GuideStar Scan: *GuideStar, (the national database of non-profit organizations filing 990s) was used to identify relevant programs based on the criteria specified by Atlantic Philanthropies. A standard set of search terms were used to allow for consistent searching. The search terms used were: children, youth program(s), and child programs. *GuideStar was also searched under the category of “youth development.” Once the relevant program information was identified, it was included in the description of the program.

After-School Program Scan: If information in Guide Star indicated that the program had been evaluated, then the program web-site was scanned for relevant evaluation information.

Phone interviews with Community Foundations and Experts: Where individual program web-sites did not yield detailed evaluation information, phone interviews with program site managers were conducted. In the case of Nashville, Program Directors at the Center for Youth Issues: STARS, Community IMPACT!, and the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School were interviewed. 

Web-Based Searches: Internet web-based searches of government and city and state level web-sites were also conducted. In the case of Nashville, important supplemental evaluation information was obtained from sites such as Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County as well as the Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth.

Umbrella Organizations: To obtain additional evaluation information, a series of searches of umbrella organizations were conducted. These Internet, web-based searches of national umbrella associations included the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies and its Child and Family Policy Center, the Memorial Foundation, the Frist Foundation, the United Way, the YMCA, the Oasis Center and the Pencil Foundation. These searches yielded important information regarding the presence of after-school programs in Nashville.

Evaluation Research Databases: Evaluation information was also obtained from evaluation research databases. These research databases included but were not limited to the Harvard Research Family Project, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC), Public/Private Ventures, Mathematica Policy Research, and the Promising Practices Network.

Peer-Reviewed Journals: We also used several databases containing evaluation research articles to complete an evaluation literature search. The data bases used include PsycINFO, Sociofile, EBSCO, and Web of Science. This literature search allowed us to identify several well-known journals that contained articles on after-school program evaluation. One of the journals used in this search included Prevention Science. The evaluation report used in this article was identified, sourced, and incorporated into the program evaluation summaries.