Welcome from the Managing Editor of Afterschool Matters, Summer 2020
By Georgia Hall
Afterschool Matters Summer 2020
The Birth of a Field
An Interview with Michelle Seligson, Founder of NIOST
Michelle (Micki) Seligson has been nationally recognized as a leader in afterschool and in childcare policy and practice. In 1978, she founded the School-Age Childcare Project, which became the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at Wellesley College. To commemorate NIOST’s 40th anniversary, she sat down with Georgia Hall, director and senior research scientist at NIOST, to talk about how observation of exemplary practices became guidance for an emerging field.
Flexibility and Fidelity in a Drop-in, Open-Door Art Studio Program
By Emily Ustach
“Hello, and welcome to New Urban Arts! Let me tell you a little bit about this place. We are an afterschool art studio for high school students. We don’t have any attendance requirements, so you can come when you want, stay as long as you want, and return as often as you want. Would you like a tour?”
Bringing Afterschool Home-OST Programming in Affordable Housing Communities
By Marisela A. Montoya
When the bell rings at the end of the school day, many afterschool participants head to the cafeteria, gym, or portable building where their programs take place. Some hop on buses to attend programs at a local community or recreation center a few blocks away. However, thousands of students across the country go home to their afterschool program.
Reinventing ADHD in Out-of-School Time
By Devan Blackwell
Attention issues made it difficult for Matthew, a fifth grader, to sit down and focus for long periods of time. He was easily distracted and often got into trouble during the school day for being disruptive.
Healing on His Own Terms
Using Diverse Genres of Expression to Support Boys and Young Men of Color
By Keith F. Miller, Jr.
“Keith, he just shut down on me,” the teaching artist said, shaking his head, defeated. “I don’t know what to do. He said he won’t do anything.”
Integrity Is a Core Value in the OST Experience for Youth
By Marie Benson
The importance attached to the development of strong character is evident in schools, out-of-school time (OST) programs, and the workplace. As providers of OST programs, we must infuse our programs with activities that build positive social and emotional skills in order to help mold future human capital. Educators, employers, and society as a whole agree on the need for honesty and for social and emotional skills. These skills are valuable across a person’s lifetime, regardless of where they are learned and practiced. Employers are looking for employees who possess competency in social and emotional skills; these skills may even be in more in demand than technical skills (Afterschool Alliance, 2018). OST programs can prepare participants for their futures by promoting social and emotional learning.
