Seven Steps for Implementing Afterschool Programs: Strategies for Physical Educators

Abstract

After-school programs (ASP) are a long-standing activity historically facilitated by organizations such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, social service/community centers and, in the past decade, an increasing number of municipal park districts. Staffing usually consist of recreation professionals, social and youth workers, and volunteers. In recent years, physical educators have joined the list of those sought to facilitate ASPs and are considered uniquely qualified, given the close relationship between physical education and recreation activities.In an effort to prepare physical educators for facilitating ASPs, formal presentations and discussions were conducted at the state level (2008) and again at the national level (2012) via the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (now SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators), respectively. The purpose was to inform physical educators on how to create, implement and evaluate an ASP for their school. The purpose of this article is to provide physical educators with a strategy to design an ASP by identifying and discussing steps for creating sustainable programs.