Resource Database

Have you considered partnering with other youth-serving systems in your community to better serve the youth population in your afterschool program? This blog post by the American Youth Policy Forum highlights possible partnerships, the benefits to building a community of support, and examples of partnerships that have already been forged. These partnerships help support youth-whether through STEM-related activities, simply getting youth outdoors, or creating opportunities for youth employment-by building on the strengths of each organization.

Safety is a number one priority in afterschool programs. When thinking about safety, providers must think about how safe an environment is when the children are actively engaged and moving toys and equipment from one part of the room to another. This article by the National AfterSchool Association guides afterschool practitioners through critical safety issues and provides a link to the Council on Accreditation that has specific guidelines for creating a safe environment for the students you serve.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides a tremendous opportunity for the State Afterschool Networks and other statewide afterschool organizations to elevate the importance of afterschool and summer learning programs with key audiences and secure additional out-of-school time resources. This online toolkit and playbook from the Afterschool Alliance is designed to help networks and their allies understand which parts of the new law have the most potential to support afterschool and summer learning programs. It provides guidance and tools to help networks engage with state and local audiences, including information about who to engage, which messages to use, and how to participate in critical discussions.

This article in Children & Schools, the journal of the National Association of Social Workers, examines which aspects of afterschool program quality contribute most to positive outcomes. Studying 21^st CCLC programs in one Midwestern state, the authors found that family engagement strategies most strongly correlated to program outcomes. These research findings may prove a valuable source of evidence for programs seeking support to develop and implement quality measures and family engagement initiatives.

The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with Dollar General Literacy Foundation, presents this issue brief examining the vital role afterschool programs play in building students’ literacy skills, with an emphasis on the need for year-round support. The brief provides detailed descriptions of award-winning and exemplary afterschool and summer learning programs offering fun and engaging ways to get students excited about literacy. This resource offers inspiring examples for literacy programming and projects, as well as research-grounded information to use in garnering program support.

The National AfterSchool Association’s most recent staff development resource features an article by Anna Padget Crocker of the Franklin Institute Science Museum. The eight tips are designed to help staff view STEM as an essential component of afterschool programs without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed. The resource includes a discussion guide and application activities for staff development.

Want to help afterschool STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) blast off in your community? This two-part webinar series is grounded in the FrameWorks Institute’s recently completed study of effective messaging about afterschool and STEM. Learn how research-based communications strategies boost public support for afterschool STEM programs and how to avoid common communications traps that can weaken messages’ effectiveness. View the recordings for part 1 and part 2 of the webinar and find tools and resources on the Afterschool Alliance website.

This report by Policy Studies Associates (PSA) highlights some ways that schools and community organizations might come together to provide children with critical enrichment activities that enhance knowledge and expand horizons beyond the school day’s core academics. In evaluating the ExpandedED Schools national demonstration model, PSA examined the conditions that support or hinder implementation of an expanded learning day. The study concludes with recommendations and discussion questions to help schools and community organizations explore the possibility of entering a partnership.

Afterschool and competency-based learning are increasingly emerging as student-centered, supportive learning models to prepare students for college and career. This American Youth Policy Forum white paper explores the intersection and relationship between the two fields, recommends policy considerations for implementing successful programs, provides real-world examples, and shines a spotlight on emerging trends for the future.

An article of interest in the new issue of Afterschool Matters is a retrospective study that has implications for any high school out-of-school-time program. The article describes how afterschool program elements helped high school students transition from school to college or career. Other articles in this issue cover topics such as helping young students overcome math anxiety, encouraging physical activity, and measuring authentic youth engagement using the Youth-Adult Partnership Rubric.