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This article from ExpandEd Schools by TASC summarizes some of the research on adolescent brains. It explains what happens to the brain during adolescence and what types of discipline policies, schedules, and programming work best for adolescents.

Written by staff from the YMCA of Central Massachusetts, this blog post provides concrete suggestions on how educators can infuse global learning into out-of-school time staff training. Suggestions include focusing on top leadership when you begin training, enabling staff to make connections to the curriculum, and reviewing and evaluating each training session.

For students with disabilities, participation in afterschool and summer programs provides opportunities to gain greater self-awareness, self-confidence, and appropriate social and emotional skills. Produced by the New York State Afterschool Network and the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, this resource addresses some of the frequently asked questions about including students with disabilities in an afterschool program.

Produced by the Afterschool Alliance and the MetLife Foundation, this issue brief explores how afterschool programs can support students with disabilities and other special needs. The brief notes that afterschool staff who receive special training are more confident and comfortable in serving students with disabilities, and it stresses the importance of ongoing professional development, partnerships, and positive reinforcements for afterschool staff. The publication also includes profiles of afterschool programs that serve a high percentage of special needs students.

Recent research by Dr. Deborah Lowe Vandell and her colleagues at the University of California-Irvine School of Education shows how consistent participation in afterschool activities during elementary school is linked to a narrowing achievement gap in mathematics. The Expanded Learning and Afterschool Project website has a summary of the research findings and other resources for afterschool practitioners. The website includes a information about Dr. Vandell’s research, factors linked to positive benefits of afterschool, overview graphics, and resources to help stakeholders learn more about the research and findings.

This publication from the Wallace Foundation describes five Wallace-funded programs working to expand learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children. All five programs aim to enable low-income students to benefit from the types of opportunities their wealthier counterparts have access to, from homework help to swimming classes. The report details each program’s approach, successes, and challenges, offering a well-rounded picture of the effort nationally to expand learning opportunities for low-income children-and the work that remains.

Published in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, this journal article examines a model for mental health consultation, training, and support for publicly funded recreational afterschool programs in communities of concentrated urban poverty. The model was designed to improve children’s academic, social, and behavioral functioning. The authors assessed children’s mental health needs and examined the feasibility and impact of intervention on program quality and children’s psychosocial outcomes in three afterschool sites, compared to three demographically matched sites that received no intervention. Findings revealed high staff satisfaction and feasibility of intervention, and modest improvements in observed program quality and staff-reported children’s outcomes.

This article reports preliminary findings from an evaluation of Stand Up Help Out (SUHO), an afterschool camp for high school students in the Bronzeville area of Chicago. The authors sought feedback from the youths participating in the program and asked them about what they valued in the program and the types of relationships they formed. According to the report, the youths participating in the SUHO program consistently pointed out that caring and being cared for were most meaningful to them.

This issue brief from the Afterschool Alliance closely examines the current economic state of African American and Latino communities and the far-reaching impact of poverty on academic achievement. It highlights the important role afterschool and summer programs play in supporting youth and families in these communities. The brief also outlines the challenges these programs confront in keeping pace with demand for their services and ensuring their doors stay open to continue providing resources that are highly valued in African American and Latino communities.