Following the belief that diversity breeds innovation in scientific endeavors, there is a national push for more diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce in order to maintain national economic competitiveness. Currently, STEM-related employment is only 28% non-White; however, greater efforts to recruit…

This article reports on a program of research that examined the background, planning, implementation, and evaluation of an after-school preventive intervention program within an ongoing urban alternative education program targeting African American students referred to the school because of their problematic behavior in regular schools. The…

Citywide implementation of project-based learning highlights the benefits--and the challenges--of promoting exemplary practices across an entire out-of-school time (OST) network. In summer 2009, the City of Philadelphia and its intermediary, the Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), introduced project-based learning to a network of more…

California allocates $550 million to expanded learning through After School Education and Safety (ASES) state grants, and $140 million of federal money in 21st Century Community Learning Center grants each year; more than all other states combined. Much variability exists in program quality, and research has identified mixed results as to the…

Project Linking Learning ("Link") was created to target the needs of gifted students in urban school districts with historically underserved populations. Project Linking Learning implemented a linking curriculum between in-class instruction and an afterschool enrichment program for selected students in second through fifth grade.…

A quality improvement system (QIS) is an intentional effort to raise the quality of afterschool programming in an ongoing, organized fashion. There are a number of reasons the QIS is gaining popularity. The main reasons community leaders are drawn to improving quality is that they know that 1) higher quality programs will mean better experiences…

Critical thinking is thought-focused on how to solve a well-defined problem when several alternatives solutions to the problem exist. Because critical thinking may help to build tolerance toward others, the author believes it is a worthwhile subject to investigate, given that people are living in an increasingly multicultural society full of…

In this paper, we describe the successful implementation of an afterschool LEGO robotics program for elementary and middle school students that is annually offered by the Whitacre College of Engineering at Texas Tech University. Three events are held on campus: the kickoff, a trial run, and the competition, spread over a period of eight weeks. In…

This study examined the accountability of selected state departments of education on how they implemented, monitored, and evaluated Supplemental Education Services (SES). No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires low-performing Title I schools to use federal funds to extend the school day for at-risk children by providing SES afterschool programs. This…

Science simulations are popular among educators as such simulations afford for multiple visual representation and interactivity. Despite the popularity and abundance on the internet, our literature review suggested little research has been conducted on the use of simulation in elementary school. Thus, an exploratory pilot case study was conducted…

Over the course of several Roundtables held with out-of-school time program providers involving dozens of organizations, Child Trends has learned a lot about the concerns and wishes of the hardworking people who run out-of-school time programs. In this brief, the author and her colleagues share several themes that have emerged from these…

Effective professional development is accepted as necessary for the improvement of afterschool program quality, which is itself a cornerstone for improving youth outcomes. But professional development is most effective when both individual participants are engaged and building relevant knowledge and skills, and the organizations to which they…

Child Trends produced this Guide to assist funders, administrators, and practitioners in identifying and navigating online resources to find evidence-based programs that may be appropriate for their target populations and communities. The Guide offers an overview of 21 of these resources--11 searchable online databases, 2 online interactive…

Research on successful out-of-school time programs repeatedly has found that the caliber of a program's staff is a critical feature of high-quality programs that achieve positive outcomes. Therefore, attracting, selecting, and retaining high-quality staff has become a major objective of out-of-school time programs. To expand what is known about…

Prime Time Palm Beach County, Inc. is an organization dedicated to improving the availability and quality of afterschool programs in the county. During the 2007-2008 program year, Prime Time implemented a county-wide Quality Improvement System (QIS) that included program standards, an assessment process, and on-site technical assistance delivered…