National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment Resource Library

While Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations are the fastest growing racial group in the United States, their unique challenges are not adequately studied or supported by current policies. This issue brief reviews the diversity and growth of various AANHPI populations and a beginning discussion about policies and programs to consider adopting.  This brief includes a map of distribution of the nearly 3.7 million AANHPI children by state, including which states have added AAPI studies curriculum.  

This issue brief from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families has reviewed 35 existing research studies on the strengths and resilience within Latinx families. Some of the key findings include that Latinx children enter schools with strong social skills, that children and families may benefit from bilingual and bicultural status, that children experience high quality parenting that is warm and supportive with good routines and predictability, and that fathers that are highly committed. The brief also makes recommendations on programs, practices, and research needed for the future. This resource supports equity.  

Spurred by unprecedented federal funding and a national call to counter covid-related learning loss, this Westat report provides a summary of how states responded to ARPA funds for summer learning and enrichment programs. The results are presented in 34 slides, based on a review of plans that states created and interviews with 37 states on the vision they developed, and how they engaged partners, implemented priorities, and evaluated results. 

This issue brief is designed to raise understanding and awareness of the need for youth financial literacy and identify ways afterschool leaders can address these issues. Youth today can amass debt quickly in the form of school loans or credit card debt, yet few have access to financial literacy supports. Opportunities are especially limited for youth of color. Afterschool is a place where this learning can happen, and this paper provides resources like reports, curriculum, and resources for parents to support financial literacy starting in the elementary grades. This resource supports equity.  

This self-paced module by You for Youth provides steps and strategies for program leaders to recruit, train, and retain program staff. It includes many resources such as sample job descriptions, human resource policies and staff manuals, and ideas for interview questions and reference checks. It can assist a program leader in creating a plan for improving staff recruitment and retention.  Unless you need a certificate of completion, you do not need to log in to the Y4Y portal to do the module--just click "cancel" when asked to log in and proceed.
 

This issue brief shares a model about a collaboration between Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and Boys and Girls Club (BCG) to pilot behavioral and mental health services for youth in grades 1-12 participating in 13 out-of-school programs. This model used initial SAMSHA funding to bring 2 counselors as well as graduate practicum students into the BGC to provide social-emotional learning, behavioral, and mental health services and to train staff on trauma-informed care, suicide, substance abuse response, and how to make referrals. These supports will be sustained as they fast-tracked the process of Medicaid credentialing. This resource supports equity.

This webinar explores what intermediaries are learning about what it takes to recruit and retain OST staff. The panel is facilitated by Angelica Portillo from NAA with panelists from Utah Afterschool Network, California Afterschool Network, Dallas Afterschool Network, and San Francisco Beacon Initiative. Strategies include hiring bonuses, compensation, flexibility, being involved in decision making, pre-service training and career pathways, and staff nurturing.  

This webinar by the Grantmakers for Education OST Impact group shares how funders, adults, and peers in OST spaces can provide support to LGBTQ+ youth, especially in the current context of attacks on LGBTQ+ identities. Panelists from the Trevor Project, Horizons Foundation, and an LGBTQ+ organization in Florida shared data on mental health concerns and suggestions for ways to create safe spaces in OST programs. A robust list of resources are also included. This resource supports equity.  

This case study highlights the historical context behind the Pay Equity Fund, the vision and goals of the fund, early implementation successes and challenges, and future goals based on interviews with key informants, parents and guardians, center directors, and home-based providers. The goal of the Pay Equity Fund is to improve staff recruitment, retention, and morale and mental health, as well as program quality improvement and child outcomes. These findings can inform jurisdictions across the country as they design and implement compensation improvements for the child care workforce. 

This Better Kid Care module about supporting LGBTQ youth in out-of-school-time programs is designed to prepare staff to provide a supportive and inclusive environment. It includes videos of researchers, counselors, staff, parents, and youth who share their ideas and experiences. It also includes a number of helpful handouts, suggestions for wording about policies, and activity ideas. This resource supports equity.