Structure Isn’t the Enemy of Creativity: A Practical Guide for Growing Creative Afterschool Programs
- Tracey Carter
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 15
Why Creativity Belongs in Afterschool Programs
Creativity can look like chaos, but it doesn’t actually have to be chaos. Creative learning environments have a purpose. In the article “Process Over Product,” Adam Jacobs tells us that “...creativity is not simply the development of final products. Rather, it is the journey of learning, trying, thinking, failing, and succeeding.” It is not a free-for-all or “just” having fun. Meaningful learning takes place when students are creative. It may feel intimidating to do a creative project, especially in an afterschool program. Projects can be messy and loud, and there is a fear that some students just won’t participate. “Teaching Creativity” from Teaching Entrepreneurship says, “Creativity is a skill that can be developed through practice and the right guidance.” The website also says that it can help students:
Move past their fear of judgment
Build confidence in their creative abilities
Learn techniques for generating fresh ideas
Transform abstract concepts into practical solutions
The AfterSchool Alliance lists best practices to benefit creativity in afterschool programs. Some of those include: projects that apply school-day lessons, opportunities to ask questions about science and technology, small experiments, connections to real-world experiences, and project-based learning in STEM. Among the best practices that encourage creativity and questioning are other best practices that encourage structure. They include having clear responsibilities, opportunities to work with a variety of materials, and opportunities for decision-making and leadership. Using these best practices will help establish structure for creativity integration.
Structured Creativity: Building Afterschool Program Structure That Works
Facilitating creative projects doesn’t mean that there is no structure. Good support systems help integrate creativity into learning spaces and make it safe to take creative risks. Those support systems look like managing materials and managing students. It is beneficial to create a plan for the logistics of your activity to help make processes predictable for you and your students. Having structure is important in every learning environment, especially for afterschool programs, because, as the article “The Impact of Afterschool Programs on Academic Success” by the Orange County Academy of Science and Arts states, “giving children a safe, structured, and inspiring space after hours helps them succeed in school and develop a lifelong love of learning.”
This structure can help in managing behavior in an afterschool program. Adam Jacobs also says in his article that “Creativity becomes a form of classroom management, because groups build unique, common language from their creative ideas that can drive everything from routine tasks to conflict resolution.” Students can learn to work with each other and talk through problems. Using creativity to develop projects gives students a common goal to work toward together.
Organizing Supplies for Creative Afterschool Projects
What does doing a creative project in your learning space actually look like? Before any creation begins, you need to set expectations early. Decide how you want materials managed and how you want students to behave. Keeping a space clean may be even more important for an afterschool program because the space you use after school serves a different purpose during the school day. Two educators offer tips that apply to any afterschool project-based learning space. In “Top 7 Tips for Running a Successful Afterschool Craft Club,” some of those suggestions include:
Transport Supplies Efficiently
“Being prepared and well organized with supplies makes everything easier.”
Suggestions include: label everything clearly, have extras, and group items by activity.
Simplify Your Classroom Setup
“With a simple plan, you can make setup quick and easy.”
Keep the Classroom (or whatever space you have) Tidy
“Make it a goal to leave the room in better shape than you found it.”
“Cleanup games are a great way to teach responsibility while leaving the space neat and ready for the next use.”
Afterschool Routines and Procedures to Support Creative Learning
At this point, you have a good idea of how to deal with the potential mess, but what about other routines and procedures? Noise level is often a concern because students can get excited and loud when they are creating. There are several strategies to help educators manage noise levels. In “Classroom Noise Management: Practical Strategies for a Calm Learning Space,” some suggestions include: establishing a noise level system like a noise meter, using visual cues for transitions, or introducing a call-and-response routine. A schedule is important to establish routines and procedures. In “How to Create an Effective Afterschool Program Schedule,” some tips to accomplish this are flexibility, student choice, regular transitions, and adjustment. Choice gives students ownership of their systems and of their learning. It also helps offer a variety of topics to meet their interests.
Building Student Ownership in Afterschool Programs
Giving students ownership of their routines and procedures can look like allowing students to name noise levels on a noise meter, helping create cleanup routines, and taking on jobs to help the routine process. Offering choices on what topics students can explore and how they demonstrate their learning will give students ownership of their learning. In "Four Essential Ways to Help Students Take Ownership of Learning," several reasons for the importance of building student ownership are given. They include: students caring more about their learning, collaborating with more focus, and becoming more independent thinkers.
Creative Culture in Afterschool Programs
There are several ways to create this type of culture in an afterschool program. As a program, you can examine how you schedule activities and the types of student activities you offer. Before a lesson, try one thing you can do to prepare. That can include materials set-up and creating expectations. During a lesson, create a noise management system to help keep the energy focused. After the lesson, reflect on how students owned their learning and in what ways you can encourage them to do so.
Creativity can be cultivated in a variety of ways and in a variety of subjects. Don’t limit the use of creativity to the arts; also incorporate creativity into STEM activities. A great resource for afterschool educators is Mizzen. This site offers afterschool specific lessons on a variety of subjects for any age group. Start your search there to help find what kind of creativity you want to bring to your next session. Share this with your afterschool team.
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