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Opinion | It’s time to build toward universal afterschool access in Michigan
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With Election Day just around the corner, our state has been embroiled in a long list of political debates. But one poll revealed something exciting about Michiganders: We agree on the value of afterschool.
In an EPIC/MRA survey conducted in August of 600 likely voters across the political spectrum, 72% said access to affordable, quality afterschool and summer programs was extremely or very important.
(Editor’s note: The Mott Foundation is a Bridge Michigan funder. It had no role in the selection or editing of this commentary.)
When respondents learned that five of every six Michigan youth who would participate in a program could not access one, 84% supported expanding availability, including 63% who felt strongly about it. And when informed of the state’s current investment, 87% favored maintaining or increasing it.
With broad, bipartisan public support, proven benefits and strong demand, Michigan should be working to expand access to high-quality afterschool experiences for every K-12 student in the state.
Six years ago, Michigan had no dedicated state funding for afterschool and summer learning programs –– collectively known as out-of-school time (OST). This year, the state approved $135 million for OST programs that give young people opportunities to learn, connect with mentors and peers and practice new skills.
Through six consecutive state budgets, changes in legislative leadership and no shortage of competing priorities, Michigan has continued to recognize the value of these programs. That kind of consistency is unusual. It’s given many communities the time and resources needed to develop strong programs, build partnerships and learn from experience.
Strong public support for afterschool reflects what we’ve observed over decades: Young people benefit from having places to go, people who know them and opportunities to learn and grow. Families benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing their children are safe and engaged. Whole communities benefit when young people find positive pathways and parents can focus on providing for their families.
At libraries, community centers, schools, nonprofits, parks and recreation programs and places of worship, young people in afterschool programs are growing academically, developing supportive relationships and pursuing interests they might never encounter during the traditional school day.
A few extra hours a week with a reading mentor is just what some kids need to get up to grade level. A first experience with robotics might inspire an interest in engineering. Theater programs, debate teams and pitch competitions give students the confidence to speak in front of others. Afternoons spent working alongside skilled tradespeople can introduce teens to careers they’ve never considered.
Evaluation after evaluation finds that afterschool programs can help improve students’ attendance, attitudes toward school and levels of engagement in learning. Beyond academic benefits, these experiences can expand a young person’s understanding of what’s possible for their future, often at an age when interests, ambitions and a sense of identity are still taking shape.
Afterschool and summer learning programs are also critical for strengthening our economy and building safer communities. In 2025, nationally, 84% of parents with children in an afterschool program reported that afterschool helps them keep their jobs or work more hours. That’s up from 74% in 2014 when the Afterschool Alliance’s America After 3PM survey began.
Programs help kids stay active, spend less time on screens and avoid risky behaviors. Without them, young people are often left unsupervised between 3 and 6 p.m., which are peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs and alcohol, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Despite these well-known benefits, too many young people in Michigan are missing out on afterschool. Surveys suggest more than 828,000 would participate in an afterschool program if one were available, compared with approximately 150,000 who currently do.
Six years is not a long time in the life of a public initiative, but it is long enough to begin seeing what sustained attention can accomplish. Michigan now has a stronger network of providers, deeper partnerships among community institutions and a growing body of experience about how young people learn and grow outside the classroom.
The most lasting contribution of these programs may be difficult to measure in any single year: a young person discovering an unexpected talent, connecting with a mentor or beginning to imagine a future that had never occurred to them before.
Multiply those experiences across every young person and hundreds of Michigan communities, and we’ll see what it looks like to ensure kids have what they need to thrive.
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