National Institute on Out-of-School Time

Behavioral Health and Trauma-Informed Integration in Afterschool

An Innovative Approach to Prevention and Early Intervention

By Erica D. Kelsey

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that 1 in 5 children and 1 in 2 adolescents experience a mental or behavioral health disorder. CDC studies show that people of color and other marginalized groups have higher rates of behavioral health challenges than White people (2022).

 

College Access Through Youth-Led Afterschool Programming

By Helen Chiu, Sarai Koo, George D. Taylor, and Gregory K. Tanaka

With a public school student-to-counselor ratio that has surpassed 400 to 1 nationally for the past 30 years (American School Counselor Association, 2020), afterschool programs play a vital role in bridging disparities in college access.

 

Critical Black Feminist Mentoring

A Framework for Making Black Girls’ Lives Matter

By Dyann C. Logwood

In the wake of current sociopolitical movements, research on the lives of Black girls and women is gaining momentum. However, studies providing Black girls space to voice their experiences within learning and afterschool environments remain a crucial—and often ignored—component of this conversation.

 

Enabling Both Youth and Pollinators to Thrive

Youth Development in a High School STEM Afterschool Program

By Amy Lang

“I would never have thought that I could go into beekeeping as a full-time commitment. It was after learning about the large impacts (good and bad) that insects have on agriculture and the environment that I could fully comprehend the scope a job with bees could cover. Though I do not know exactly what I want to be, I know that I want to pursue a career where I can work with bees and plants. I have been drawn to help others learn about the importance of pollinators and develop a passion for the environment like myself. I am now an active member of the Association of Southern Maryland Beekeepers, and have been involved in many projects teaching others about the importance of pollinators through this program.”

 

How Clean Is My Water?

A Culturally Responsive, Project-Based Interdisciplinary Summer Camp

By Alma D. Stevenson and Shelli L. Casler-Failing

During recent decades, educational reform in the U.S. has favored standards-driven curricula with the purpose of improving education. However, national assessments have not demonstrated significant improvements in educational outcomes, especially among economically disadvantaged and minoritized populations (Hussar & Bailey, 2017).

 

Making Summer Count

Youths’ Perceptions of Meaningfulness and Future Orientation in Summer Youth Employment Contexts

By Denise Jones, Zaida Pearson, Deanna C. E. Sinex, Jeremiah Nash, Aiwen Chen, & Dennis F. Jones

Summer is a unique time for students to extend the gains made during the school year by engaging in opportunities that support their growth and development. For younger teens, these opportunities may focus on developing relationships and competence; older youth may want to gain experience in the labor market (Afterschool Alliance, 2010).

 

Out-of-School Time Sponsors and Partners

A Review of Programs for Low-Income Adolescents

By Rebecca S. Levine

As communities grapple with the harmful, inequitable effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been particularly hard on low-income and marginalized youth, renewed attention has been directed toward how out-of-school time (OST) programs can help youth reconnect and re-engage (Afterschool Alliance, 2021; Stanford, 2022).

 

Playful Learning Landscapes

Promoting Literacy Through Youth Engagement and Culturally Relevant Design

By Rachael Todaro, Brenna Hassinger-Das, Jennifer M. Zosh, Sarah R. Lytle, Roberta M. Golinkoff, & Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

High-quality language interactions not only support children’s language development but also promote better long-term academic outcomes (Hirsh-Pasek, Adamson et al., 2015; Huttenlocher et al., 2010; Pace et al., 2019; Storch & Whitehurst, 2002). Interactions in the form of frequent back-and-forth conversations between caregiver and child predict language growth in children (Adamson et al., 2014; Hirsh-Pasek, Adamson et al., 2015), regardless of whether families are from highly resourced or underresourced environments (Masek et al., 2020).

 

Promoting Mental Health Careers and Improving Mental Health Outcomes Among Latinx Youth

By Sarah Underwood, Heather Diaz, Stephanie Manieri, and Magalli Larqué

“Before I started this program, if anybody ever said they had a mental illness, I’d probably immediately have thought that they were crazy. And I probably would have had this perspective that I myself could never have a mental illness because, as a Latina, I have to be strong and resilient. I can’t show signs of weakness because that’s not who we are.”

 

Social and Emotional Learning in Afterschool Settings

Equity Evaluations, Recommendations, and Critiques
By Veronica Benavides, Shakirra Meghjee, Tasha Johnson, Aasha Joshi, Christine Ortiz, and Victor Rivera

Social and emotional learning (SEL) has proven to be an effective conduit to improved attendance scores, grades, and graduation rates; to adaptive behaviors and gainful employment in adulthood; and to a wide variety of other measurable factors spanning the spectrum of human adaptiveness and wellness (Aspen Institute, 2018).

Youth Fields Workforce Perspectives

By Elizabeth Starr, Edward Franklin, Amy Franks, Georgia Hall, Patricia McGuiness-Carmichael, Priscilla Parchia, Vesna A. Karmelic-Pavlov, and Kate Walker

The place of out-of-school time programming in supporting young people’s learning and growth is well established. Yet little is known about the staff and volunteers who support young people in school- and community-based afterschool programs, summer camps, national and local youth-serving organizations, and more.

 

  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "NIOST has been an anchor for numerous school age care projects we do, including ASQ (After-School Quality) and Links to Learning. They are a nationally respected organization that Pennsylvania has partnered with for over 20 years."



    – Betsy O. Saatman, TA Specialist/SAC Initiatives, Pennsylvania Key
  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "NIOST was a core partner in supporting the development of quality improvement systems across the nine cities that participated in The Wallace Foundation Next Generation Afterschool System-Building Initiative. The NIOST team worked well with other technical assistance partners in the initiative, always willing to pitch in and collaborate with others to make our professional learning community meetings a team effort. I truly hope the Foundation has an opportunity to partner with them in the future."


    – Priscilla M. Little, Initiative Manager, The Wallace Foundation

  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "NIOST has been a leader in the out-of-school time field for as long as I can remember, and I have relied on their research, tools, and advice to improve my practice throughout my career. Their staff members are good partners and good listeners, and their influence across the country is palpable."


    – Jane Quinn, Vice President and Director of National Center for Community Schools, Children's Aid Society
  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "Georgia Hall, Ellen Gannett, and the NIOST team have been instrumental in driving the healthy afterschool movement. Their dedication to quality practice, informed policy, and collective impact is instrumental in our effort to create healthier communities."



    – Daniel W. Hatcher, Director, Community Partnerships, Alliance for a Healthier Generation

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The National Institute on Out-of-School Time

A program of the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College

Wellesley Centers for Women
Wellesley College
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481-8203 USA

niost@wellesley.edu
781.283.2547
Directions to NIOST

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