After School Matters

This year, After School Matters provided more than 24,500 program opportunities to teens across chicago. These apprenticeship and internship programs - in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology - provide a safe and enriching experience for chicago's underserved teens during the critical hours After School and during the summer when they are otherwise vulnerable. 73.5% of the teens we serve are from high poverty communities, and 96.3% are minorities.the most recently available data suggests that After School Matters teens meet their educational goals at slightly higher rates than their non-participant peers. 92.4% of our high School seniors recently graduated, while the graduation rate for their non-participating peers was 88.6%. Our teens' freshmen on-track rate (a significant predictor of a teen's likelihood of graduating on time) is 91.2%, and is three percentage points higher than for non-participants. In addition, 73.1% of After School Matters teens enrolled to attend college the fall After their high School graduation.after School Matters has become a vital part of chicago through our service to underserved teens and communities. With hundreds of School year and summer programs taking place at chicago public schools, chicago park district and chicago public library locations, as well as at community-based organizations throughout the city and downtown at the gallery 37 center for the arts, we continue to realize our vision of providing teens with opportunities to discover their potential and find their future.