about out-of-school time?
- Each year, young people on average, have a minimum of 1,900 hours of discretionary time without structure or supervision, according to a report from the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development.
- In Minnesota, 42% of youth ages 10 to 12 are home alone after school – the highest percentage in the nation.
- According to a nationwide poll of voters conducted by Afterschool Alliance in 2002, nine in ten voters, who believed their states are facing serious budget deficits, still continue to believe that there is a need for some type of organized activity or place where young people can go after school.
- Participation in after-school programs has been linked to better school attendance, better grades and test scores, more positive attitude towards school work, higher aspirations for college, better work habits, better interpersonal skills, and reduced drop out rates (These findings have been reported in research studies conducted by key scholars such as Dr. Deborah Lowe Vandell and Dr. Milbrey McLaughlin).
- As caring and committed adults we want to do what we can to ensure all Minnesota youth have the chance to grow into successful, thoughtful, and contributing members of our communities.
In order to develop the vision and strategies, the Commission will:
- Examine the importance of out-of-school time for learning and development
- Review the characteristics of high quality programs
- Discuss the status of programming efforts
- Consider the nature of barriers to access and participation
- Compare alternative policies and practices
What will the Commission produce?
The work of the Commission will result in a series of reports and recommendations that summarize what is known, make a case for what is needed, and help frame how we can ensure all young people have engaging opportunities to learn and develop.
What difference will it make?
This work will ultimately help Minnesota:
- Build a foundation of public awareness for the importance of out-of-school time for learning and development
- Enhance strategic use of public and private resources
- Formulate policies in support of out-of-school time
- Establish clear benchmarks of success for the state and program practices
When
did the Commission begin?
The Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time convened in January 2004
and met five times during 2004.
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