FIU After-School All-Stars leader named national Afterschool Ambassador

Sean Prospect '02, MS '03 has been selected as a 2026 Afterschool Ambassador by the Afterschool Alliance.

Prospect is the executive director of FIU After-School All-Stars Program and South Florida After-School All-Stars. He is one of 16 people selected to serve as an ambassador. In the role, Prospect will engage with policymakers, community leaders and education advocates to organize events and build support for afterschool and summer learning programs that millions of students and families rely on each year. Afterschool ambassadors serve one-year terms while continuing their work in local communities.

“I am pleased and excited to have the opportunity to work with the Afterschool Alliance to increase awareness and support for afterschool and summer learning programs this year, a cause near and dear to my heart,” Prospect said. “Through my personal experience, I have seen how afterschool programs play an integral part in supporting families by coming alongside them and their students and addressing challenges together.”

Prospect brings decades of experience working alongside families, educators and community partners to expand access to high-quality afterschool opportunities for middle and high school students across South Florida. The South Florida chapter of After-School All-Stars was founded in 1996 and today serves 5,496 students across 50 South Florida school sites. The program, in partnership with Florida International University, focuses on five core areas:

• Health and wellness, helping students build healthy habits through athletics, nutrition, gardening, cooking, dance and mindfulness practices.
• STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), offering project-based learning in coding, robotics, virtual reality, forensics and 3D printing to strengthen collaboration, problem-solving and creativity.
• Visual and performing arts, including dance, photography, music, stage production, fashion and design to foster confidence, self-expression and leadership.
• Work force development, providing college readiness courses, mentorship, internships and financial literacy opportunities that expose students to career pathways and higher education options.
• Academic readiness, with homework help, tutoring, dual enrollment, test preparation and critical thinking skills to prepare students for success in school and beyond.

“Sean will help spread the word that too many children and youth are without the afterschool programs that help them succeed in school and in life,” said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance. “This is a pivotal year when we must continue building support for these essential programs, which keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give parents peace of mind that their children are safe and supervised after the school day ends.”

A 2025 household survey found the parents of 29.6 million children want afterschool programs for their children – but less than 7 million kids are currently enrolled. Cost and accessibility are the barriers often cited by families not currently enrolled. Research shows afterschool programs help participants with grades, school attendance, behavior and more. Researchers have also found that students in afterschool programs are more engaged in school, more excited about learning, and develop critical work and life skills such as problem solving, teamwork and communication.