Quality after-school programs like CKL's benefit students CKL helps students build a love of learning. Research indicates that project learning, like the kind students engage in at CKL, encourages creativity and gives students a sense of accomplishment, pride, and self-worth (Tech Directions, v62 n8 p31-34 Mar 2003). Project learning also allows students to see the practical applications of learning in their lives and helps students to develop a community ethos as they work together to apply learned concepts (Katz and Chard, Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach, 1989).

CKL prepares students with 21st century skills. Recent research concludes that in order to succeed in today's economy students will need more than basic competence in traditional academic disciplines like reading and math. To succeed, students must acquire 21st Century skills. Specifically, they must build critical thinking capability, develop a global awareness, demonstrate good people skills, and be smarter consumers of information (Tough Choices or Tough Times, New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, 2006). Students develop 21st Century skills at CKL programs by pursuing projects that require research, teamwork and creative, cross-disciplinary thinking.

CKL complements the school day. Project work focuses on applying, not imparting, specific knowledge or skills, and on improving student involvement and motivation in order to foster independent thinking, self-confidence, and social responsibility. As such, CKL programs are a good complement to the formal education that students receive during the school day. Providing students with opportunities to develop higher-level critical thinking skills is ever more important as schools increasingly rely on standards-based education and standardized testing to ensure that all students attain basic competency in reading and math.

Research proves that out-of-school programs improve academic achievement (UC Irvin after-school study, May 2001); keep children safe (National Center for Juvenile Justice, 1999); and decrease the number of incidents of vandalism, stealing, violent acts and arrests (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California, August 2001).