For SAFE program manager Dorinda Waldrop, Afterschool is about more than what happens with students each afternoon. It is about strengthening families, supporting working parents, and creating a place where kids can learn, move, create, and try again.

Don't miss the September 11 ACT TESTING DATES deadline! Learn how ACT TESTING DATES can impact seniors' college admissions and scholarships.

What can happen in the hours after the school bell? For Paul Morin, the answer reaches far beyond homework help. Afterschool can be where students discover careers, build confidence, solve real problems, and find adults who believe in them.

Kenyatta Congress has experienced CAMP from nearly every angle: Birmingham Summer Institute, Alabama Virtual Institute, ACT Prep, and now program management. Across every program, she found the same thing: students are supported, valued, and encouraged to see what is possible.

At Alabama Virtual Institute, checking in with a student's heart comes before any lesson. Director TraVonna Heard explains how AVI blends STEM and social-emotional learning, building the kind of trust that lets students open up, take on hard material like DNA structure, and use the Engineering Design Process to feel safe making mistakes along the way. See how this Afterschool program is teaching the whole child and proving a screen is no barrier to real connection.

Margaret Morton on Afterschool, EARTH, and why workforce development is really about building human capacity. Ask someone what workforce development means, and the conversation almost always goes the same direction: job training, career pathways, credentials, whether a graduating class is ready for the workplace. Margaret Morton hears that conversation often. She just doesn't think it starts early enough. "Workforce development is building human capacity," she said. "So when

Afterschool tends to be measured in two ways: by the hours it covers and by how much homework gets done. Both matter to families for real reasons. Neither one tells you much about the quality of the learning happening inside those hours.

Excerpt For Alabama Virtual Institute, joy is more than a way to keep students engaged. Drake Roberts shares how meaningful relationships, hands-on learning, and fun connect students and teachers across communities throughout Alabama.

Some students have been coming to Birmingham Summer Institute for five or six summers in a row. Here's what keeps them coming back — and what it means for how they learn, grow, and see themselves.

The ACT is changing nationally, but Alabama's own school-day test hasn't caught up yet. Here's what students, families, and educators need to know about testing dates, benchmarks, college admissions policies, and readiness requirements for 2026–2027.

In a world where AI can deliver answers in seconds, students still need time to wrestle with ideas, make mistakes, and experience the moment when learning finally clicks. This blog looks at how educators can embrace AI while still protecting the productive struggle that makes learning meaningful.

Implementing creativity in lessons doesn’t have to look like chaos. Creativity and structure can work together to help enhance activities in any after-school program. There are easy ways to build that after-school program structure, which range from organizing supplies to creating a calm, purposeful space where students can take creative risks.

Alabama Virtual Institute began in summer 2020 when College Admissions Made Possible transformed its in-person camp into a virtual program. Strong family demand led to a virtual afterschool program supporting reading, math, and peer connection. By September, the model had expanded beyond Birmingham, eventually growing into a statewide resource for students, educators, and volunteers.

It’s time to slow down and embrace reflective practice! Many teachers and students rush through a lesson without ever looking back. Reflection allows both students and teachers to pause, consider what just happened, and apply what was learned, making the experience more meaningful and intentional. Student reflection may mean using an exit ticket to show how what they just learned applies to their lives. Teacher reflection is looking back to determine what worked well, what di

At CAMP, we see the power of strong instruction, thoughtful support, and intentional partnerships every day. We also know that some of the best ideas in education are already happening across classrooms, programs, homes, campuses, and communities. They deserve to be shared. That is why we are launching the CAMP Resource Blog.