Expand Learning Time

We Expand Learning Opportunities

How We Work

Summer

After-School Learning

Social & Emotional Learning

Measure for Improvement

Learning

Because learning doesn’t stop at 3pm

Boston Beyond works beyond the school day and school year to connect children from low-income families with engaging experiences that advance their life outcomes. Our large network of partners provide diverse, high-quality learning programs during two crucial windows:

Summer: Students get an academic boost and build essential skills through meaningful projects at 160 sites across the city.
After school: Students find safe, supportive spaces to learn and grow with quality providers in their schools and community.

By working as a citywide network, we’re able to leverage more funding, more talent, and more organizations to expand opportunity beyond school. That means more kids served and a more seamless web of offerings during these crucial, underutilized hours.

Why are the hours beyond school so crucial?

The after-school and summer hours represent enormous untapped opportunity for students disadvantaged by poverty.

Middle class kids are 8X more likely to engage in enriching experiences during beyond school hours—a pattern that fuels large gaps in skills and opportunity.

The good news: Quality summer and after-school programs can go a long way toward closing achievement gaps and increasing young people’s chances of success in college, the workplace, and life.

did you know?

High-quality summer learning programs can reverse summer learning loss while teaching non-cognitive skills that directly impact student achievement (Durlak et, al, 2011).
Students who participate in evidence-based after school programs show improved school attendance, greater engagement in learning, and improved graduation rates (Huang et. al, 2008).
Students from low-income families who are most at-risk experience the greatest gains in high-quality after school programs (Vandell et al, 2007).

Summer for All

Summer is the most unequal time in America, but in Boston we’ve created a national model of summer learning that engages over 14,000 students in engaging, skill-rich learning opportunities that act as an equalizing force. Each summer, students get an academic boost and practice crucial skills—like persistence and teamwork—as they work alongside adult mentors in our city’s parks, museums, businesses, and more.

After School for All

With dozens of after-school providers in our growing network, Boston Beyond serves as a citywide connector and an ally in continuous improvement. Our partners commit to focusing on the same crucial skills and to regularly measuring their progress. We channel funding that helps them innovate and provide technical assistance and peer learning opportunities to build their capacity.

Ready For Fall?

This RAND Report is the second of five volumes from a five-year study which examines the effects of voluntary summer learning programs on low-income urban youth.

The value of summer learning is unparalleled. We believe in this type of education.

Jeffrey Riley, MA Education Commissioner