This paper presents four projects in which mobile devices are used to support authentic learning in an afterschool technology club, "La Clase Mágica" (LCM@UTSA), designed to motivate underrepresented elementary school children in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The implementation of mobile devices into our LCM@UTSA is…

Over the past 15 years, knowledge of the afterschool field has grown substantially. A large body of evidence exists that confirms quality afterschool programs help children become more engaged in school, reduce their likelihood of taking part in at-risk behaviors or acting out in school, and help raise their academic performance. A greater…

In today's society, the use technology is no longer a luxury but a need (Machado-Casas, 2009; Sanchez, 2010). Considering this, countless education stakeholders have explored the concept of the "digital divide", the gap that exists between people who have access to digital technology and those who do not. Oftentimes, this divide exists…

The Afterschool Alliance and MetLife Foundation are proud to celebrate a fifth round of the MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards. For the past five years, we have collaborated to highlight the work of quality afterschool programs that support children, families and communities across the nation. This compendium is a compilation of four…

With increasing numbers of parents at work or in training and education programs when children get out of school, the existence and quality of school-age child care (SACC) affects not only families, but the community as a whole. Texas school district involvement with SACC was examined, and qualities of model programs and barriers to developing…

This manual was designed to assist Texas school districts in their efforts to implement Senate Bill (SB) 913 and to serve as a guide for organizing child care programs in the schools. Chapter 1 provides a summary of SB 913, a bill that requires school districts with more than 5,000 students to hold annual public hearings on out-of-school care for…

The Texas Study of Students at Risk (TxSSAR) is a comprehensive evaluation examining the effectiveness of three state-level programs with the common goal of helping students at risk of failure to achieve academically. The study comprises investigations of the Optional Extended Year Program (OEYP), the Texas After School Initiative (TASI), and the…

Media literacy education is being explored by scholars in many different fields (including education, literature, media studies, psychology, and public health), but there is less evidence of implementations occurring in K-12 settings. With more than 1.3 million teachers in U.S. public schools, it is impossible to estimate the extent to which the…