Reimagining After School Clubs
Toronto Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Toronto Public Library’s donor-supported After School Club series is a scalable, system-wide programming model that integrates responses to learning needs, food insecurity, and accessibility barriers and leverages partnership opportunities and staff collaboration to improve outcomes for children ages 6 to 12. Scheduled throughout the school year, After School Clubs provide consistently safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environments for children of all abilities to enhance skills outside the classroom, build relationships, and discover new topics of interest. Each week, children have access to varied, nutritionally-balanced shelf-stable and fresh food options, expert-led virtual and in-person workshops, and sensory tools that support self-regulation. Recent strategic improvements have led to an increase in program reach, from 39 branch locations in 2023 to 44 in 2025, and overall impact, with over 16,000 snack packages distributed to children just in the last school year.
Challenge/Opportunity
This innovation addresses interconnected challenges affecting children’s overall wellbeing:
Rising food insecurity impacting focus, participation and learning, addressed through the distribution of nutritious snacks.
Increased social isolation and fewer opportunities for structured after-school learning, addressed through a focus on helping kids foster meaningful relationships, enhancing likelihood of life-long library use and the perceived social impact of public libraries.
Unequal access to enriching learning opportunities, addressed through free staff and expert-led activities supporting skills development and improving future career prospects.
Barriers to participation for neurodiverse children, addressed through virtual participation options and availability of sensory toolkits.
Operational difficulties delivering consistent high-quality programming across a large urban library system while maintaining staff capacity, addressed through varied staff supports.
Key Elements of Innovation
Unlike traditional after-school programs, the ASC model combines centralized planning, donor-supported food access, inclusive, community-centered design and shared staff expertise across 44 branches.
Staff and expert-led hands-on programs are delivered through a standardized structure while reflecting local community interests. North York Harvest Food Bank provides snacks funded through the TPL Foundation.
2025/26 enhancements include:
Inclusive snacks that are halal, kosher and free of Health Canada priority allergens.
Fresh food options at 16 clubs.
Sensory toolkits at all ASCs, developed in partnership with the Geneva Centre for Autism.
New expert-led filmmaking and writing series, and staff-led civic engagement series across the city.
The model enables TPL to test, refine and scale new approaches, offering other libraries a practical framework for equitable after-school learning.
Achieved Outcomes
2025/26 outcomes measured through attendance, partnership and website data, and feedback surveys:
Satisfaction: 96% of child and 97% of parent respondents satisfied; activities and snacks were favourites.
Inclusive food access: 16190 halal, kosher and priority-allergen-free snack packages for kids ages 6-12.
Reach: 1487 programs over 38 weeks in 44 clubs (14 in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas) with 24526 attendees; 9 virtual programs drew 252 live attendees and 1144 replays.
New partnerships: Geneva Centre for Autism, Playful Library Network and LEGO Group’s Social Responsibility team; 54 expert-led workshops
Accessibility: 44 curated sensory toolkits with 50+ tools each
Staff support: new training, supplies funding, knowledge sharing, and reporting tools; 94% of staff respondents satisfied
Awareness: 3066 ASC webpage views since January launch
In 2026/27, ASCs will expand to 52 locations (up 33% since 2023) including 18 in NIAs with 19000+ snack packages planned.
