Afterschool programs are leading the way in educating the next generation in the subjects the jobs of the future will require, according to survey results of Kent County households published on Sept. 15, 2026.
Afterschool STEM Takes Off In Kent County, a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance and released by the Michigan Afterschool Partnership, discovered 88% of parents of Kent County afterschool students now say their child’s afterschool program offers STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning. More than half of those whose child’s program offers STEM (56%) report their child engages in STEM learning after school at least twice per week. However, survey results show more than four in five Kent County children whose parents want afterschool programs for them (58,366 children) are not enrolled.
Based on responses from 30,515 U.S. households, with 279 households with 475 children in Kent County, parents surveyed report afterschool programs in Kent County are educating students on a range of STEM topics, with 88% saying their child’s afterschool program offers engagement in science, 85% math, 78% engineering, 74% tech, and 70% computer science. Approximately four in five Kent County parents say afterschool programs help children gain skills and interest in STEM.
“In Kent County and across the country, parents value and prioritize STEM learning in afterschool, and afterschool programs have stepped up to provide it,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “Afterschool is an ideal place for STEM education. It offers students the chance to explore their interests, engage with peers in hands-on, team-based learning, and see up close how STEM can help solve problems facing our communities and our country. We’re thrilled with the tremendous uptick in afterschool STEM learning in Kent County, throughout Michigan, and nationwide. We need to continue the trajectory and, most of all, make afterschool programs available to many more students. As long as millions of children whose parents want afterschool programs for them are missing out, we have more work to do.”
Parents of 828,578 Michigan young people want afterschool programs for their families, yet 678,070 do not have access. Altogether, approximately five in six Michigan young people are missing out on afterschool learning opportunities.
“Our afterschool programs are doing vitally important work to educate the next generation about STEM and helping students apply what they learn in real-life settings,” said Erin Skene-Pratt, executive director of the Michigan Afterschool Partnership. “That, in turn, can help them imagine themselves in STEM-related careers. But every child in Kent County deserves access to an afterschool program, and there are still gaps for too many young people. The new $135 million appropriation in our state’s FY27 budget will help, and helps us see how we can continue increasing support until we have enough programs to ensure that no child is missing out.”
Among Michigan parents with a child enrolled in an afterschool program, 93% report that their child has access to STEM learning. That represents a significant increase from 60% in 2014.
View survey findings from Kent County and Michigan.
WDIV Local 4 in Detroit recently highlighted MASP partners, Code 313 and Elite Focus Enterprise, on the STEM programs they offer for youth in Metro Detroit. Listen to how they’re getting youth involved in their after-school programs.