Dr. Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent in ResidenceFor 15 years, the organization has devoted itself exclusively to providing high-quality out-of-school time (OST) experiences, building a reputation for excellence that spans 23 states. By combining academic support, creative play, and healthy socialization, Right At School offers children not only a safe place to spend their day but also a space in which they can grow, explore, and thrive.
Dr. Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent in Residence, uses his extensive background in public education to help guide the organization's approach to school district partnerships and meeting the needs of families.
“I know full well how difficult it is to do everything, and what I’m really proud of at Right At School is how we partner with superintendents and district leaders to take something off their plate,” Starr explains. His insight informs a model that balances operational efficiency with personalized care, ensuring that students, parents, and school districts alike benefit from a seamless, high-quality experience.
Redefining After-School Learning
Right At School’s out-of-school time model rests on three interconnected pillars: school district partnerships, parent engagement, and student enrichment. The organization does not charge districts for services but instead integrates directly into school facilities, relieving administrators of logistical and operational burdens.
By managing staffing, curriculum delivery, and enrollment procedures, Right At School allows school leaders to focus on the core mission of education while extending the learning day. For parents, the programs provide an essential solution to the modern work-life challenge. Most families juggle schedules that do not align with traditional school hours, and after-school programs that combine safety with intellectual and social stimulation are in high demand. Meanwhile, students benefit from engaging, play-based learning experiences that foster both durable skills and joyful exploration.
The spectrum of offerings at Right At School is as diverse as it is flexible. Programs include before- and after-school care, summer-long day camps, holiday break camps, enrichment clubs, early-release day supervision, and even preschool enrichment. Students begin each session with a structured check-in, known internally as “town hall,” followed by homework support where needed.
Beyond academics, children participate in a rotating set of activities, including STEAM-based projects, language learning, arts and crafts, and team-based games. Recent curriculum initiatives have introduced French, sign language, and other language experiences to broaden students’ exposure to global communication skills. Each activity is designed to reinforce literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and collaboration, ensuring that play is never purely recreational but always meaningful and educational.
Scaling Reliability and Engagement
Key to the organization’s success is a national scale that allows it to support, rather than distance, its local programs. Right At School applies research-based standards across all sites, underpinned by annual curricula such as the 19-unit Play-Based Learning program and more than 180 STEAM activities. A shared operational framework allows site teams to focus more on their school communities, build relationships with families, and shape programs to reflect each district’s unique needs.
Staff receive extensive training, and the organization conducts ongoing assessments to maintain high levels of safety, engagement, and skill development. By adhering to the National AfterSchool Association Core Competencies, Right At School ensures that every program across its 1,000-plus sites delivers consistent quality. This organization-wide model also allows for robust oversight without sacrificing responsiveness to local school communities, ensuring that programs remain aligned with district missions and cultural priorities.
For Starr, the importance of reliable operations cannot be overstated. Out-of-school programs thrive when they integrate smoothly with the school day, complementing classroom learning while respecting the unique rhythms of each school community. His prior experience as a superintendent has informed a philosophy that prioritizes trust and predictability.
“When I was a superintendent, the most important thing I looked for in any partner was reliability and being locally inspired. Schools need organizations that understand how complex systems work and can deliver consistent quality every single day,” he says. This perspective drives staffing strategies, with local hires from the school community bolstered by a national talent acquisition team. By overstaffing when necessary and maintaining flexible coverage, Right At School ensures there are no waitlists, maximizing accessibility for families and minimizing operational stress for districts. This approach removes operational strain from local teams, allowing them to stay focused on their communities.
Elevating After-School Programs
Safety and joy remain non-negotiable pillars of every program. Right At School employs comprehensive Safety & Joy Assessments to monitor environments, ensuring that every child feels secure while fully engaging in activities. Program evaluations incorporate family feedback, attendance tracking, and site walkthroughs, which together inform iterative curriculum improvements.
The organization’s focus on reducing screen time and promoting face-to-face interaction addresses contemporary challenges in child development, helping students cultivate both social competence and self-regulation. By fostering collaboration, creative problem-solving, and leadership skills, the programs complement classroom instruction while giving children the autonomy to explore their interests.
The impact of Right At School’s programs extends beyond traditional educational metrics. Studies have shown that children spend nearly as much time outside of school as they do inside, underscoring the critical role of OST programs in holistic development. By offering structured yet flexible activities, Right At School nurtures not only academic skills but also emotional intelligence and resilience.
Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) allow the organization to accommodate students with diverse learning needs, language challenges, and social-emotional requirements. This inclusive approach ensures equitable access and promotes confidence, peer connection, and a sense of belonging among participants.
Enrollment and engagement processes are designed with simplicity in mind. Families navigate a straightforward registration system, fully integrated with district enrollment procedures. Right At School’s central operations team manages communications, staffing, and payment logistics—including childcare subsidies and discounts—to maintain affordability and accessibility. This national approach also supports highly flexible scheduling options and pricing structured to remain affordable and accessible for families across a wide range of school communities.
Parent satisfaction metrics speak volumes: 96 percent of families report that safety meets or exceeds expectations, and 95 percent affirm that their child experiences joy while participating in programs. Additionally, 95 percent of families say that educators and staff meet or exceed expectations, reflecting the organization’s commitment to professional development and accountability.
Locally-Inspired Impact
Illustrative examples from partner districts highlight the organization's impact. In Arcadia, California, Arcadia Unified School District collaborated with Right At School to expand after-school programming for all students. Programs were carefully aligned with district mission and values, integrating summer sessions, language instruction, and STEM projects.
In Evanston, Illinois, a school social worker turned lead educator at a Right At School site demonstrated how play-based learning could meet social and developmental needs while fostering engagement. Observing the children, Starr noted that they were “deeply engaged” in hands-on activities, in contrast to passive experiences common in other programs. These examples underscore the importance of a locally responsive yet nationally consistent approach to OST programming.
The organization remains focused on serving more students without compromising quality. Over the past 15 years, the company has grown to serve school districts in 23 states due to word of mouth from superintendents and school district partners, gaining recognition as the gold standard for OST programs in the United States.
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I know full well how difficult it is to do everything, and what I’m really proud of at Right At School is how we partner with superintendents and district leaders to take something off their plate.”
School districts increasingly seek partnerships that relieve operational burdens, maintain staffing quality, and provide meaningful enrichment. The organization's national system of supports uniquely enables Right At School to deliver consistent quality across diverse communities, ensuring that every resource dedicated to safety and engagement translates into better experiences for children and families.
Shaping Lifelong Learners
Right At School’s curriculum is continuously evolving to meet contemporary needs. Recognizing the rise of screen time and the growing demand for hands-on learning, programs emphasize movement, exploration, and collaborative problem-solving. Activities are rotated regularly to maintain engagement, with a strong emphasis on STEM, arts, literacy, and language learning.
Feedback loops from students, parents, and educators inform curriculum refinement, ensuring relevance and developmental appropriateness. Adaptations such as visual aids, fidgets, and language supports allow children of varying abilities to participate fully, while a dedicated student support team provides guidance and problem-solving expertise when needed.
Today, Right At School envisions a future in which out-ofschool programs play a central role in defining student success. Districts increasingly embrace frameworks such as Portrait of a Graduate, which emphasize lifelong learning, adaptability, and the development of durable skills.
Right At School aligns its programming with these priorities, offering children opportunities to explore, experiment, and build confidence in ways that complement formal classroom learning. By expanding access and strengthening partnerships, the organization aims to serve more families while reinforcing its commitment to safety, engagement, and joy.
Bridging Education and Holistic Child Development
Dr. Starr views Right At School as a bridge between traditional schooling and holistic child development, leveraging expertise in public education to scale programs without sacrificing quality.
“We not only remove a headache and do something that they are otherwise unequipped to do, but we do it better and more affordably for families than anyone else can. We work really hard to make sure that our district partners feel like we’re part of their overall strategy to ensure that all children are ready to graduate and engaged in high-quality environments,” Starr affirms.
This approach emphasizes reliability, consistency, and measurable outcomes, distinguishing Right At School in a crowded field of after-school providers.
Ultimately, the organization’s success lies in its integrated approach to child development, operational excellence, and partnership with communities. By focusing exclusively on out-of-school time, Right At School has honed its expertise, creating a locally inspired model that other organizations struggle to replicate.
From preschoolers to middle school students, children benefit from enriched experiences that balance academic reinforcement, social growth, and physical activity. Parents gain peace of mind, knowing that their children are safe and engaged, while districts enjoy the advantages of a high-quality, turnkey program.
The organization's ongoing innovation and commitment to its mission and values underscore its dedication to shaping the future of out-of-school learning in the United States, providing a template for programs that are safe, effective, and joy-filled.
