After School Alliance:

Student-centered, active, and engaging learning experiences that build on young people’s interests, while developing their skills and knowledge, are
at the heart of high-quality afterschool programs. Young people of all ages can benefit from these experiences, however, there is increasing attention
on adolescence as a critical time for exposure to these types of learning opportunities. In addition to a period during which significant neurobiological and social and emotional growth occurs,1 adolescence is a time when young people discover their interests and passions as they begin on their path toward adulthood. Creating new and engaging learning opportunities for middle and high school students can help them find their inspiration, gain skills that will benefit them in and outside of the classroom, and play an active role in designing their own learning journey to reach their full potential.

Afterschool programs can provide older youth with opportunities to explore their interests and participate in activities that also allow them to earn credits toward their graduation requirements. These credit-for-learning opportunities can cover a wide range of content—from students earning physical education credits through a local YMCA to taking part in a boat-building course
for elective math or science credit. Credit-for-learning programs are a valuable resource to provide unique, challenging, and compelling learning opportunities that individualize knowledge acquisition and complement school day lessons for middle and high school youth.

“Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs)— our credit-for-learning programs—allow students to bring their full identities into school, for a unique, personalized learning experience. As students progress through their education, they become curious and develop interests. ELOs provide students with the opportunity to pursue interests both inside and outside the school setting that often evolve into career pathway goals after graduation.”