AI for Afterschool Staff: The Time to Act Is NOW!
What's Your Why?

Empowering Afterschool Programs with AI: Reflection

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Every coordinator knows the feeling like there’s never enough time. Between scheduling, attendance tracking, lesson planning, and communication, the administrative workload keeps growing, leaving little room for what truly matters: creating enriching experiences for students. The demands of grant-funded afterschool programs are increasing, but resources remain the same, causing exhaustion and burnout.

 

John Kotter (2011) reminds us that lasting change happens when we speak to both the heart and the mind. His change model emphasizes the need to establish a sense of urgency, build a guiding coalition, and create a vision for change. These steps are critical to successfully integrating AI in afterschool programs.

 

Too often, new initiatives feel like just another responsibility on our overflowing to do lists. We attend too many professional developments where the information goes in one ear and out the other while professionals are still left with a never ending load of work to complete. So what if there was a way to lighten the load, reduce stress, and make our programs more efficient without sacrificing quality? AI offers that opportunity, but only if we embrace it with the right training and support.

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We believe afterschool program coordinators should have access to AI tools that reduce stress and improve efficiency, allowing them to focus on enriching student experiences.

 

When we shift the conversation to why AI integration matters, it’s no longer about adding another tool. Instead, it’s about reclaiming our time and reducing the stress that weighs on our teams. If we continue as we are, burnout will rise, staff turnover will increase, and students will ultimately lose out on the high-quality programs they deserve.

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We provide structured AI training and integration support to help coordinators confidently adopt AI tools for streamlining administrative tasks while preventing digital burnout.

 

By building digital competencies in a structured and sustainable way, we ensure that AI doesn’t feel overwhelming or like it's just another thing we're learning, and will soon forget. Instead, it becomes an essential resource that works for us, freeing us to focus on mentoring staff, developing engaging programming, and fostering meaningful connections with students. We challenge both the heart and the mind to see, embrace, and enact change.

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We empower afterschool coordinators to efficiently manage their programs using AI, creating organized and engaging learning environments for students.

 

The result: Coordinators who feel supported, programs that run smoothly, and students who thrive in well-structured, enriching environments. This isn’t about technology replacing human connection. It’s about using technology so we can have more of it. We can no longer afford to wait. Kotter (2013) warns that in most cases of failed change, organizations don’t start with urgency, and as a result, initiatives stall or get abandoned. If we delay, we risk AI becoming just another passing trend in education rather than a transformative tool that actually improves our programs. AI is already transforming industries, and if afterschool program staff fail to embrace its benefits, we risk falling behind. Ready or not, the time is now!

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References:

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Kotter, J. [Dr. John Kotter]. (2011, March 23). John Kotter - The Heart of Change [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKti9MyAAw

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Kotter, J. [Dr. John Kotter]. (2013, 15 August). Leading Change: Establish a Sense of Urgency [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yfrj2Y9IlI