Survey Findings: What Parents Want in 2019

A survey was conducted to find out what goals parents have for their children in the upcoming year and what they're looking for in an after school program. 500 parents were surveyed and the findings show that there's a high demand for quality after school programs. Parents want access to even more after school programs in their area and are looking to foster the key life skills their children need to succeed. Social and emotional learning is a big focus for parents this upcoming year. Parents want to ensure their children are prepped for success, not just academically, but across all facets of their life. Take a look at the rest of the survey findings below:

We asked schools and community partners to send in some of their own student success stories and the responses were powerful. The positive impact that after school programs have on students across the U.S is undoubtedly clear. Here are some of our favorites:

"Portage High School senior, Sanja Kirova, worked with our local Boys and Girls Club to organize and host She Can Tech, a series of workshops geared toward elementary girls who are interested in STEM activities. When Sanja began taking STEM classes in high school, she noticed that very few young women were enrolled in these same classes. She developed a goal to help encourage girls to form an interest in STEM activities. This year, that dream became a reality, as Sanja and three of her peers began She Can Tech, teaching the participants about coding, programming, and the types of STEM classes available to them in middle and high school. Portage Township Schools is proud of Sanja for opening doors for our elementary students." -Melissa Deavers-Lowie, Portage Township Schools

"Emma started dancing at the age of four, and she quickly decided that she wanted to be a professional ballet dancer when she grew up. But with 8 children, Emma’s family didn’t have the resources to make that dream come true. That’s where the Allen Civic Ballet stepped in, supplying Emma with performance opportunities, scholarships, and guest teachers from some of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world, all at no cost to her. Emma realized her dreams when, at age 18, she was offered a contract with Kansas City Ballet. 'Only one little girl in a thousand makes it as a professional dancer,' says Emma, 'and thanks to Allen Civic Ballet, I’m one of those girls.'" -Stefanie Best, Allen Civic Ballet

"We have an ACT Exam Preparation student, Saunak, that is an extremely high achiever in school. He had even been selected to join the Academy of Loudoun for his high school years. He came to us after taking the ACT previously an scoring a 31, with his English subscore really bringing down his overall score. After completing our ACT Exam Preparation program, he was able to not only boost his English subscore, but he boosted his overall composite score to 35 (1 point away from a PERFECT score)! This allowed him to apply to all of the colleges of his dreams. He just heard back from his early decision application to his top choice: Dartmouth. He got in!" -Jessie Spates, Huntington Learning Center Purcellville

Peachjar is committed to connecting families with programs and resources that challenge and inspire students to reach their full potential and achieve success. It is our goal to help school districts across the nation provide their families increased access to after school programs. When students are given the tools to succeed, the outcomes are amazing.