Children and youth in grades K-12 spend only 18.5 percent of their waking hours in the formal classroom environment. So where are they spending the rest of their time? As the number of working parents increases, more and more youth are coming home to empty homes after school. It is during these unsupervised hours when juvenile crime and victimization increases drastically, and youth miss opportunities to learn, create and problem solve. Expanded learning opportunities provide fun,enriching, safe environments where students can explore, learn, create and build life skills that will prove invaluable as they grow and develop into competent, caring adults.For the entire article, click here.