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.

State of Afterschool

State of Afterschool

South Dakota’s first searchable map of afterschool

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.

  • We have identified over 300 afterschool and summer learning programs across the state for children and families
  • Unfortunately, not all children and families have access to one of these afterschool and summer learning programs. Over one-third of South Dakota counties do not have an afterschool or summer learning program.
  • When we look at communities with higher need (income, poverty, and low-performing schools), they lack access to afterschool and summer learning programs.
  • The majority of afterschool and summer learning programs are available for elementary age students, which leaves fewer options for middle and high school students.

How to use the interactive dashboard

You can use the interactive dashboard to better understand how afterschool and summer learning programs are meeting the needs of youth in South Dakota and where there are gaps and areas to improve. The data can be filtered by county or legislative district using the location filter in the top right corner of the dashboard.

On the bottom half of the dashboard is a map of the afterschool and summer programs. The programs are mapped in black dots, and counties and legislative districts are outlined in gray on their related tabs. The yellow symbols on the map represent 21st Community Learning Center locations and Summer Meal locations, which can be hidden with a filter.

The counties and legislative districts are shaded in different colors based on the data indicator that is selected. A darker colored area means a higher number or percentage for that specific indicator.

You can view the location of afterschool and summer programs in the context of different youth indicators. These include:

  • Youth population,
  • Vulnerable youth,
  • Public high school graduation rate,
  • Adult educational attainment,
  • Number of afterschool and summer programs

There are also some search buttons where you can type in a specific program to find its location. You can search for a program by its Site Location Name, the Organization Operating the Program, County, and Legislative District.

You can move your cursor to hover over a county or legislative district on the map to view the specific data point and total number of afterschool and summer programs in the county.

If you want to download or print the dashboard, locate the “Download” icon in the bottom right of the dashboard. You can download an image, PDF, or PowerPoint of the page according to the filters selected.

For further assistance, contact us.

Register Your Program

The mapping project, led by the South Dakota Afterschool Network, creates:

  • A helpful tool for families to search programs by zip code, county, activity and student age to find one that meets their needs
  • A valuable resource to make it easier for community partners to find you, help to identify program gaps in high need communities, and inform decision-makers about targeting resources

Complete the survey today. It only takes a few minutes but will have a lasting impact on the future of afterschool care in South Dakota. Thank you for your support and participation.

Need To Update Your Information?

Please contact 211 to update your program information.

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