Out-of-School Time: A Place of Inspiration and Positive Role-Modeling
November 15, 2021
Role models are those whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others. One need not be a hero, sports star, or celebrity to be a role model. Sometimes being yourself is enough to inspire someone.
In honor of National Inspirational Role Models Month, we take a look at the various ways the out-of-school time (OST) field lends itself to inspiring not only the youth served, but also the professionals in the field, as evidenced by these articles in our Afterschool Matters journal.
These articles highlight the meaningful ways OST programs can inspire and empower participating youth and staff through mentoring and positive identity work.
- In “Toward More Equitable Outcomes,” Jon Gilgoff and Shawn Ginwright review prevailing practices that show ways in which OST programs are empowering boys and young men of color to develop their assets and overcome challenges.
- In “Group Mentoring and Identity Formation for Young Men of Color,” author Kevin Pribnow examines a program that helps Black children develop positive racial identities, supported by an adult advocate and group rituals.
- In “Black Girls Create: Developing a Culturally Responsive Maker Program for Black Girls,” LaShawnda Lindsay, a research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women, describes the development and pilot implementation of a culturally responsive maker afterschool program which uses social history, culturally responsive pedagogy, and mentoring to engage Black girls in STEM.
- In “I Could See Myself as a Scientist: The Potential of Out-of-School Time Programs to Influence Girls’ Identities in Science,” authors Kelly Riedinger and Amy Taylor look at identity development as a key to encouraging more girls to enter STEM fields.
- In “Supporting Effective Youth Work: Job-Embedded Professional Development in OST,” Jocelyn Wiedow, a National Afterschool Matters fellow, suggests incorporating youth development strategies to create learning opportunities for staff.
- In “Creating High-Performance Afterschool Programs,” Sonia Toledo, a National Afterschool Matters fellow, takes a look at applying lessons from the corporate world to empower OST staff to be their best.
- National Afterschool Matters fellow Keith Miller, Jr. recaps his journey from childhood to educator and the inspiration and mentoring he received along the way in: “NASM Fellow Writes of Childhood, Racism, and Becoming an Educator.”
Visit Afterschool Matters for more articles on inspirational role models and other OST topics.
