For more than 20 years, educational and child care center Inner Force Tots has served children with severe challenges including disabilities, challenging socioeconomic backgrounds, and limited English skills. In addition to an engaging early education program, Inner Force Tots provides diverse after-school experiences for Brooklyn children up to 6th grade, including academic support, arts and music programming, and science enrichment courses.
Over the past decade, researchers have found persuasive evidence of the positive impact of out-of-school programs on academic performance and socio-emotional development. An evaluation of after-school programs across the country found that participating in high-quality programming can improve SAT scores, reduce truancy, and raise scores on standardized tests.
Specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs have a significant impact on the academic and career trajectory of African-American students. For example, African-American students enrolled in the nationwide Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program were more likely to take advanced placement STEM courses in high school. A number of programs also focus on important social skills such as collaboration, leadership, and goal setting.
Over the past decade, researchers have found persuasive evidence of the positive impact of out-of-school programs on academic performance and socio-emotional development. An evaluation of after-school programs across the country found that participating in high-quality programming can improve SAT scores, reduce truancy, and raise scores on standardized tests.
Specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs have a significant impact on the academic and career trajectory of African-American students. For example, African-American students enrolled in the nationwide Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program were more likely to take advanced placement STEM courses in high school. A number of programs also focus on important social skills such as collaboration, leadership, and goal setting.