National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment Resource Library

This planning tool from STEM Next was created to help OST programs that provide STEM programming to engage with families to support youth learning and success through collaborative culture and practices. The tool is organized by a new framework for family engagement in STEM known as CARE: Connect, Act, Reflect, and Empower. The tool was created through a review of the literature and input from an advisory council as well as state afterschool networks and providers. It can also be used by schools. This resource supports equity.

This issue brief is designed to raise understanding and awareness of restorative justice practices and identify ways after school leaders can integrate them. It provides definitions, principles of restorative justice, strategies for how they can be applied in afterschool programs, and resources. There is also a related webinar on Restorative Justice Practices in Afterschool Programs with experts from CA and FL who are researchers and who are applying restorative justice practices in schools and afterschool programs. See: Restorative Justice Practices in Afterschool Programs

 This resource supports resiliency. This resource supports equity.

On September 21, 2023, the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment hosted the webinar, “Back to School—and Afterschool—Refresh: Updated Resources for System- and Program-Level Staff” to re-introduce the NCASE Resource Library, along with NCASE developed and recently updated toolkits. Resources highlighted in the webinar included:

NCASE Resource Library

https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/ncase-resource-library 

School-Age Consumer Education Toolkit

https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/ncase-resource-library/school-age-consumer-education-toolkit 

OST Professional Development System Building Toolkit

https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/ncase-resource-library/ncase-out-school-time-professional-development-system-building-toolkit 

OST Emergency Preparedness Recovery and Response Toolkit

https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/ncase-resource-library/ost-emergency-preparedness-response-and-recovery-toolkit

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.