Issue brief

This issue brief is an interview with researcher Jessica Manta-Myer about an evaluation of the Summer Science Project in 10 elementary school sites in CA. The programs were provided with hands-on curriculum, training, and coaching in STEM. Evaluation showed increased knowledge, skills, and confidence for students, and staff confidence in leading STEM, as well as staff retention. This support model is relevant for both afterschool and summer learning. 

This guidebook provides a definition of access and how to measure access across different types of settings. It also describes indicators of access, how to measure the indicators, and what data sources exist. While it is primarily designed for birth to age 5, the model can be adapted for use in studying access for school-age care.  

This issue brief highlights the ways afterschool and summer learning programs help youth with workforce development. It includes five city examples of workforce development programs, including mentoring, apprenticeships, and job placement activities.

This issue brief highlights the ways afterschool and summer learning programs help develop youth college and career readiness by increasing attendance rates and academic achievement, and by building college and career opportunities. This topic is an important focus area for out-of-school time, given that lack of awareness, experience, and exposure to current college and career options can lead to delayed employment or unemployment. It includes six city examples. 

This issue brief identifies four things to keep in mind to support the five percent of children in our care who are--or will grow up to become--gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. It also provides a link to an online module about this topic and to other positive youth development modules by Better Kids Care. This resource supports resiliency.

This issue brief describes Extended Day Treatment (EDT) or therapeutic afterschool programs. This is an intermediate-level service that allows children to receive intensive behavioral health services in a structured therapeutic milieu while remaining at home and in school. It outlines the 11 service components that include assessment, treatment plan, therapy for individuals, groups, and families and activities with a therapeutic focus.  This resource supports resiliency.

This issue brief provides an overview of the prevalence of mental health issues for children and youth. It explores how schools are often the de facto mental health system for children; therefore, schools could be a first step for afterschool programs wanting partnerships for support on mental health needs. It provides tools and ideas about conducting assessments of mental health needs and services.  This resource supports resiliency.

Out-of-School Time (OST) programs can play a role in mitigating and preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which are disruptive to a school-age child’s academic and social development. State policies and initiatives are often the catalysts that support OST programs in this critical work.

Research brief summarizes a study of the impact of a before-school physical activity program.  This resource supports resiliency.

This issue brief explains the concepts of Positive Youth Development (PYD), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and Youth Leadership (YL) and how they are related. Embedded in the document are ideas for best practices and additional resources. It was created by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) as a means of articulating a common framework to guide all their programs. This resource could be used as a professional development training tool.