For generations, families have thought about the hours after school as a practical challenge: Where will children go between the end of the school day and the end of the workday?
But today, we know those hours represent something much bigger.
High-quality after-school programs can give children opportunities to explore, create, move, build relationships, discover new interests, and develop skills that complement what happens during the school day. Research increasingly demonstrates that these experiences aren’t simply “extras.” They are an important part of helping children learn, grow, and thrive.
At Hall Neighborhood House, we have spent 140 years supporting Bridgeport children and families. One thing that experience has taught us is that investing in children outside of the traditional school day can have an impact that reaches far beyond those few afternoon hours.
Here are five reasons why after-school enrichment matters.
1. After-school programs strengthen learning.
Quality after-school programs can provide homework support while also giving children opportunities to learn differently—through STEM, arts, recreation, hands-on projects, clubs, and other experiences.
Research compiled by the Afterschool Alliance from more than 40 evaluations shows that after-school and summer programs can improve school attendance and engagement and contribute to stronger academic performance. In one study of middle school students, young people who participated for two years attended school more frequently and earned higher math grades than nonparticipants.
Enrichment and academics aren’t in competition. A program that pairs homework help with hands-on projects, clubs, arts, and STEM gives kids a second way into material they may be struggling with at school.
2. Enrichment helps children discover who they are.
Not every child discovers their strengths sitting behind a desk.
One child may come alive while building something. Another may discover confidence through sports. Another may find their voice through art, music, leadership, or technology. After-school programs create space for that exploration.
STEM is a great example. Nationally, 6.4 million children now have access to STEM enrichment through their after-school programs, and 92% of after-school programs offer some form of STEM opportunity.
Exposure matters. Children cannot imagine themselves pursuing interests, careers, and opportunities they have never had the chance to experience.
3. Children build the human skills they will need for life.
Working with a classmate who sees a problem differently, handling frustration when a project falls apart, and speaking up in a group are skills no test measures, but they carry into school, work, and adult life.
Quality out-of-school programs give children repeated opportunities to practice these social and emotional skills in real situations. Research on youth development increasingly recognizes these competencies as important building blocks for success in school, work, and adulthood.
4. Active afternoons support healthier children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that physical activity before and after school can increase children’s overall activity levels, while also supporting academic performance. After-school sports, recreation, dance, outdoor play, and other activities also give children the opportunity to discover forms of movement they enjoy, which can help establish healthy habits that last well beyond childhood.
A healthy afternoon can support a healthier child physically, mentally, and emotionally.
For a parent at work, knowing their child is somewhere safe and supervised until pickup makes the rest of the day easier to manage.
Yet demand is far larger than supply. According to the 2025 America After 3PM study, parents of nearly 30 million children want an after-school program for their child, but only about 7 million children participate. Another 22.6 million would join if programs were available to them. Cost, transportation, and availability are the main barriers.
That gap is why community-based programs matter. They are part of what lets families in a city like Bridgeport balance work and childcare.
The Hours After School Matter
At Hall Neighborhood House, we believe every child deserves opportunities to discover what excites them, build meaningful relationships, develop confidence, and imagine what’s possible for their future.
The hours after school are an opportunity—an opportunity to expose a child to something new, help them discover a talent, and build confidence, friendships, and life skills.
Sometimes, they’re even an opportunity to introduce a young person to something that changes the direction of their life.
When communities invest in meaningful after-school experiences for children, we aren’t simply investing in what they do from 3:00 to 6:00. We’re investing in who they can become.
For 140 years, Hall Neighborhood House has supported families and invested in the growth and development of Bridgeport’s children. Today, Hall offers after-school care, enrichment clubs and activities, sports leagues, and other opportunities for young people from kindergarten through high school. Every new experience is another opportunity for a child to learn, discover, grow, and imagine what’s possible.
Over the course of the summer, Shannoy had so many unique experiences and adventures!
Getting Started in Portland
“This opportunity is definitely a big deal for me, especially because I want to go to medical school, and I feel like this opportunity will shape my undergraduate years that are upcoming. Everyone that I’ve met so far has been very kind and welcoming, so I’m not stressing about anything. I’m just ready to jump into all that I have to do!”
“As I navigate my lab experience, I’m learning that things that I thought were hard, I just need to practice. It’s okay to fail, because not all experiments will be successful.”
“We had a career roundtable where I got to speak with different professionals, ranging from scientists, to someone who has an MD-PhD, to someone who took the MD route, to people who work in the biotech industry. It was pretty interesting to have these conversations with individuals who have been through the experience. It is really mind-blowing, and it makes me realize that if they have done it, then I can also do it.”
Shannoy wrapped up an incredible summer internship by presenting her research: Evaluating the response of tumor endothelial cells to interferon gamma in ex vivo model of PDAC.
After a summer of learning, research, and discovery, this presentation was the culmination of so much hard work, and we are SO proud of her!
Congrats, Shannoy! Thank you for sharing your summer with us!
Special thanks to Hall supporter Jeff Winter and Dr. Jonathan Brody, Ph.D. Professor & Vice Chair, Research, Dept. of Surgery, Associate Director, Translational Research, BCCPC at the STEMPrep-OHSU Internship Program at Oregon Health & Science University for sharing this amazing opportunity and working with Hall to get Shannoy into this exciting program.
Recent high school graduate Shannoy Fraser spent two months at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland participating in a competitive internship researching pancreatic cancer tumors.
She wrapped up her internship by presenting her research: Evaluating the response of tumor endothelial cells to interferon gamma in ex vivo model of PDAC.
First, she presented her poster—and won an award for having one of the best posters in her internship!
Next, she gave her oral presentation to a room of scholars, professors, interns, and medical professionals. After a summer of learning, research, and discovery, this presentation was the culmination of so much hard work.
Meanwhile, here in Connecticut, a group of Shannoy’s friends from the HNH LEADS program gathered at Hall Neighborhood House to watch a livestream of her presentation and cheer her on from afar!
Now, Shannoy is getting ready for her next big adventure: beginning her freshman year at Wesleyan University, where she plans to study neuroscience with plans to attend medical school.
We are so proud of everything she accomplished this summer, and we cannot wait to continue celebrating her future successes!
Special thanks to Hall supporter Jeff Winter and Dr. Jonathan Brody, Ph.D. Professor & Vice Chair, Research, Dept. of Surgery, Associate Director, Translational Research, BCCPC at the STEMPrep-OHSU Internship Program at Oregon Health & Science University for sharing this amazing opportunity and working with Hall to get Shannoy into this exciting program.
Summer is drawing to a close, and Shannoy is finishing up her time in Portland. She shared a few highlights from the past couple of weeks, and we cannot wait to see a recap of her final presentation!
While I was shadowing in the OR, I was invited to a dinner with a group of physicians, people who work in the biotech industry, and scientists. Throughout the dinner, I got to learn more about what they do and ask questions about the MD route, because that’s what I’m interested in. It was so cool to hear their stories and see their pathways to get there. I like seeing how their stories are similar to how my story is unfolding. I got to learn a lot of new stuff, because I’ve never really researched much about working in the biotech industry. It was very interesting.
We had a career roundtable where I got to speak with different professionals, ranging from scientists, to someone who has an MD-PhD, to someone who took the MD route, to people who work in the biotech industry. It was pretty interesting to have these conversations with individuals who have been through the experience. It is really mind-blowing, and it makes me realize that if they have done it, then I can also do it.
On that same day, I met someone who is going to Wesleyan with me in the fall! What a small world it is! I had a great time getting to chat with someone who’s going to be taking the same route with me, starting college in the fall.
With my internship, we had a barbecue. It was hosted at one of the directors’ houses, and the food was great. I really enjoyed it. We played card games, which was pretty fun. And I like that as we come closer to the end of my internship, I still have opportunities to bond with my fellow interns.
In the lab, I’ve primarily been doing immunofluorescence staining, which is when I’m adding different antibodies to tumor slices to look for particular reactions. When we add the antibodies, it has a fluorophore, meaning that it will reflect light and create a color. So if I add this antibody that has fluorophore, if the tumor slice is present for CD31, for example, which is endothelial cells, I can see it through the microscope by the color that I added the antibody.
I’m preparing for my oral presentation and the poster ceremony that we’re going to have. Everything is pretty interesting as I’m closing toward the end. I’m having a good time, and I’m very excited to enjoy my last weeks of this program.
This summer, recent high school graduate Shannoy Fraser is spending two months at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland participating in a competitive internship researching pancreatic cancer tumors.
Special thanks to Hall supporter Jeff Winter and Dr. Jonathan Brody, Ph.D. Professor & Vice Chair, Research, Dept. of Surgery, Associate Director, Translational Research, BCCPC at the STEMPrep-OHSU Internship Program at Oregon Health & Science University for sharing this amazing opportunity and working with Hall to get Shannoy into this exciting program.
Throughout the summer, Shannoy is sharing thoughts about her experiences both in and out of the lab on Hall’s blog and social media channels. Follow along with her journey on our Instagram and website this summer as she takes the next steps toward a future in medicine and research.
I saw how subcutaneous tumors are harvested from mice. Subcutaneous tumors are tumors that form under the skin, and through my mentor, I was able to see how they’re harvested (how they extract them from the mice). I felt a little sad that the mice died, but it’s very important that we have these tumors to study the disease.
This research can help advance treatment for PDAC, which is the deadliest form of pancreatic cancer.
Aside from that, I’ve been doing independent work, and I’ve been doing a form of microscopy called immunofluorescence, where different antigens are added to the tumors. These antigens produce a light so that the tumors glow in the dark, which helps us identify different structures within the tumor.
It’s been going great, the images have been good, and I’m enjoying learning how to do it.
This summer, recent high school graduate Shannoy Fraser is spending two months at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland participating in a competitive internship researching pancreatic cancer tumors.
Special thanks to Hall supporter Jeff Winter and Dr. Jonathan Brody, Ph.D. Professor & Vice Chair, Research, Dept. of Surgery, Associate Director, Translational Research, BCCPC at the STEMPrep-OHSU Internship Program at Oregon Health & Science University for sharing this amazing opportunity and working with Hall to get Shannoy into this exciting program.
Throughout the summer, Shannoy is sharing thoughts about her experiences both in and out of the lab on Hall’s blog and social media channels. Follow along with her journey on our Instagram and website this summer as she takes the next steps toward a future in medicine and research.
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