A tlanta After-School All-Stars began in 1994 as a summer athletic program known as “Inner-City Games.” Capitalizing on the approaching 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, various tournaments took place all over the city.  Organizers used these events to teach kids about fair play, sportsmanship, and the negative consequences of bad behavior, gangs, and drugs.

 

In 1999 the emphasis shifted to a program that had a longer and more sustaining message of "Hope, Learning, and Life," and Atlanta After-School All-Stars was born.  In its formative years, Atlanta After-School All-Stars implemented significant enhancements to existing after-school programs in Atlanta’s elementary schools.

 

By 2002, success was apparent and with the help of principals, teachers, parents, students, and community leaders a decision was made to develop a comprehensive and sustainable after-school program that included all of the positive messages of the 1994 Inner-City Games.  

 

The efforts of Atlanta After-School All-Stars are geared toward middle schools in which 95% or more of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This decision reflects the fact that middle school children in Atlanta were largely underserved by other community programs. Atlanta After-School All-Stars offers first-rate after-school programs to over 3,000 students every school day and even during the summer.