In its latest installment of its America After 3pm study, for the first time ever the Afterschool Alliance research has a specific focus on rural America and the state of after school in rural communities. Their recent special report, The Growing Importance of After School in Rural Communities outlines the features of rural after school programs, reasons and barriers for participation, as well as promising strategies for implementing rural after school programming. Additionally, the Alliance has created data dashboard to discover who is participating in rural programs, how parents perceive the strengths and challenges of these programs, and what rural programs need to succeed.