The South Dakota Afterschool Network works to better our state and its communities by connecting providers, parents and policymakers with proven tools and resources to increase the quality of and access to out-of-school time programming for K-12 children and youth.

Afterschool is a lifeline that keeps youth safe, helps kids learn and grow, and provides parents the ability to work without worry. While South Dakota is home to more than 300 afterschool programs, the demand for programs exceeds available spaces. In fact, 1 in 3 South Dakota children (34 percent) who are not in an afterschool program would be enrolled if it were available. That’s more than 42,000 children who are missing out on opportunities to participate in programming that supports their development academically, socially and economically.

Afterschool can provide valuable opportunities for students to explore STEM, and we are here to help your program succeed in STEM Learning! From webinars and trainings to our signature TMC Trailers that bring turnkey STEM activities to your doorstep, our diverse collection of resources meets you and your students where you are and provides the support you need to deliver quality programming to your students at any age. 

The South Dakota Afterschool Network wanted to create a mapping tool to better understand the landscape of afterschool and summer programs available for children and families. From the initial launch of the new mapping tool, we have identified some startling findings.

Advocacy

Advocacy

Lights On Afterschool

Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year.

This year, we celebrate all we have accomplished and overcome at Lights On Afterschool on Friday, October 8th, 2021. We will be at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota for dinner, a program and the lighting ceremony.

Contact Your Legislator

Find your legislator to share information about how Afterschool makes a difference in South Dakota.

Contact Your Legislator

Find your legislator to share information about how Afterschool makes a difference in South Dakota.

Children’s Day at the Capitol

Children’s Day at the Capitol certainly looks a lot different this year. We’ve pivoted in response to COVID and are looking forward to chatting virtually with legislators on February 1, 2021.

We are excited to unveil our latest project, South Dakota’s First Ever Searchable Map of Afterschool.

To better understand the state of afterschool in South Dakota, we have initiated an exciting project to map and assess the afterschool landscape and gather data on individual programs.

Although the project is not yet completed, the findings we have thus far are startling—showing large deserts of care across the state.

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