Issue Brief: Business and Afterschool: The Perfect Partnership

There is a strong relationship between afterschool programs and the business community, particularly in New York, which is home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state and has a large school-age population. Afterschool programs develop tomorrow's workforce by teaching skills and affording opportunities for personal growth that are not typically received during the school day. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 600,000 youth do not have access to an afterschool program in New York; they spend their afternoons unsupervised and in unstructured environments. There is much the business community can do to ensure that all youth have access to afterschool programs.