Success stories

Learn from the leaders in ELO. The following programs from across the United States have demonstrated what ELOs can achieve.

LA's BEST
In September 1988, the City of Los Angeles took a bold step outside of traditional city business to create an innovative after school program to address the alarming rise in street gangs, school dropouts and drug use in communities where children lacked adequate adult supervision. The program, called LA's BEST (Better Educated Students for Tomorrow), approaches inner-city children as resources to be developed rather than problems to be solved. From its original 10 sites, LA's BEST has grown to serve over 13,000 students in 76 elementary schools.

Boston's 2:00-to-6:00 After School Initiative
In 1998, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino raised the City's commitment to after-school programming and created the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative to help expand after-school programs in every neighborhood. Together with community, school, and government partners, the Initiative seeks to ensure that from the end of the school day until 6:00 p.m., Boston children have access to high-quality, affordable, safe, and engaging after-school opportunities that enhance their learning and overall development. As of September 2000, 66 schools -- more than 50 percent of the City of Boston's elementary and middle schools -- operated full-time after-school programs.

Ohio Hunger Task Force
Located at 56 centers in areas of Columbus, Ohio, with dense poverty, the Youth Development Program serves communities that are over 80% minority, with 96% of the households living at or below 185% of the poverty rate. This program relies heavily on uniting funding streams and strong collaborative partnerships to feed and provide health, social services, educational, and recreational enrichment activities to approximately 1,000 children daily, and an average of 2,500 children ages 6-18 per month.

The Council of Chief State School Officers offers a free publication, "Extended Learning Initiatives Opportunities and Implementation Challenges," that discusses six state-sponsored ELOs in detail.