The UT Extension Afterschool grant project is excited to announce the enrollment of its 10,000th student since the program’s inception in 2005. The primary purpose of the UT Extension Afterschool Project is to provide enriching activities for students to enhance both academic and social emotional learning gains. Currently, UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences has ten afterschool programs throughout the state of Tennessee serving over 600 students in grades K-12. The programs are funded by the Tennessee Department of Education and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

Since 2005, Matt Devereaux, professor and human development specialist, and Katie Conrad, Extension specialist and project coordinator, have provided leadership for the program acquiring approximately $16 million in funding over the past 17 years. The work has consistently resulted in significant impact.  About half of students enrolled in the program consistently show an increase of one letter grade over the course of the school year in either math, science, and/or language arts. Similarly, enrolled students show significant gains in skills associated with self-awareness, relationship building, emotional literacy, responsible decision-making, and social awareness. It is strongly believed through their work that for a child to succeed academically, students must first begin to learn the necessary skills around social and emotional learning.  Devereaux and Conrad have been fortunate to develop a relationship with Yale Universities’ Center for Emotional Intelligence. The UT Extension Afterschool Project is the first program in the country where Yale has targeted afterschool audiences. Yale’s program known as RULER (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions) typically targets regular school day students. Yale Universities’ work with UT Extension has resulted in a series of professional development modules for successfully implementing the RULER approach in similar afterschool programs nationwide. It is estimated that the economic impact of the UT Extension Afterschool Project for 2021 was $6.3 million!

Campbell, Shelby, Robertson, Unicoi, Jefferson, and Union Counties currently host programs, as well as four additional programs in Hickman County.