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This brief highlights the benefits of participation in 21st CCLCs based on their statewide evaluations. Benefits include: promoting academic growth; keeping kids connected and building relationships; engaging, inspiring, and motivating students; and preparing youth for life after high school.
The report includes a rationale for addressing thriving, equity, and development together; exploration of a way to create more powerful definitions to drive systems change efforts; and a deep dive into the dimensions that contribute to individual and collective thriving. To help easily access the key concepts, there is a companion series of briefs including a summary, synthesis of research findings, and expanded definitions of thriving, equity, and learning and development that are clear, actionable, research based, and change focused.
This special Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) addition to the IN Afterschool Standards outlines best practices to address the needs of diverse youth and the offering of quality and culturally-responsive programming. It includes 25 standards in categories of Administration; Professional Development; Participant outreach, Recruitment and Retention; Family and Community Engagement; Environment and Materials; Curricula and Programming; and Multilingual Learners. Other states have also incorporated DEI sections into their standards including WA State Quality Standards for Afterschool and Youth Development Programs which has a section on Cultural Competency and Responsiveness: https://schoolsoutwashington.org/resource/washington-state-quality-standards-for-afterschool-and-youth-development-programs/ AZ Quality Standards for Out-of-School Time Programs include Section IV on Equity and Inclusion: https://azafterschool.org/promoting-quality/quality-standards/ This resource supports equity.
This issue brief provides a policy agenda with concrete ways to advance racial equity in early care and learning systems. It has a guiding framework and includes 14 priorities for states and tribes to consider to invest in equity access, experiences, and outcomes. It provides links to two earlier companion documents: Start with Equity from the Early Years to the Early Grades and 14 Priorities to Dismantle System Racism in Early Care and Education. This resource supports equity. This resource may help in planning for use of federal stimulus funds.
This issue brief provides strategies and state examples for increasing workforce compensation. It includes ideas on hiring and retention bonuses, wage increases, increasing access to benefits, and changing policies. This resource may help in planning for use of federal stimulus funds.
This webinar from the SoLD Alliance is part of the launch of their new playbook which provides practical guidance to tap into the assets in community-based settings and ensure that the science of learning and development is put into action in all learning settings. The webinar and playbook offer five guiding principles for equitable, whole-child design and numerous practices, examples, and resources. The companion community-based playbook can be found at https://forumfyi.org/community-based-learning-and-development-opportunities-playbook/ and the school-based community playbook can be found at This resource supports equity.
This issue brief, published by Temescal Associates and How Kids Learn Foundation, explores youth civic engagement and activism through its history, the benefits, and why youth participate. It includes a discussion of challenges, barriers, and recommendations along with examples. There are also interviews with youth and researchers, and a robust list of resources. A companion webinar can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTb9y__cGhk. This resource supports equity.
This framework and guidebook can help people assess afterschool systems, programs, and youth outcomes in the interest of informing system improvements with up-to-date accurate information. Every Hour Counts used the framework to evaluate Boston, Providence, and Sprockets in St. Paul and findings from this experience informed this version. The evaluation found that the framework is also a tool for setting goals, communicating the value of OST work, and supporting continuous quality improvement (CQI). The companion webinar on use of the tools can be found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LlEctzR7rgC2LgdVxCwn4Vu4BT9FkC67/view
This report is based on the scant literature and interviews with 28 experts to explore issues of equity in the subsidy system. It includes a chart about the process of getting a subsidy, concerns about policies, and potential strategies to build equity. Strategies include doing a parent engagement study, conducting an equity analysis, examining how providers are treated, gathering caseworker input, and simplifying the process of getting and keeping subsidy. This resource supports equity.
This issue brief summarizes how afterschool and summer programs can support positive outcomes like relationships and relationship skills, sense of agency, and identify development. It includes links to research. It also poses questions on how we can make sure programs are ready to support recovery and reengagement by understanding what families need, how to tap partnerships, how to support adult educators, and how to balance academics and enrichment. This resource supports the COVID-19 response.