Dubbed Learning Beyond the Bell, according to a news release last week, the program was developed with contributions from after-school directors, teachers and students, featuring "project-based, play-centered activities" focused on six topics: creative arts and expression, STEAM, language and literacy, physical health and wellness, social studies and civic engagement, and soft and durable skills.
"After-school programs play an important role in advancing educational opportunity, yet they have historically lacked dedicated curriculum resources," Learning Beyond Paper CEO Peter Smith said in a public statement. "These programs are not simply child care. They are learning environments that deserve tools designed specifically for their needs."
The news release said anyone can sign on to the platform from any device, and many of its programs allow users to enroll and begin immediately. Its curriculum also offers professional learning opportunities for educators, embedded through the company’s Learning Beyond University, intended to address the varying levels of teaching experience among staff who lead after-school programs.
“We did not convert a paper curriculum into a digital format. We built something new that works within the realities of out-of-school time programs," Smith said in a public statement. "At the same time, we maintained the bilingual support and professional learning educators expect from Learning Beyond Paper."
Learning Beyond Paper's announcement is the latest of many efforts in recent years to expand STEM/STEAM learning after school, including the launch of the San Francisco-based Brains and Motion Education program in 2024 and a pilot project by the nonprofit STEM Next Opportunity Fund to offer AI lessons to educators and students late last year.
