Illinois Quality Afterschool

Quality afterschool and expanded learning opportunities broaden learning and provide enriching experiences outside regular school hours. The Illinois Quality Afterschool initiative provides technical assistance and professional development to all 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grantees in Illinois.

Through a range of services, including needs assessment, workshops, conferences, online training, site visits, peer mentoring, newsletters, and resource bulletins, the project aims to give Illinois 21st CCLC grantees the necessary assistance to deliver high-quality afterschool programs that strengthen student engagement and academic achievement.

The Illinois Quality Afterschool team at AIR works to build the capacity of the Illinois State Board of Education and 21st CCLC grantees by focusing on six tracks: management, collecting and using data, programming, integrating K–12 and afterschool, communication, and collaboration.