Since our founding in 2000, Prime Time Palm Beach County has been dedicated to helping children and youth succeed by strengthening and expanding quality in afterschool and summer programs. Over the past 25 years, we have worked alongside passionate professionals, community partners, and supporters to create brighter futures for youth and families.
- Supported hundreds of afterschool and summer programs countywide.
- Awarded 9,736 scholarships for training and continuing education certificates and credits since 2005.
- Provided 34,630 training opportunities for individual out-of-school time professionals since 2003.
- Provided 3,390,000 individual skill-building experiences to children and youth during afterschool session between 2003-2024.
- Improved access to programs that promote academic success, well-being and life skills, STEAM and so much more.
Recognizing a Critical Window
In the mid-1990s, community leaders in Palm Beach County recognized a pivotal challenge: the hours after school and before parents and guardians returned home represented a “prime time” for either positive growth or risky behavior among children and youth. This realization sparked a countywide effort to turn that window into an opportunity for learning, connection and enrichment.
From Collaboration to Creation
In 1996, local partners began meeting to improve coordination and quality across afterschool and summer programs. Out of this collaboration came a shared vision: Ensure every young person in Palm Beach County had access to safe, high-quality out-of-school time (OST) experiences.
By 2000, this vision took root as a new nonprofit organization: Prime Time Palm Beach County, Inc. Its mission was simple yet powerful: Help children and youth succeed by strengthening and expanding quality in the OST field.
Building Quality, Empowering Providers, Earning Trust
Early on Prime Time focused on developing quality standards, providing professional development for OST practitioners, and creating systems to assess and improve program quality. These efforts established Prime Time as a trusted leader and partner in our community, schools and programs.
Growing and Adapting Together
As community needs evolved, so did Prime Time. The organization expanded its programs and partnerships, offering more opportunities for youth and training for professionals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Time quickly transitioned to virtual supports and online enrichment, ensuring that children and families continued to benefit from meaningful out-of-school experiences.
Today, Prime Time continues to serve as pillar of support for Palm Beach County, connecting programs, supporting providers, and ensuring that every hour after school counts. Through ongoing collaboration and innovation, Prime Time remains dedicated to empowering the adults who serve youth and inspiring the next generation to reach their full potential.
25 Years of Milestones
Here's a glimpse at what we've accomplished together:
- 2000 - Prime Time Palm Beach County was officially incorporated. The agency created bylaws and formed its first board of directors.
- 2007 - Launch of the Palm Beach County Quality Improvement System (QIS).
- 2010 - Through a partnership with Palm Beach State College a fully articulated formal educational pathway was created in Florida.
- 2012 - Hosts first-ever Afterschool Symposium.
- 2016 - With generous funding from the Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, the Middle School Out-of-School Time Initiative is created to increase the number of middle school programs supported by Prime Time.
- 2019 - In partnership with the Children's Services Council of Martin County, Prime Time Launches the Martin County Quality Improvement Initiative to share what we have learned in supporting high quality out-of-school time programs with its funded programs.
- 2020 - Prime Time begins offering out-of-school time practitioners in Palm Beach County IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through its professional development training offerings.
- 2023 - Cohosted national conference with Every Hour Counts
- 2025: Celebrates 25th Anniversary!
CELEBRATE
Stay connected as we honor our past, celebrate the present and build the next 25 years together. Visit www.primetimepbc.org/25-years to
follow the journey.
Quick Links
Training Calendar / Expanded Learning Opportunities / Financial Incentives/ Scholarships / Stipends / FAQs/ Site-based Training Request
