· Nationally, more than half of teens wish there were more community programs available after school, and two thirds of those surveyed said they would participate in such programs if they were available (Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, 2001).

· Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 49% more likely to use drugs and 37% more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2002).

· Nine in ten parents (90%) who say they are not home in the afternoon when their children return from school describe after-school programs as an absolute necessity (Afterschool Alliance, 2002).

· Researchers at Cornell University found that the length of time youth participate in 4-H was found to have a significant impact on asset development. (Rodriguez, Hirschl, Mead, & Goggin, 1999).

· In a random survey of 1,178 police chiefs, sheriffs, and prosecutors; respondents were asked to rank the impact of several strategies to reduce youth violence and crime. By more than a four to one margin, respondents chose providing afterschool programs for school-age youngsters and more educational child care programs for pre-school children rather than hiring more police officers as having the greatest impact in reducing youth violence and crime (Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, 2002).