This article explores the planning and implementation process for a community partnership school for a historically low-performing elementary school using an asset-based community development approach. We offer insights into the community needs assessment process that enabled four key community partners to identify needs and projects for the…

How do afterschool programs view their local public libraries? Are they working with them, and in what ways? These are the questions that the Afterschool Alliance, along with its partners at the Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) and the American Library Association, wanted to answer. Overall, the goal is to…

This paper explores the identity construction of multilingual and multidialectal middle school students in a semester-long youth participatory action research (YPAR) project. In particular, it moves beyond an emancipatory discourse that views youth identity development from a point of marginalization by drawing on Foucauldian notions of discourse,…

High-quality afterschool and summer programming serve an important role in Nebraska communities. They engage students emotionally, intellectually, and socially (National Research Council, 2015). They provide safe and caring supervision for children who might otherwise be unsupervised outside of school hours, they also discourage negative…

Afterschool and competency-based learning are increasingly emerging as student-centered, supportive learning models to prepare students for college and career. This white paper explores the intersection and relationship between these two fields, recommends ideal policy environments for implementing successful programs, provides real-world…

Not long ago, college seemed out of reach for Jesse Ashley, a high school senior in Buffalo, New York. In a troubled school system plagued by low achievement and high dropout rates, Jesse's chronic absenteeism and bouts with depression made his prospects shaky. But Jesse got help, returned to classes and began thinking about college--all under an…

This paper argues that after-school programmes need to be considered an essential part of lifelong learning infrastructure, particularly in light of the dominance of the economic discourse in both lifelong learning literature and the initial schooling literature. The paper, which is based upon existing literature, begins by providing an overview…

Drawing from two international measures, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), this brief provides a snapshot comparison of the United States to other education systems. Specifically, this brief addresses how the U.S. compares to other countries in overall…

This article narrates the story of how a peace education program, over the course of a year, shifts from a more traditional form of peace education as conflict resolution skill building to a critical form of peace education. The path of this journey was neither straight nor direct; rather it meandered through an iteration of itself that actually…

Austin Independent School District (AISD) student outcomes on attendance, discipline, Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, and GPA were compared between students who participated and students who did not participate in Afterschool Centers on Education programs at AISD campuses during the 2010-2011 school year.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative provides funds for afterschool programs across the country and is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to afterschool programming. 21st CCLC-funded programs operate during nonschool hours (i.e., before and after school, summers, holidays, and weekends) and present children…

In summer 2009, the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (The Trust) was engaged in an ongoing effort to build the internal capacity of its OST grantees and help strengthen and improve the quality of services for the District's children and youth. At the same time, the Urban Institute (UI) and The Center for What Works (CWW) were…

High-quality out-of-school-time (OST) programs have a positive effect on youth development, but many cities have found it difficult to address the challenges of expanding and improving the quality of programs offered to underserved and high-need students. In response, The Wallace Foundation sponsored an initiative to help five cities increase…

Evaluation of after-school programs that are culturally and place-based and promote positive youth development among minority and indigenous youths has not been widely published. The present evaluation is the first of its kind of an after-school, youth-risk prevention program called Hui Malama O Ke Kai (HMK), that emphasizes Native Hawaiian values…

High-quality out-of-school-time (OST) programs have a positive effect on youth development, but many cities have found it difficult to address the challenges of expanding and improving the quality of programs offered to underserved and high-need students. In response, The Wallace Foundation sponsored an initiative to help five cities increase…