The Indiana Afterschool Network (IAN) released a new report, “The Power of Afterschool in Indiana,” last week, which includes data regarding out-of-school time (OST) programs in Indiana. The report provides information for various stakeholders, including policymakers and legislators, on the demand and impact of Indiana’s OST programs.

IAN is a nonprofit organization that connects advocates, partners, and youth workers to foster and support afterschool and summer learning.  In “The Power of Afterschool in Indiana”, IAN brings together statistics and information from a variety of sources, including Afterschool Alliance, Indiana Out-of-School Time Program Database, and Kids Count Data, as well as evidence about the significance of afterschool programs from scholarly research. The report shows how after-school programs promote and support safety, health, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. The report also discusses issues related to funding.

The release of the report coincides with a month-long campaign, Lights on Afterschool, developed by the Afterschool Alliance—a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization—to celebrate and bring awareness to the crucial role of out-of-school programs in the lives of youth. The campaign is nationwide, with locally held and community events across the country. On October 23rd, Lights on Afterschool organized the 15th Annual Rally for Afterschool Programs, a national rally involving more than 8,000 local events. In Indiana, champions and supporters have hosted over 60 events.

Transform Consulting Group is dedicated to helping organizations like IAN. Transform Consulting Group worked with IAN to increase and diversify its sources of funding, moving from a single primary source to a multi-year funding pool.  Transform Consulting Group applauds the work that IAN is doing to raise the capacity of OST programs in Indiana.