AfterZone Initiative

AfterZone is a citywide after-school initiative for middle school youth in Providence, RI. It is run by the Providence After School Alliance (PASA), which has established a set of quality standards for all programming. The AfterZone model is different from other after-school models because it is based on a neighborhood "campus" structure. Services are offered at multiple sites in geographically clustered areas instead of a single center. There are three AfterZone campuses, each with a variety of programs. All three campuses offer programs in the arts, life skills/leadership, sports and academic enrichment. Seven middle schools provide space for programs and help recruit students.

The initiative was sponsored by the Wallace Foundation

The initiative's mission was to create a citywide system to support and sustain high-quality after-school programs.

In the 2009-10 school year, AfterZone served 1,752 youth, 49% of the total student enrollment in their seven target middle schools.

Public/Private Ventures conducted an early evaluation of the AfterZone Initiative from February 2008 to March 2009. Their results show that since it's inception, the AfterZone was able to integrate over 100 after-school providers into a coordinated network with a centralized registration process. They also found that youth scored the programs high on support and emotional/physical safety, as measured by the Rhode Island Program Quality Assessment scales. An update on youth outcomes will be published in 2011.

In 2009, the Market Street Research conducted a telephone survey of 237 respondents (100 middle school students enrolled in the program and 102 parents of students). Their results revealed that 97% of AfterZone parents are satisfied with the quality of programs and 94% are satisfied with the safety of their children in the programs. Over 87% of parents reported that the program helped improve their relationship with their child, and 91% of parents reported that the program improved their child's interest in school.