Recommendations on OST programming for older youth are offered to policymakers and include the need to acknowledge that young people must develop skills beyond academic competence and the need to hold OST programs accountable for reasonable outcomes related to academic and social/behavioral growth. Recommendations for practitioners include the need to develop different OST programming for different age groups and the need to offer a variety of high interest activities to improve the retention of older youths. Following a review of the research on OST programs, AYPF makes several observations, including: (1) there is an apparent correlation between frequent OST program attendance and positive outcomes ranging from academic achievement to enjoyment of school and better student behavior; (2) high quality OST programs offer a supportive context for youths to develop important skills; (3) OST programming will retain older youths when they are designed specifically for this age group and offer high interest activities and employ effective recruitment strategies; and (4) the quality of PST programs depends in large part on the quality of the staff and leaders. OST programs offer a broad range of opportunities to develop academic and other skills in a variety of domains while participating in high interest activities. Over the past 2 years, the AYPF has been gathering information about OST programs around the country. A research review on OST programming for youth is presented, followed by an overview of emerging practices and partnerships for creating quality OST programs for older youth. The origins and structures of OST programs are reviewed, as are their purpose, their goals, and their system design issues, such as staffing and funding. Program contacts, project advisors, and publications are listed. References