SD Afterschool Network

Summer learning becomes more meaningful when young people can build, test, and solve real-world problems through hands-on STEM experiences.

Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) offers flexible STEM activities for PreK–8 designed for summer learning, afterschool programs, libraries, makerspaces, and STEM camps.

Explore activities by age group: https://bit.ly/4fCfc3X

Want to engage students with DNA science in a hands-on way? STEM Next’s Genomics Learning Journeys give educators ready-to-use lessons, videos, and activities that help young people explore how DNA connects to medicine, agriculture, and other real-world STEM careers.

Explore the free resources: stemnext.org/dna-learning

The Practical Pathways for Supporting Working Families Through Out-of-School Time report from the South Dakota Child Care Task Force also underscores a key message for employers: afterschool access directly impacts the workforce.

When parents have reliable, quality out-of-school time care, employees are better able to show up consistently, reducing absenteeism and helping keep turnover low. That stability benefits not just families, but businesses and entire local economies.

Afterschool programs are workforce infrastructure. When they work, everything else works better.

Dive deeper here:https://www.sdafterschoolnetwork.org/_files/ugd/f8c636_e55cff051c924ad8b42e514271a86d55.pdf