National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment Resource Library

This webinar explored how to better meet the needs of Native American and Indigenous youth and families in OST programs. Panelists representing national, state, and local organizations explored topics such as the goals of OST programs from family and caregiver perspectives. The barriers identified included lack of access to programs, transportation challenges, cost, and culturally insensitive funding streams. Also discussed was the importance of family engagement, the importance of preserving cultural traditions, and strategies to improve programs for indigenous youth. A related resource is the Afterschool Alliance survey results, America After 3 pm for Native American Families.  This resource support equity.

Child care programs are an essential component of strong communities, yet in rural America families are challenged in being able to access and afford care. The Bipartisan Policy Center worked with Save the Children to create this framework to explore the economic impact of child care gaps and provide innovative strategies and policy recommendations. There is a related webinar on How Affordable Child Care in Rural Areas Can Unlock Economic Potential.   This resource supports equity.

The Center for American Progress explores the policies that schools can develop to support student mental health. The strategies include creating a statewide mental health task force, organizing interagency coordination, expanding Medicaid coverage of school-based mental health, increasing access to school-based mental health, and investing in school climate through trauma-informed care and building mental health into the curriculum. This is relevant for out-of-school programs as programs often tap into school-based mental health services. This resource supports resiliency.

Child care providers are often at the forefront of offering social-emotional learning and universal mental health support for school-age children. This tip sheet is a supplemental resource for direct service providers and offers simple strategies to successfully engage families, address youth development, and enhance staff progress while centering SEL and mental health services. For more information on targeted resources to elevate system and program initiatives, access the NCASE Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health Toolkit: Support for Systems and Programs Toolkit. 

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.

This article from the Journal of Youth Development highlights some learnings from a Community of Practice with 10 states on the strategic use of summer and afterschool ARP and ESSER funds. Findings are that states with existing OST infrastructure and cross-system relationships were better equipped to meet youth and family needs. The states have created action plans that focus on: (1) strengthening data to promote access, quality, and outcomes; (2) TA systems to build capacity and promote quality; (3) promoting partnerships; and (4) strategic and sustainable use of funding. There is a suggestion that states invest a portion of their remaining funds to plan for sustainability.  

This brief summarizes findings from a study about equity in out-of-school-time programs run by school districts. It explores: (1) what equity looks like in OST programs provided by equity-minded districts; (2) what challenges districts face integrating their equity goals and efforts into their OST programs; (3) what actions districts can take to meet these challenges; and (4) what further research is needed to better inform policy and practice. This resource supports equity.  The companion full report can be found here: https://education.virginia.edu/documents/how-do-districts-implement-equity-afterschool-and-summer-programs

This issue brief explores how youth-led efforts can be a response to the rising number of youth with mental health challenges and the shortage of school psychologists and counselors. It includes an overview of an Ohio suicide prevention program and an Oregon teen-to-teen youth crisis line. There are also interviews with the youth leaders and a list of relevant resources. A companion webinar highlighting the experiences of three youth leaders in supporting peer-to-peer mental health programs can be found here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikcpEPFByKw This resource supports resiliency.

This slide deck shares the first findings released from the National Summer Learning and Enrichment Study conducted by Westat about school-run summer programs in 2021 and plans for summer 2022. The representative findings are drawn from 309 Local Education Agencies. 94% of schools offered some kind of summer programming, serving 18% of students enrolled in school the previous year, with finding staffing as the biggest challenge. 76% used ARP funding, with 75% focused on learning recovery and 57% supplementing with social-emotional learning. 80% also indicated plans to offer programs in summer 2022. A final report will be shared in mid-2023.

This issue brief from the Sperling Center for Research and Innovation (SCRI) explores qualitative findings from surveys with summer 2021 staff to identify strategies to help in recruiting and retaining staff. Strategies include a focus on relationships and collaboration, supportive leadership, ensuring flexibility and autonomy, opportunities for personal and professional growth, and additional support staff. A companion toolkit called the Staff Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention Guide includes tip sheets, a rubric for hiring enrichment staff, and other planning tools; it can be found here.  https://www.sperlingcenter.org/resource/staffing-toolkit-for-out-of-school-time-learning-programs/