What Separates OST Programs That Scale From Those That Struggle?

Out of school time programs have never been more important.

Across the country, families are looking for safe, engaging, high quality opportunities for their children before school, after school, and during the summer months. At the same time, OST providers face a difficult reality. Demand continues to grow while funding remains uncertain, staffing shortages persist, and many organizations struggle to reach all the young people who could benefit from their programs.

Yet some organizations consistently attract funding, retain talented staff, demonstrate strong outcomes, and expand their reach year after year.

What separates those programs from the ones that struggle?

During a recent webinar hosted by SureImpact, national OST expert Brenda McLaughlin, Founding Partner of The Learning Agenda, shared insights from decades of research and experience helping communities build effective summer learning and afterschool programs.

The answer is not bigger budgets. It is not luck. And it is not a single grant opportunity.

The strongest programs share several common characteristics that help them create meaningful outcomes and build long term sustainability.

They Start Planning Earlier Than Everyone Else

One of the strongest findings from research on OST programs is surprisingly simple.

Successful programs start planning early.

According to McLaughlin, programs that waited until spring to begin planning were far less likely to achieve their desired outcomes. Effective summer programs require the same level of coordination as a school year program. Transportation, staffing, curriculum, family engagement, food service, technology, supplies, and communications all need to work together.

Programs that begin planning in January create more time to identify challenges, engage partners, recruit staff, and make thoughtful decisions.

The strongest organizations treat planning as a year round process rather than a seasonal activity.

They Design Programs Around Outcomes

Many organizations begin with activities.

The most successful organizations begin with outcomes.

Before selecting curriculum, scheduling activities, or designing enrichment experiences, effective OST leaders ask an important question:

What change are we trying to create?

Programs focused on literacy improvement need sufficient reading instruction and practice.

Programs focused on career readiness need opportunities for skill development and career exploration. Programs focused on social emotional growth need intentional activities that help youth build confidence, relationships, and self awareness.

Research from The Wallace Foundation's National Summer Learning Project found that outcomes improve when programs intentionally align activities, instructional time, and resources with desired results.

Programs that scale understand exactly what success looks like and build their program design around achieving it.

They Focus on Recruitment and Engagement

Even the strongest program cannot create impact if participants never attend.

Successful OST providers approach recruitment strategically. They understand that families, caregivers, and young people are influenced by different voices and different motivations.

A principal may be a trusted messenger for families. A teacher may encourage participation among students. Peer recommendations often influence whether young people choose to attend and continue participating.

Effective programs also pay close attention to the participant experience.

Young people have many options competing for their attention. Programs that create engaging experiences, offer meaningful relationships, and make participants feel welcomed are more likely to maintain strong attendance throughout the year.

Recruitment is not simply about filling seats. It is about creating experiences that young people want to return to.

They Create Positive Program Environments

When young people feel safe, supported, and connected, outcomes improve.

Research consistently shows that program climate plays an important role in participant engagement and success.

High quality OST programs establish clear routines, positive relationships, welcoming environments, and consistent expectations. Staff members understand their roles and have the resources they need to succeed.

Participants know what to expect. Families feel confident in the program. Staff members are equipped to focus on youth development rather than constant problem solving.

These factors may seem small individually. Together, they create an environment where learning and growth can flourish.

They Invest in Their Staff

Staffing remains one of the biggest challenges facing OST providers today.

Many organizations struggle to recruit qualified instructors, retain talented team members, and create sustainable staffing models.

Successful programs recognize that staff quality directly influences program quality.

According to guidance from the National Afterschool Association, employees are looking for more than compensation. They want professional development opportunities, coaching, mentoring, recognition, career pathways, and opportunities to contribute their ideas.

Programs that invest in staff development often see benefits far beyond retention.

Well supported staff members build stronger relationships with participants, deliver higher quality experiences, and become ambassadors who help recruit future team members.

Organizations that view staffing as a strategic investment place themselves in a stronger position for long term success.

They Measure What Matters

One of the biggest differences between programs that scale and programs that struggle is their ability to demonstrate impact.

Strong programs collect and use data in three key areas:

Attendance

Attendance data helps organizations understand recruitment effectiveness, participation trends, and program engagement.

Satisfaction

Feedback from youth, families, and staff provides valuable insight into program quality and participant experience.

Outcomes

Outcome measures help organizations demonstrate the changes participants experience through program involvement.

These may include academic growth, social emotional development, confidence, career readiness, leadership skills, or other indicators aligned with program goals.

The goal is not collecting more data.

The goal is collecting meaningful data that supports decision making, continuous improvement, and impact storytelling.

They Use Data to Improve, Not Just Report

Data becomes most valuable when it informs action.

Strong OST providers regularly review attendance trends, participant feedback, staff observations, and outcome measures to identify opportunities for improvement.

For example, organizations may discover that certain recruitment approaches attract more participants, particular program models produce stronger outcomes, or scheduling changes improve attendance.

Continuous improvement creates a cycle where programs become more effective every year.

Those improvements strengthen participant experiences, support better outcomes, and create stronger stories for funders and community stakeholders.

They Make Their Impact Visible

Many OST leaders do extraordinary work that few people fully understand.

Successful organizations make their impact visible.

They invite community leaders, funders, policymakers, and partners to visit programs. They share participant stories supported by data. They communicate outcomes in ways that are easy to understand.

People who see programs in action often become some of their strongest advocates.

Visibility builds awareness.

Awareness builds support.

Support creates sustainability.

The Path to Sustainable Growth

The strongest OST programs do not succeed because they have unlimited resources.

They succeed because they are intentional.

They plan early.

They design for outcomes.

They recruit strategically.

They invest in staff.

They measure what matters.

And they continuously improve.

When organizations combine those practices with clear evidence of impact, they put themselves in a stronger position to attract funding, strengthen staffing, expand access, and create lasting change for young people.

For OST leaders looking to build sustainable programs, the message is clear: quality comes first.

Funding, staffing, and growth become much easier when organizations can demonstrate meaningful results and communicate their value to the communities they serve.

To learn more about how SureImpact helps OST providers measure and communicate their social impact, take a self-guided product tour.