Research the after-school program and find out who teaches in it, what is taught, the number of students and their backgrounds. Analyze whether the after-school program's missions are being achieved and whether its target population is being reached. Ask yourself questions about the program and its structure, and gather data through interviews with officials at the organization, people in the community and independent searches of Internet literature and other documents published about the after-school program.
Decide on a thesis statement, which should be carefully drafted and reflect the theme of your research. For example, if you realize that students from disadvantaged backgrounds come to the after-school program that a not-for-profit center holds because they receive free help with their homework, you may draw a conclusion that the agency is reaching an under-served population and is effective in its missions. This could be part of your thesis statement. You can be even more specific by describing the role that this group plays in the community. The thesis should be an argument that can be contended with and countered.
Draft your main points and counter arguments. Depending on the type of thesis paper you are writing you may have to write counter arguments intermittently throughout your paper. Find enough sources from your research to support three to five focus points. You may need more or fewer depending on the requirements. After you have the points and supporting material for these points, go back and find counter arguments.
Write a Conclusion, which is one of the most important steps of the writing process. A well-written conclusion offers the reader a succinct overview of the entire paper and a complete defense of your main points. Begin the concluding paragraph with a reminder about the background or reason for writing your paper. Restate the thesis and add a synopsis of your main arguing points. At the end, use a sentence or two to describe the impact your thesis has on the field in general, which will define the paper and create its place in society while showing its potential for use in the future.