About MOST:
Formed in 1995 as part of a nation-wide initiative to strengthen and expand opportunities for school-age children during out-of-school time, MOST (Making the Most of Out-of-School Time) is a program of the Illinois Action for Children.

Who We Are:
MOST committee members, staff and partners are a diverse group of individuals committed to providing young people in Illinois with environments outside of school that are safe and stimulating, with challenging activities and staffed with trained professionals.  While 500 youth and educational organizations actively support MOST across Illinois, anyone interested in school-age children and youth can get involved.

Who We Serve:
Young people ages 5 through 21 years, their families and communities statewide benefit from our efforts, regardless of socioeconomic status.

What We Do:
MOST works through collaboration with providers, communities, businesses, key stakeholders, civic and cultural institutions.  We utilize our experience and expertise to empower communities to create safe, fun places for young people to learn and grow outside of school.

Our Challenge:
In the past decade, the demand for quality out-of-school time programs has skyrocketed.  The U.S. General Accounting Office estimates that the current number of out-of-school time programs will meet as little as 25% of the demand in some urban areas (U.S. General Accounting Office, 1998).  At the same time, training and retention of quality staff has become increasingly difficult.  Although universal standards of quality exist (as defined by the National AfterSchool Association) they are, for a variety of reasons, unevenly applied.

Our Goal:
To implement community based strategies to improve the quality of out-of-school time programs, regardless of the neighborhood or income level of the families they serve.

Our Strategy:
Illinois MOST employs a holistic approach in order to creatively, and comprehensively, address the array of challenges facing out-of-school programs, offering services in the following 3 areas:

Please take advantage of the professional development opportunities provided by Illinois MOST (Making the Most of out of school time), a program of the Illinois Action for Children.  The IAN and MOST continue to partner and collaborate on major professional development opportunities in the state, building capacity in the field of out-of-school time.

Please take a look at their brochure and sign up for available trainings in your area.  The MOST brochure can be downloaded here.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to call at (773) 564-8781.