We use a panel survey of [approximately]19,000 primary-school-aged children in rural Tamil Nadu to study 'learning loss' after COVID-19-induced school closures, and the pace of recovery after schools reopened. Students tested in December 2021 (18 months after school closures) displayed learning deficits of [approximately]0.7[sigma] standard…

At a time of deep partisan divides, Afterschool Alliance surveys have found an area of consensus around support for afterschool and summer learning programs. Across the political spectrum, parents identifying as Democratic, Independent, and Republican strongly agree that afterschool and summer learning programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring…

This narrative study investigated the experiences of three Hispanic students in South Texas who participated in after-school robotics programs in secondary school and discover the role these experiences had on their academic and life skills. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with one female participant and two male…

Background: Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in higher education are increasingly recognizing the importance of understanding students' lived experience. More research is needed to deeply and contextually uncover voices, meanings, and stories that are enveloped within the complex realities of Hispanic women in engineering. Purpose: While…

Technology plays a vital role in career-readiness education, equipping students with the skills necessary for success in the modern workforce. This Spotlight will help readers learn more about workforce readiness after-school programs; explore strategies to get girls more interested in STEM careers; investigate the benefits of virtual work-based…

Prior to the pandemic, a survey of Pennsylvania parents found that for every child that was enrolled in an afterschool program, four more would participate if more programs were available. The pandemic has only emphasized the need for out-of-school time (OST) programs as students across Pennsylvania and the country cope with learning loss and…

Career readiness in STEM is the foundation for developing the next generation of innovators and problem solvers in our rapidly advancing society. This Spotlight will help .identify the math skills students need for high-demand careers; review ways schools can help students take more college-ready courses; examine data on student demand for…

This anthology shares educational practices to engage young people in critical digital media consumption and production. Comprehensive frameworks and teaching guidance enable educators to empower students to use digital technologies to respond to the social, political, economic, and other critical issues in their real-life and online communities.…

Out-of-school-time (OST) programs and their funders rely on sound data to make decisions about everything from professional development and student recruitment to the selection of activities to offer students. Programs operate at a range of times (before and after school, weekends, summer) and in a variety of locations (e.g., schools,…

Organized out-of-school time (OST) activities are critical assets that help youth develop life and social skills. Latine youth have some of the lowest rates of participation in OST activities out of all racial and ethnic subgroups due to structural and interpersonal barriers that perpetuate and reproduce patterns of inequality. The purpose of the…

This paper reports an asset-based participatory research study with 18 pre-service teachers and 85 refugee multilingual learners in an after-school program housed in an urban public elementary school. The research illuminates how the refugee multilingual learners (RMLs)' backgrounds, assets, and challenges can be understood and transformed to…

With an educational issue that has caught the attention of many countries in the world (study load), a population of 8th graders from a typical Chinese metropolitan city (40,536 from 118 schools), and an advanced statistical strategy (multilevel piecewise regression), we examined whether there was a turning point in terms of the effects of study…

Spatial skills are crucial to STEM disciplines and involve a variety of cognitive processes and skills related to visualising, reasoning and communicating about spatial relations. Particularly in the primary school years, attaining 'spatial literacy' gives children a valuable set of skills and knowledge that can aid them in successful…

Strong, caring relationships with adult and peer mentors have long played a crucial role in helping young people thrive academically and overcome challenges they face while at school and at key points in their educational journey. These mentoring relationships for students can be provided at school through volunteer programs embedded in the school…

The Wallace Foundation commissioned Research for Action and McClanahan Associates to study how out-of-school time intermediaries (OSTIs) responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and the role they could play in supporting communities moving forward. Citywide out-of-school time (OST) systems encompass a wide variety of afterschool and summer programs and…