Every afterschool program is powered by a single, common element: people. The staff who show up every afternoon. The students who arrive after long school days. The leaders who hold everything together behind the scenes.

When a program is working well, it’s rarely because of a single tool, framework, or initiative. It’s because the experience has been designed to support the people inside it.

Throughout the past year, AB Studios has dedicated a significant amount of time to listening to afterschool leaders and staff across various districts, YMCAs, Parks and Recreation departments, and community-based organizations. What follows is a snapshot of what the people behind these groups believe makes their programs work well.

Supporting Staff Confidence Matters More Than Having the “Perfect” Activity

One of the most consistent themes we hear is how closely program quality is tied to staff confidence.

Leaders describe a clear difference between staff who feel unsure and staff who feel supported.

When staff understand the purpose and structure of what they’re leading, confidence rises — and programs run better.

This is especially true in afterschool, where many frontline staff are non-credentialed, part-time, or new to their role. Programs that work well aren’t asking staff to invent experiences from scratch. They’re creating conditions where staff can succeed without fear of doing something wrong.

“We focus on making lessons as easy to facilitate as possible. Staff are given dedicated time to review lesson plans in advance so they can become familiar with the content, ask questions, and feel fully prepared before implementation.” — Stephanie Lawrence, Director of Club Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of Citrus and Marion Counties

For many leaders, confidence also comes from trust and autonomy.

“We find that confidence comes from autonomy. We provide the structural framework, but explicitly encourage staff to infuse their own unique passions and talents into the daily activities.” — Daniel Cullen, Assistant Director of Student Services, Upper Bucks County Technical School

When staff are trusted to bring their own strengths into a well-designed structure, facilitation feels less like compliance and more like ownership.

For some leaders, confidence also comes from how staff communicate with students and the clarity of the message they’re delivering.

“The single most significant factor in helping my staff feel more confident leading afterschool programming is how they deliver messages to children. Significant research supports the fact that we can constructively support, inspire, and help develop children’s minds when we carry a strong, effectively delivered message to them.” — Michael Gaskell, Principal, East Brunswick Public Schools

In other words, confidence doesn’t come only from having the right activity in hand. It comes from equipping staff to communicate with intention and consistency so students understand what they’re doing and why it matters.

Students Engage When Learning Feels Fun

Afterschool staff and leaders often describe engagement differently than school-day metrics do.

Impact shows up when students choose to participate. When they stay with an activity. When they feel comfortable taking risks or trying something new after a full academic day.

Across conversations, leaders consistently note that students respond best to experiences that feel approachable.

“Hands-on, movement-based activities are consistently the most effective for maintaining engagement. Activities that allow students to be active tend to re-energize the group.”  — Stephanie Lawrence, Boys & Girls Clubs of Citrus and Marion Counties

Stephanie shared how blending learning into games students already love can make a meaningful difference:

“We recently incorporated a spelling bee into games students already enjoy, such as four-square. When a student was eliminated, they could re-enter the game by correctly spelling one of their words. This approach was very well received and kept students highly engaged.”

Examples like this show how small design choices can transform participation into enthusiasm, even when energy is low.

For many students, afterschool is where learning finally feels possible again.

“Afterschool programs increase student engagement by creating spaces where learning feels fun, meaningful, and interactive. Students explore interests through hands-on activities, collaboration, and play, fostering curiosity, connection, and a love of learning beyond the classroom.”  — Dr. Penny Ballin, Director of Federal Programs & Innovation, Mt. Airy City Schools

Designing for engagement has ripple effects. When activities work for students, they also make programs easier to lead.

Burnout Decreases When Systems Do More of the Work

Leaders rarely describe burnout as a lack of care or commitment. Instead, they talk about the exhaustion that builds when systems are thin, and staff are forced to compensate for gaps in structure, training, or clarity.

Programs that feel more sustainable are designed differently. They assume energy will fluctuate. They assume staff experience levels will vary. And they build support into the experience itself, rather than relying on extra effort from individuals.

“We continue to contend with afterschool partners and staff having to navigate from one disruption to the next, with limited time, energy, and margin. It’s taken a visible toll on them.” — Shane Vander Kooi, President, Green Mouse Academy

Shane explained how systems can reduce that strain:

“To counter that, we’ve leaned into putting strong, dependable technical support and world-class content in place so our educators don’t have to carry everything themselves. But it’s important to remember that overengineering isn’t the goal. Afterschool isn’t meant to mirror the school day.”

This balance between dependable systems and flexibility shows up again and again in programs that last. Support should lighten the load, not add new layers of complexity.

Leaders Know Impact Is About What Holds, Not What Shines

When we ask leaders how they define success midyear, they talk less about standout moments and more about stability. Programs run smoothly even when someone is out. Staff feel confident enough to lead without constant oversight. Students showing up and staying engaged.

“We intentionally differentiate activities by grade level. This structure allows younger members to see what opportunities are available as they grow within the program.” — Stephanie Lawrence, Boys & Girls Clubs of Citrus and Marion Counties

By designing programs with continuity in mind, leaders reduce churn and create a sense of belonging that keeps students coming back year after year.

In these conversations, impact shows up less in standout moments and more in what holds when conditions are hardest. Leaders want programs that work on ordinary days, not just great ones.

Listening Is Part of the Work

One of the clearest takeaways from these conversations is that strong afterschool programs are built through listening.

Leaders listen to staff. Staff listen to students. And organizations that support afterschool listen closely to the field.

“Afterschool is different from the school day, and it should be. When staff have game-changing tools, access to world-class content, and the right supports and systems behind them, they can stop worrying about the mechanics and focus once again on the kids.” — Shane Vander Kooi, Green Mouse Academy

Shane added a reminder that leaders keep returning to:

“Afterschool is not school, and its power lives in what remains human, flexible, and joyful. When the right tools and the fundamentals are in place, and the focus returns to why we’re here, the outcome becomes obvious: fun.”

That reminder anchors many of these conversations. When programs protect space for joy alongside structure, both staff and students are more likely to thrive.

At AB Studios, these conversations help guide how we think about enrichment, support, and design. We listen because there isn’t one right way to run a program, and shared experiences help reveal what works best.

AB Studios: A Thought Partner for Afterschool Leaders

At AB Studios, our work starts with listening. We partner with afterschool leaders and educators to design enrichment that supports real people, on real days, in real programs.

If you’re exploring how to create experiences that staff feel confident leading and students want to engage in, we’d love to learn more about your program and what you’re navigating this year.

Looking to put these ideas into practice? Download our Afterschool Leader’s Playbook for practical strategies, ready-to-use tools, and real examples designed to support staff confidence, student engagement, and sustainable programs.