MASN Blog

In the Missouri Bootheel, where opportunities are limited and resources are stretched thin, afterschool programs change lives. Portageville’s Bulldog Time afterschool program exemplifies this. Their middle and high school programs provide students with enriching experiences, academic support, and leadership opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise. The impact of afterschool extends far Read more…

The budget overview released by the Trump administration on Friday, May 2 indicates that federal funding for afterschool and summer would be decimated under the proposal. The president’s proposal appears to eliminate 21st CCLC entirely or collapse it into a consolidated grant program, lumping 18 programs together in a total fund of Read more…

This World Laughter Day, we’re celebrating three MASN team members who prove that joy and education go hand in hand. Meet Clint Darr, Aaron Banks, and Richard Irwin—educators by day, dad joke connoisseurs by… well, also by day. Clint Darr, the Missouri Afterschool Resource Center (MOARC) Coordinator and Afterschool Regional Read more…

On a recent evening in Gasconade County RII, the school was buzzing with energy, not from a typical school day, but from something just as powerful: a night of connection, community, and celebration. The Excellence in Extended Learning (ExcEL) Afterschool Program, a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grantee, Read more…

This week we celebrate the work of people who drive the Missouri Afterschool Network’s mission to sustain high-quality afterschool programs: afterschool professionals.   The mobilizers of our amazing afterschool programs make a deep impact on the lives of youth- and it’s important they gain recognition for their around-the-clock work.  Our staff Read more…

Amid an early March blizzard, Missouri and Kansas afterschool leaders weathered the storm for a promising new event: the Afterschool Leadership Conference (ALC). Co-hosted by the Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN) and the Kansas Enrichment Network (KEN), ALC is a new kind of conference that bolsters connections and supports afterschool leaders. Read more…

Meet a few of Missouri’s Afterschool Ambassadors: Advocating for Access and Opportunity At the Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN), we believe that every child deserves access to high-quality afterschool programs—and we know that real change starts with strong advocates. That’s where our Afterschool Ambassadors come in.  The Afterschool Ambassadors program is Read more…