This in-depth guide to 25 evidence-based programs—aimed at elementary schools and OST providers—offers information about curricular content and programmatic features that practitioners can use to make informed choices about their SEL programs. The first of its kind, the guide allows practitioners to compare curricula and methods across top SEL programs. It also explains how programs can be adapted from schools to out-of-school-time settings, such as afterschool and summer programs.
The ‘Discover Your Future’ Program Goal is to keep youth engaged during vulnerable after-school hours by providing them the opportunity to interact with caring mentors in a structured program environment.
The field guide sheds new light on how out-of-school programs can equip teens with valuable social and emotional skills. Inside the guide, readers will find key staff practices drilled down and described for each of the eight programs. The guide also shares narratives from staff and youth that tell the stories of how these programs are making a difference in the lives of young people each day.
Sometimes we think of mentors narrowly as those who sign up through a formal program to spend time with a young person. In addition to these formal mentors, informal or everyday mentors can be any trustworthy adult who offers support, guidance, and encouragement to help young people overcome challenges and become their best selves.
Search Institute’s newest research-to-practice initiative focuses on studying and strengthening the developmental relationships that help young people succeed. A developmental relationship helps young people attain the psychological and social skills that are essential for success in education and in life. Young people can form these relationships with their parents and family members, with their friends and peers, with staff members in their schools and programs, and with caring adults in their neighborhoods and communities. When youth have strong relationships with trusted adults in addition to their parents, they are more able to overcome challenges, engage in school, and thrive in life.
These webinars explore equity issues around development of STEM identity. The first webinar includes a tool for self-evaluation and discuss strategies to support STEM identity. The second webinar focuses on what we… read more →
By now, we have all heard and read about the importance of “non-cognitive skills,” also referred by many other terms including social and emotional skills, 21st Century learning skills, or growth mindset, in… read more →
With close to 1 in 3 children and teens overweight or obese in the U.S., the health and wellness of students today is a national priority, concerning everyone from policy makers to parents. Afterschool programs are an integral partner to keep kids active and healthy during the out-of-school-time hours and a vital piece of the solution to tackle the obesity epidemic by providing nutritious foods, keeping kids physically active and instilling healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Tune into this webinar that will review the current afterschool landscape by looking at programs providing physical activity and healthy foods, as well as initiatives taking place in the afterschool field to strengthen healthy eating and physical activity offerings. Speakers on this webinar will cover new data from the latest America After 3PM special report, Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity; discuss the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards; and share insights, tips and resources that can help program providers with their food and physical activity offerings.
As interest grows in how children’s attitudes, skills, and character contribute to their long-term success, the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) has recently synthesized what is known about these so-called “noncognitive” and cognitive factors – how children develop them, how they interact, at what developmental stages, and in which settings.
Researchers from CCSR will discuss the findings of their newly released report funded by The Wallace Foundation that provides evidence from child/youth development, cognitive science, psychology, and learning theory that educators, out-of-school time practitioners, policymakers, and funders can use to ground their work in a firm understanding of important goals for human development. It also aims to help schools and OST professionals think about how to design adult practices and youth experiences to reach those goals.
Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. They tackle all kinds of curriculum, from math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. The Khan Academy math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. They’ve also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content.
“Accelerating Achievement Through Summer Learning” is the latest publication by the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) that is a resource for program providers, education leaders, policymakers, and funders who are making important decisions about whether and how to strengthen and expand summer learning programs as a way to accelerate student achievement.
