The Bismarck Tribune reported that a newly released national survey from the Afterschool Alliance shows a disconnect between the availability of STEM activities and how often rural students actually participate in them. From 2020 to 2025, parent-reported STEM education in afterschool programs rose from 73 percent to 92 percent.
While most rural parents indicated their children had access to these programs, only 39 percent reported participation at least twice a week. In contrast, 67 percent of urban parents reported that their children participated at that frequency. Anita Krishnamurthi, the nonprofit's senior vice president of STEM, told The Bismarck Tribune that the lower frequency in rural areas is driven by the inability to offer programs multiple times a week due to staffing limits.
The report is based on responses from 30,515 households collected between Jan. 31 and April 21, 2025, with about 14,663 individuals answering follow-up questions about afterschool STEM offerings. Additionally, the survey found that 55 percent of rural parents prioritized STEM learning when choosing an afterschool program, compared to 75 percent of urban parents.