About

On any given afternoon across Maine, the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. tell two very different stories. In one, children are engaged in projects that teach real-world skills—collaborating, creating, and discovering that what they learn after school can open doors to their future careers. In another, a parent drives home from work with worry in their chest, wondering if their child is safe. The Maine Afterschool Network (MASN) exists to make sure the first story becomes every child’s story. 

The Maine Afterschool Network is the statewide connector, advocate, and voice for Maine’s afterschool and summer learning field. We bring together educators, community organizations, government partners, and families with one shared goal: to make sure every child, regardless of their zip code or family income, has access to safe, enriching, high-quality afterschool experiences. Our work centers on advocacy, partnerships, communications, and professional development—the four pillars that sustain and strengthen Maine’s afterschool ecosystem. MASN helps programs sustain their youth development work, offering training, quality improvement tools, and amplifying their successes to policymakers and funders. MASN is the bridge between isolated out-of-school-time programs and a collective movement. Through our partnership with the 50 State Afterschool Network, we connect the local to the national, the small to the strong, and the passionate to the purposeful—ensuring that even the most rural or under-resourced afterschool programs have access to the same training, research, and inspiration as the best-funded urban Boys and Girls Clubs, allowing them to keep their doors open to youth, which helps families, businesses, and communities thrive.

The latest America After 3PM: Maine Fact Sheet (2025) paints a sobering picture:

• 113,719 Maine children want to be in afterschool programs—but only 22,065 currently are.
• Nearly 4 in 5 children are missing out on opportunities that could change the course of their education and their lives.
• Families say the biggest barriers are cost, transportation, and lack of availability—53% cite cost, and 48% say programs simply don’t exist in their communities.

MASN directly addresses these challenges through five key statewide initiatives:

1. The Maine Out-of-School Time Conference
   By uniting educators, youth workers, and program leaders statewide, the conference builds program capacity and quality. Stronger programs are better able toexpand services, maintain operations, and reach more children, addressing gaps in availability.
2. Regional In-Person Trainings
   These hands-on workshops equip programs with practical tools for youth engagement, program quality, and sustainability. By providing localized support, MASN helps programsovercome geographic barriers and improve access for children in rural and underserved communities.
3. The Peer Learning Community
   By connecting afterschool professionals statewide, MASN fosters collaboration and the sharing of solutions to common challenges. This support helps programsdevelop creative approaches to reduce cost and transportation barriers, ensuring resources are used efficiently to serve more children.
4. Maine Coalition for Community Schools
   MASN steers communications and convenes coalition partners statewide to support schools transitioning into community schools. This coordinationexpands access to afterschool programs by linking children and families to integrated academic, social, and enrichment supports, helping programs operate more effectively and sustainably. Expanding community schools increases access to afterschool programs that support children, families, and communities.
5. Career Connected Learning
   By implementing the STEM Next Career Connected Learning Framework, MASN programs offer hands-on, project-based experiences, mentorship, and exposure to authentic workplaces. This approachmotivates participation, builds practical skills, and strengthens Maine’s workforce, addressing participation gaps and helping children see the tangible value of afterschool programs.

Afterschool programs can transform the lives of youth—but they cannot do it alone. Without a unifying network, programs risk isolation, burnout, and missed opportunities for collaboration. MASN exists to prevent that. We are the infrastructure that sustains the field: providing resources, amplifying voices, and creating a culture of continuous improvement. When funders support MASN, they’re investing not just in one organization, but in the entire ecosystem of afterschool and summer learning across Maine.