Resource Database

Illinois Classrooms in Action has compiled a list of resources to help educators promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through literacy. Resources include professional learning materials, classroom support tools, and text collections.

The federal Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs’ youth.gov site has created a three-part guide series that covers a family’s unique journey through the stages of a loved one’s involvement in the criminal justice system. The guides are divided into three stages: (1) arrest, jail time/detention, trial/hearing, and sentencing; (2) incarceration; and (3) reentry. Each guide describes what happens in that phase and has strategies for communicating with and supporting students who have family members involved in the criminal justice system.

To promote equity and inclusion in expanded learning time, it is vital to ensure afterschool professionals are not intentionally or unintentionally perpetuating stereotypes and inequities that hold young people back from being successful. “Do the Work: What Every Afterschool Professional Can Do to Promote Equity” discusses the importance of equity in expanded learning and provides strategies for implementation.

For youth living in low-income communities, summertime can mean a lack of access to quality programs, food insecurity, and exposure to unsafe and dangerous conditions. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine outlines the challenges and opportunities the summer months present for healthy development and well-being among children and youth. It also provides recommendations to address obstacles that children from disadvantaged communities can face during the summer.

To succeed in the workforce and life, it is crucial that all students, including those with disabilities, learn 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, self-advocacy, communication, collaboration, and dispositions like self-determination and growth mindsets. National Center for Learning Disabilities has published a report on the 21st century skills gap that exists between adults with learning disabilities and those without. The report also outlines strategies and actions that stakeholders can take to support students with disabilities in developing 21st century skills.

“Collective impact” refers to broad, multi-sector collaborations that can involve government, schools, businesses, universities, foundations, and nonprofits. A new study by Teachers College, Columbia University, commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, examines cross-sector collaborations designed to improve education. The study of cross-sector initiatives in eight cities concludes that they “show promise” and can establish the stability needed for partnerships to move forward. This study can help inform afterschool partnerships with schools and community organizations as they seek to strengthen the reach of their programs.

Afterschool Nutrition Programs have an important role in closing the afterschool hunger gap that exists for many children across the country. A new report from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) has found that student participation in Afterschool Nutrition Programs is growing. The report explains the programs’ importance and outlines ways that afterschool programs can reach more students in need. FRAC also has a blog post about the report, which summarizes findings and outlines next steps to expand program offerings.

A new report, From Risk to Opportunity: Afterschool Programs Keep Kids Safe, reinforces the vital role that afterschool programs play in turning the hours after school and before parents return home from work into a time of learning and growth for our young people. Produced by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, the report finds that the peak in juvenile crime on school days occurs between 2 and 6 p.m. The report includes state-level data and provides compelling examples of afterschool programs making a positive difference in young people’s lives. Consider sharing the report’s findings with your stakeholders to show the importance of afterschool.

Out-of-school time is an opportunity for students to connect with job skills and expand career readiness in authentic and engaging settings. This brief from the College & Career Readiness & Success Center at AIR looks at ways expanded learning professionals can leverage afterschool time to prepare students at every stage of career development, from career awareness in kindergarten through sixth grade to career training in eleventh and twelfth grades. The brief offers recommendations for state leaders who are interested in using afterschool programming for career readiness.

Educators are taking steps to include family members as essential partners in designing efforts to build relationships between families and strengthen their ability to support their children’s learning and healthy development. Family Engagement Playbook, a new resource from the Global Family Research Project, provides a collection of promising research-based approaches to strengthen individual competencies and organizational support for family engagement.