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This webinar provides an overview of literacy development and instructional practices for literacy and writing. It showcases 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) programs in CO, MO, and TN that focus on literacy. The National Writing Project shares their strategies and resources for successfully fostering children's literacy development. Although highlighting 21st CCLCs, the strategies could be applied to any afterschool or summer program wanting to focus on literacy development.
This webinar provided a discussion among thought leaders about lessons learned and strategies for responding equitably to learning loss and other loss resulting from the pandemic and child care and school closures. They suggested a strengths-based response to what children have learned while at home with their families. Strategies that were shared included ideas about family engagement, supports for Indigenous children, mentoring partnerships, assessment, and ways to increase professional development opportunities and compensation. This resource supports the COVID-19 response.
For this report, the Chicago teen program, After School Matters, partnered with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct surveys to understand three key topics as they relate to the unique circumstances of summer 2020: (1) teen experiences, (2) instructor experiences, and (3) program quality. The report compares summer 2020 with previous years and looks ahead to inform future practices. The recommendations are to continue to support basic needs and mental health for teens and instructors, training on facilitating remote learning for instructors, and to focus on teen belonging to help buffer stress. While these recommendations are for a teen program, the ideas are applicable to a younger afterschool population as well.
Online learning environments, like physical learning environments, provide opportunities for youth to learn, grow, and practice skills. In virtual learning spaces, educators must still plan program goals and a sequence of learning experiences, employ experiential education, build relationships, and promote positive youth development. This tip sheet offers best practices and examples of activities for teaching online during Out-of-School Time. This resource supports the COVID-19 response.
This report provides an overview of different ways states can design contracts; it is based on a literature review and convening of 26 state administrators, researchers, and advocates. Contracts can bring stability that the field needs and provide more equitable supports around access, salaries, benefits, and professional development. The expert panel created a list of contract ideas such as shared services, bonuses and salary supplements, contracts for FCC providers, buying into state health insurance pools or retirement plans, substitute pools, mental health supports for staff and children, apprenticeship models, and scholarships for professional development. This resource supports the COVID-19 response and may help in planning for use of federal stimulus funds..
This tool kit provides ideas and resources to support youth workers in their efforts to support anti-racist practice. There are three sections: (1) Start with ourselves which provides resources related to how our own identities, biases and behaviors affect the way we interact with others; (2) Engage with others which offers resources, books, and videos to engage young people in conversations about race and racism; and (3) Address systemic change which encourages action to address institutional practices and policies that promote White supremacy culture. This resource supports resiliency.
The Wallace Foundation has created four issue briefs to help state system planners make decisions about spending American Rescue Plan funds. The briefs summarize the evidence on outcomes and implementation guidance and each brief includes a bibliography. Topics include: (1) The Importance of Adult Skills in SEL; (2) Summer Learning with Academic and Non-Academic Activities; (3) AfterSchool Coordinating Systems to Support Afterschool Programming; and (4) The Role of Principal Leadership in School Recovery and Re-opening. This resource supports resiliency, the COVID-19 response, and may help in planning for use of federal stimulus funds.
This report summarizes research on changes in licensing requirements and policies for child care centers, family child care homes, and group care homes. It compares 2017 data to that of 2014. Topics covered include staff and provider qualifications and training requirements, child-staff ratios and group sizes, requirements for the care of children, and health and safety requirements for child care facilities. It also includes requirements for training licensing staff.
This two-part webinar series geared to practitioners offers an introduction on how to support English learners in afterschool programs. The first webinar identifies important background information, different types of English learners, how to collect data on needs, and tips on creating safe learning environments. The second webinar focuses on practical applications and implementation to support language acquisition through intentional activity design and staff training.
This updated research brief provides a summary of key evaluations on the impact of afterschool programs during the pandemic. This summary can be a helpful resource for programs building the case for accessing stimulus funding as it refers to impact of afterschool on academic growth and engagement in learning; benefits of summer learning, fostering key foundational skills and boosting students’ well-being; and setting youth up to thrive post high school. See also: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/ncase-resource-library/evaluations-backgrounder-summary-formal-evaluations-afterschool-programs-0 This resource supports the COVID-19 response.