Afterschool/Out-of-School

Libraries and museums help our communities support children's learning and development.

MacArthur Foundation logoPartnership: Learning Labs
In support of President Obama's "Educate to Innovate" call to action, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services are working together to create 30 new youth learning labs in libraries and museums across the country.

Partnership: National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards
Formerly Coming Up Taller, these awards recognize outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people by providing them with learning opportunities and chances to contribute to their communities.

Search the Awarded Grants database for grants to afterschool/out-of-school programs (issue areas have only been assigned to grants awarded since FY 2009)

Afterschool/out-of-school content on the IMLS Web site:
MEDIA ADVISORY: Report Highlights Roles of Libraries and Museums in School Success

June 17, 2013 12:28 PM
High level Department of Education and Health and Human Services officials join IMLS and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading to launch a new report on early learning. Anacostia Library in Washington, DC, hosts June 20 event. Read More

 
champions of change
White House Highlights Museum and Library “Champions of Change”

June 10, 2013 11:10 AM
On Tuesday, June 11th, the White House will honor twelve people as museum and library “Champions of Change,” for their work making a difference for their neighborhoods and for our nation. Read More

 
NAHYP logo
2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards Finalists Announced

May 22, 2013 09:44 AM
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and its cultural partners, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, are proud to recognize 50 exceptional programs for their work in providing rich arts and humanities learning opportunities for young people. The NAHYP Award is the nation’s highest honor for out-of-school arts and humanities programs. Read More

 
Eating summer lunch at the Elmhurst Branch of the Oakland Public Library.
Blog: Pilot Project Serves Free Summer Lunch to Kids in Libraries

June 17, 2013 09:53 AM
In conjunction with summer reading programs, the “Summer Lunch at the Library” program will serve free healthy lunches in public libraries throughout California to keep kids’ bellies and minds nourished. Read More

 
Girl reading books in library
Blog Post: Meeting the Needs of 21st Century Teens

May 3, 2013 12:32 PM
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Summit on Libraries & Teens was the first conversation point in a yearlong National Forum that continues with a virtual town hall meeting on May 21. Read More

 
Blog Post: The Power of Nature in Garfield Park

April 3, 2013 03:59 PM
In this video, community member Tiara Livingston and Director Eunita Rushing discuss how teen programs at the Garfield Park Conservatory inspires and educates youth in the community. Read More

 
Students from the Borough of Manhattan Community College CLIP program at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan
October 2012: Where to Learn English? A Museum Of Course


Art museums can be excellent English literacy classrooms. An innovative program that partners university and community college ESL programs with New York City art museums is finding that works of art generate excellent discussions for students of English. Read More

 
Children participating in a Learn and Play program learn their ABC’s.
September 2009: Bringing Books and Literacy to the People


Sometimes the parents and children who would most benefit from library services are the ones who haven’t established the habit of visiting libraries. That’s what the Henderson District Public Libraries in Henderson, Nevada, discovered when planning a comprehensive early literacy program involving the whole community. The solution? Bring books and classes to the people. Read More

 
Children participate in PlayWorks™ at the Children's Museum of Manhattan
January 2009: PlayWorks™ Provides Whole-family Learning In a Child-friendly Environment


Children feed alphabet letters to a talking baby dragon, drive a New York City fire truck, paint on a six-foot art wall, and crawl through a challenge course in PlayWorks™ at the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) in New York. Read More

 
cover of Museums and Libraries Engaging America's Youth
Museums and Libraries Engaging America’s Youth: Youth Practitioner's Guide


Created for museum and library practitioners who are building, or wish to build, strong programs to reach and engage youth, this guide contains a variety of resources and references to critical works that have been gathered from the fields of youth and community development, education, and informal learning. Read More

 
cpver of Talking Points: Makerspaces
Talking Points: Museums, Libraries, and Makerspaces


Quick summary of makerspaces -- hands-on, mentor-led learning environments to make and remake the physical and digital worlds -- in museums and libraries. Read More