PASE and Longtime Youth Advocates Publish Report on History of Afterschool in New York City

On Wednesday, January 22, over 75 current and past nonprofit leaders, representatives from DYCD and NYCPS, funders, and afterschool supporters gathered at Interchurch Center to celebrate the release of From Stumbling Blocks to Building Blocks: A History of Afterschool in New York City, a report on the creation and evolution of the New York City afterschool system between the 1970s and 2020.

Longtime youth advocates Jane Quinn and Sr. Paulette LoMonaco authored the report, with collaboration from the Partnership for After School Education (PASE) and funding from The Pinkerton Foundation. The report highlights challenges and lessons learned from the establishment of the country’s largest municipal afterschool system.

“This report is our attempt to document the struggle to open the schools for community use after 3:15pm and ensure sufficient funding.  It is a story of relentless advocacy and strong leadership at all levels...and the story is not yet complete,” co-author LoMonaco stated. 

Wednesday’s publication event was attended by many of the 30 key nonprofit and government leaders, researchers, and funders Quinn and LoMonaco engaged during the research process.

"This report summarizes a history that New Yorkers and indeed all people who care for children should pay close attention to. The impact and lessons that this study explores are not just relevant to New York City, they are nationally relevant,” Geoffrey Canada, Harlem Children’s Zone President and report interviewee said. 

The report’s findings included several key themes across these perspectives, including the importance of translating theory into practice, the significance of school building access, the ongoing process of securing stable funding, and the role of establishing citywide systems to ensure equitable afterschool opportunities.

“Despite the solid progress that our report documents, we still have work to do to ensure that all families who need and want these opportunities have access to them,” co-author Quinn noted. 

Access a digital copy of From Stumbling Blocks to Building Blocks on the PASE website.