What We Do

What We Do
Dallas AfterSchool Network does not serve children directly. Instead, we inform, train, support and evaluate afterschool sites that serve low-income youth in our community. Our goal is to help local afterschool sites achieve national quality standards for the benefit of the children they serve.

How We Do It
Our Program Quality Initiative defines a path for quality improvement by advancing sites from their current level of quality through a series of benchmarked increments (“tiers”) of quality performance, to eventually be in a position to achieve a Certificate of Program Quality. We provide myriad services to help afterschool and summer sites improve the quality of their staff and programs, including: AQuA, a web-based self-assessment tool; Quality Advisors to provide onsite staff coaching; training workshops; curriculum; program supplies; and volunteers, AmeriCorps members and VISTA members.

Why We Do It
Research proves that only high quality afterschool programs create positive student outcomes. Students who attend low-quality or average-quality programs show no difference in academic, social or emotional outcomes than students who attend no program at all. (ChildTrends, August 2010.)

Whom We Support
Our primary focus is free or low-cost sites serving low-income children in Dallas County. We currently support more than 100 afterschool sites that collectively serve 12,000+ low-income K - 12th grade students.  Afterschool or summer sites interested in working with us are invited to submit an Interest Form to us.