June 26, 2026

Most Enrichment Content Was Built for a Classroom. Here Is What Happens When It’s Built for After 3PM.

What if afterschool was the part of the day where a student discovers they love animation? Or figures out they are actually pretty good at Mandarin? Or builds their first robot and cannot stop talking about it at dinner?

That is exactly what afterschool should be. And with the right content, it can be every single afternoon.

AB Studios is a creative studio built specifically for afterschool. Story-driven courses, hands-on activities, and content that makes students lean in the moment they walk through the door. Here is what that looks like in action.

What AB Studios Looks Like

By the time students walk into afterschool, they have already sat through a full day of instruction, assignments, and structure. They are ready for something different.

Every AB Studios course opens with a short, cinematic, story-driven video built to grab the room from the first frame. Our content is produced out of our studio in Charlotte, NC, built specifically to create the kind of videos that feel different from anything else students see during the school day.

Every session includes:

• A library of 6 to 8 story-driven videos per course.
• Paired activity guides with clear step-by-step instructions.
• Materials guidance built around what programs already have on hand. Think construction paper, scissors, tape, and everyday classroom supplies. No special budget required.
• Discussion prompts that spark real conversation.

Whether it is your lead staff or a substitute who just walked in ten minutes ago, anyone can press play, follow the guide, and lead a session students actually remember. No prep needed.

Brittany Westbrook, a principal who brought AB Studios into her school, described what happened the first time her students watched You Matter, Luma.

“The students are in love with Luma and the videos are just captivating. We turned the lights off today and we have 280 students and you could hear a pin drop. They are glued in and it’s so captivating and the underlying messages lead so much to explore for students and staff and it can take them a long long way.“

A Sneak Peek at What’s Inside

Afterschool is one of the few places where students can stumble into a new passion, try something they’ve AB Studios creates courses across STEAM, SEL, culture, language, and the arts. Here is just some of what is inside the library right now.

• Mandarin, Spanish, and American Sign Language Goes to the Movies open the door to a new language, giving students a foundation and the curiosity to want more.
• You Matter with Luma, co-created with bestselling author and podcast host John R. Miles explores identity, belonging, and what it means to feel seen. Learn more here.
• Paper Aviation is a six-session STEM series where students build paper airplanes to explore real aeronautical science. Thrust, drag, lift, gravity, wingspan. Learn more here.
• Animation: Stop-Motion Basics and Stop-Motion Live: National Park Adventure teach students to bring their own stories to life frame by frame.
• Drama: African Folktales brings performance and cultural storytelling together in a way that is unlike anything else in afterschool.

Brittany said it best: “All the info included in the lesson plans is amazing and gives our teachers enough so they can take it further or use lessons as they are designed. It’s a ready-made program.”

What Changes When the Content Is Right

The right content can change what afterschool feels like. For staff. For students. And for the families hearing about it at dinner.

Afterschool is too important to be filled with busy work. AB Studios builds every course to make the most of that time, for students, for staff, and for the programs doing this work every day.

Ready to see it for yourself? Book a demo to see how it fits into your program.