Resources - American Institutes for Research

This tool is designed for afterschool and in-school staff first to reflect independently on their goals for SEL and think about what is currently being done in each setting to support young people in their social and emotional development, and then to discuss how best to work collaboratively toward a common goal.

The tool is divided into three parts. Part I is for afterschool program leaders or staff to complete. Part II is for the school principal and other relevant school personnel to complete. Part III is for the afterschool and school staff to discuss and collaboratively plan.

This tool is designed for out-of-school time and in-school staff first to reflect independently on their goals for SEL and think about what is currently being done in each setting to support young people in their social and emotional development, and then to discuss how best to work collaboratively toward a common goal.

The tool is divided into three parts. Part I is for out-of-school time program leaders or staff to complete. Part II is for the school principal and other relevant school personnel to complete. Part III is for the out-of-school time and school staff to discuss and collaboratively plan.

One key responsibility of out-of-school time programs is to foster youth success in school, work, and life. Youth need a variety of important skills to be ready for the workplace, including strong social and… read more →

This is the first brief in a series, Beyond the Bell: Research to Practice in the Afterschool and Expanded Learning Field, and focuses on how afterschool programs contribute to the development of social and emotional competencies in young people. In practice, we see how high-quality programs can help participants learn, grow, and develop. But what does the research say? How can we prove it? AIR chose to focus the first brief on this important topic because there has been a growing recognition that afterschool programs can and do facilitate the social and emotional development of young people. Despite the recent attention this topic has received, efforts to define and measure social and emotional competencies in afterschool settings are still emerging.

Both the formal and informal education communities are increasingly focused on fostering opportunities for social and emotional learning (SEL) and the link between SEL and youth outcomes. There is a growing evidence that the social and emotional competencies youth develop while in afterschool programs can contribute to their success in school and life. As a result, afterschool program staff must understand the most effective strategies to promote the development of social and emotional competencies in youth. They must understand, too, how to build and improve their own social and emotional competencies.

This self-reflection tool focuses on five social and emotional competencies, including self-awareness, self-management/emotion regulation, social awareness, relationship/social skills, and responsible decisionmaking. The tool is designed to help afterschool program staff reflect upon their own social and emotional competencies and their ability to support young people’s SEL through program practices.