Outside-of-school programs are often cited by successful adults as having been critical to their success and motivation to achieve. Tune into this WOW to learn about the role that outside-of-school programs can play for high-ability learners and what the research says about their efficacy and importance. The characteristics, advantages, disadvantages of various outside-of-school programs such as summer programs, service learning, distance education, and more will be presented, along with criteria to judge their quality and the type of student for whom they are most appropriate. Resources for each type of program will be presented. We will also discuss outside-of-school programs specifically designed for at-risk gifted students.