Resource Database

As schools offer remote instruction or a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction, educators must find new ways to engage students and their families. This article from the Global Family Research Project shares lessons learned from online learning and outlines strategies that educators can use to engage families.

Keeping It Real in Family Partnership is a video storytelling project that aims to inspire conversations about how out-of-school time (OST) practitioners and families from diverse cultural backgrounds partner to support children. The stories highlight promising practices and explore the experiences of families and OST professionals. Each video story is supported by a series of guiding questions that families and OST professionals can reflect on as they develop stronger partnerships. The series also has a facilitators’ guide with resources to use with OST staff.

When students creatively engage with historical materials, they can find the study of history more meaningful. This article from Edutopia provides examples of inquiry-based learning history projects such as podcasts and photography. The article shares strategies and lessons learned from the activities.

School closures have exposed deep inequities in education. An article on KQED’s Mind/Shift shares principles of culturally responsive instruction that educators can use during remote instruction. Strategies include deepening background knowledge, cultivating cognitive routines, and building word wealth.

In response to events that have highlighted ongoing systemic racism and violence against the Black community, CASEL has offered a webinar series to prioritize equity and explicitly discuss racial injustice and equity through the lens of SEL. Topics include cultivating and communicating commitment, adult SEL to support antiracist practices, elevating student voice and vision, authentic partnerships with families and communities, and policy and data practices that dismantle inequities.

Since transitioning to remote learning, schools have drastically changed how staff, students, families, and communities engage with one another. From Response to Reopening: State Efforts to Elevate Social and Emotional Learning During the Pandemic, a new brief from CASEL, provides recommendations for states to continue their support of social and emotional learning (SEL) as schools prepare for the fall.

The Rural Community Resource Hub provides resources for the unique needs of rural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information is organized into resources for families and students, including issues around limited access to technology; schools, educators, and districts; community spotlights; and health information and resources. The hub was created by rural subject matter experts from Bates College and the Harvard Education Redesign Lab with input from rural school administrators.

Over the last few years, e-cigarette use—commonly known as vaping—among youth has skyrocketed. Afterschool and summer learning programs have long been identified as valuable spaces to build protective factors and decrease risk factors among youth. This blog post from the Afterschool Alliance outlines ways that afterschool programs can develop protective factors that discourage youth from vaping and engaging in other unhealthy habits.

Positive youth development (PYD) emphasizes building on youths’ strengths and providing supports and opportunities to help them achieve goals and transition to adulthood healthily. This brief from Child Trends explores how PYD programs can embed a racial equity perspective so that they can more effectively engage, support, and meet the needs of youth of color.