New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced that Project Most in East Hampton is one of sixty eight Advantage After School Programs (AASPs) across New York State that received a recent grant to continue providing school-age children with quality youth development opportunities.

Project MOST is a highly successful and effective community-based after school program, providing unparalleled programs to the youth in East Hampton, New York. Project MOST provides a wonderful, easily accessible opportunity for the youth of the East End, especially children with developmental disabilities and children of very low income immigrant families.

AASPs offer a broad range of educational, recreational, cultural, and age-appropriate activities that integrate what happens in the school day. Programs operate five days per week during the regular school year, and may also operate during school breaks or extend hours into the early evening. AASPs are supported by school, community, and public-private partnerships, and involve youth and their families in planning and implementation. Additionally, the programs integrate lessons learned throughout the school day with less formal learning experiences, and encourage the active participation of children, youth and families in the design and delivery of program activities.

The AASP was created to help provide New York’s children with educational, interesting and fun activities to fill the vital three-hour gap directly after school. A growing body of research shows that children who participate in quality after school programs have higher school attendance and academic achievement, and are less likely to be involved in risky behaviors after school hours. Additionally, studies have found that children who attend quality after school programs have better relationships with their peers, fewer behavioral and emotional problems, better grades and fewer absences from school than their peers who are unsupervised after school.