Central Texas has one of the fastest growing child populations in the nation.  In the decade leading up to the 2008-09 school year, the registrations in pre-Kindergarten through 12^th grade rose almost 40 percent.  Growth amongunderserved populations is even greater; in the Austin Independent School District alone, almost two-thirds of all students are economically disadvantaged.

Meanwhile, more than half of the region’s students are at risk of dropping out due to factors including academic failure, pregnancy, recent expulsion or probation. If current trends continue, some estimates predict that, by 2040, a full 30 percent of Texas workers may lack high school diplomas, putting them at high risk of unemployment, continued poverty and incarceration.

But growing evidence shows that quality out-of-school programs make a difference in these children’s lives. Well-designed programs can lower juvenile crime rates, improve academic performance, and offer children and adolescents the opportunity to form meaningful bonds with adults from their communities.

Over the past decade, we have made sizable investments in improving educational outcomes for the growing population of underprivileged children in Central Texas. Our strategy is to fund during- and after-school programs that provide services to at-risk students. To measure effectiveness, we track and measure students’ behavioral and academic improvements over time.