NIOST's research-based and field-tested tools to assess out-of-school-time program quality and youth outcomes now have new ways to measure social emotional learning (SEL)!

Our Survey of Academic and Youth Outcomes Youth Tool (SAYO-Y) has added four new measurement scales through funding from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education:

On Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 1:00pm ET, NIOST Research Associate Elizabeth Starr will facilitate a live webinar featuring authors from the recent volume The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation in which curated personal narratives written by youth workers shine a light on the intricate connections between research and practice, touching upon both the vulnerability and triumph of youth development work. 

NIOST director Georgia Hall, Ph.D., talks to Terrance Cauley, Senior Director in the Department of Youth, Family & Clinical Services at Better Family Life, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri.

An excerpt from the book The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation about OST programs. 

Excerpt from the book The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation regarding Relational Cultural Theory.

NIOST director Georgia Hall, Ph.D., talks with Brittany Jacobs, Library Director at the Burlington Public Library in Iowa and Edward Franklin, President and CEO of Voice of Hope Ministries in Texas.

Youth workers need to be supported with opportunities for professional growth and continual professional development, writes Nancy Peter in an excerpt from the book, The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field, co-edited by NIOST. 

The episode explores the ways in which youth development experiences can transform lives. 

To celebrate our newly published book, The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field, we are launching a new podcast series. 

NIOST will continue its partnership with the Education Development Center, Inc. to guide the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment. 

NIOST is pleased to announce the release of The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation. 

After more than 40 years of dedicated service, Ellen Gannett, Senior Strategist and former Director, retired from The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at Wellesley College at the end of September. Her contributions to the field are numerous and her presence as a leader and advocate for professionals in the out-of-school time (OST) field and the youth they serve will be missed. As Ellen shifts to more time with her grandchildren and walks on the beach, we reflect back on some of the “firsts” for the OST field

In addition to the time NIOST typically spends in the field during the summer months observing and investigating summer learning and camp programs, this summer we also had the privilege of intensely observing high school and college interns hard at work in these programs. 

Brandis Stockman, executive director of OST Training that Sticks discusses a behavior management training model for program supervisors to utilize for staff training and coaching focused on guiding positive child and youth behaviors.

Research Associate Patricia McGuiness-Carmichael, MSW, offers a brief overview of how children and youth may experience trauma and offers recommendations for bringing trauma-informed practices into summer learning programs.

New funding will support clubs in Pennsylvania's Venango and Clarion Counties, particularly in Franklin, Oil City, and Knox.

Our new Spring 2022 Afterschool Matters journal brings a focus on literacy through this special issue highlighting the work of the William Penn Foundation and its partners to support children and families in Philadelphia through literacy-rich programming and environments.  Four papers in this issue reflect current partner initiatives to build literacy-rich environments. Other papers explore how literacy environments promote

As the pandemic continues, your youth and staff are likely continuing to navigate multiple uncertainties.  Today, we invite you to examine three important components of your program that encourage youth engagement and to reflect on whether your current practices could use fine-tuning.  These suggestions apply to both in-person and virtual settings.

Articles abound in the media about worker shortages in early childhood care and education. Demanding work combined with low pay and lack of benefits has led to an exodus from the field, resulting in drastic consequences for working parents—especially mothers. Though they are often not as visible, out-of-school time (OST) workers face many of the same challenges as child care workers, and play just as critical a role for families, communities, and our economy.

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. 

National Afterschool Matters Fellow Josh Gillman takes a look at the importance of leadership development in building a strong out-of-school time field.

Kathryn Wheeler, Ed.D., is among 70 individuals and groups being recognized by Big Sister Boston for their enduring commitment to believing in girls.

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread lockdowns across the U.S. in March 2020, MA 21st Century Community Learning Centers found creative ways to continue supporting families. Here’s what we can learn from them.

Research has found important links between levels of youth engagement and student achievement and persistence in school. These 6 tips from NIOST can help programs boost youth engagement.

June is PRIDE season! Despite many positive changes in our country during the last year related to inclusion and equity, discrimination against LGBTQ people and others is still prevalent. It takes all of us working together everyday to ensure that LGBTQ youth and adults feel welcomed and supported in all of the out-of-school time places in which they spend their time. There are many resources for staff professional development available at: Facing History and Ourselves and GLSEN. Actor George Takei, best known for his role as Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek television series, noted that we should "live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity of humanity." Let's all be in an inclusive and welcoming state of mind this month and beyond! 

 (updated on 6/14/2022)

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, an opportunity to bring awareness to the long history of Asian American and Pacific Islander contributions to our country. This month is also a perfect opportunity for us to celebrate the positive contributions two Asian American out-of-school time programs are making to their communities. 

The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) has always been focused on capacity building. Whether working with a state or city network, or a cohort of programs, NIOST helps build local capacity to serve youth in afterschool, summer, and other out-of-school time (OST) programs. One highly effective way NIOST does this is through communities of practice.

On February 11, 2021, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) hosted a webinar as part of the Afterschool Matters Dialogue series.

On Thursday, January 28, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time and Suffolk University’s Youth Equity & Sexuality Lab hosted a virtual workshop titled, “No Neutrality in the Face of Hate: How YOU Can Help Youth Resist Fascism.”

Join the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) for our next Afterschool Matters Dialogue, featuring out-of-school time and youth development professionals from around the country. Afterschool Matters Dialogues offer attendees the opportunity to learn about and discuss critical issues in the out-of-school time field. Programs feature presentations by National Afterschool Matters Fellows followed by a question and answer session with attendees.

By Kathryn A. Wheeler, NIOST Research Associate

There are at least three reasons why it’s important to encourage youth in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math): (1) we need more young people pursuing STEM careers to meet the workforce demand; (2) whether or not someone chooses a career in STEM, they need to be science literate in today’s society so they can make informed decisions about issues like health care, food, the environment, and technology; and (3) STEM activities are fun and engaging!

In this workshop hosted by NIOST and the Youth Equity & Sexuality Lab, four scholar-educators will present their paper from the Journal of Youth Development titled “Youth Practitioners Can Counter Fascism: What We Know and What We Need.”

This blog also appears on The Readiness Projects' Medium page.

What is the youth field profession and who works in it? Those are challenging questions. All of the following might fall underneath the umbrella of the youth fields: school- and community-based afterschool, summer camps and summer learning programs, residential programs, government-managed parks and recreation programs, creative youth development and sports-based programs, early childhood education and care, youth programs at public libraries and museums, faith-based youth programs, and workforce development. What about youth mental health, juvenile justice, social services, and foster care?

The fourth cohort of National Afterschool Matters (NASM) Fellowship kicked off a year-long journey of inquiry-based research and study this past October with funding from the Robert Bowne Foundation . The Fellowship, hosted by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at Wellesley College offers mid-career out-of-school time (OST) and youth development professionals the opportunity to become part of a professional learning community where they reflect on, study, and assess their work to improve its quality and impact.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) hosted a virtual webinar as part of the Afterschool Matters Dialogue series. The program featured two guest speakers who discussed their approaches to OST staff training.

On Monday, October 26, 2020, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) hosted a virtual webinar as a part of the Afterschool Matters Dialogue series. The program was moderated by Georgia Hall, Ph.D., director of NIOST and was on the topic of promoting social justice.

We are all working and learning through a challenging time! Many of the ways we actively and regularly participated in youth outcome and program quality data collection may not be achievable or realistic at this time. Yet, we know that understanding and measuring the impact of our work on youth outcomes and progress on continuous program improvement goals is still important. As with other tasks and priorities, data collection may need to shift or be altered during this unprecedented time. We’ve prepared some guidelines for data collection that take modifications and shifts  in program design, including hybrid and virtual learning, into consideration. 

A chapter in the new book Measure, Use, Improve! Data Use in Out-of-School Time is authored by leaders in system building at the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST). The chapter chronicles how NIOST partnered with the Wyoming Afterschool Alliance, the first frontier statewide afterschool network in the C.S. Mott 50 State Afterschool Network, to tackle the isolation experienced by out-of-school time (OST) program staff in Wyoming and build an OST quality improvement framework from the ground up.

The National Institute on Out-of-School Time will host two virtual programs featuring out-of-school time and youth development professionals from around the country. These Afterschool Matters Dialogues will offer attendees the opportunity to learn about and discuss critical issues in the out-of-school time field. Both programs will feature presentations by National Afterschool Matters Fellows followed by a question and answer session with attendees.

When out-of-school time (OST) programs shifted to virtual programming this spring and summer, it seemed like a dramatic change. But with several months of experience behind us, we have learned an elegantly simple lesson: best practices for OST programs haven’t changed.

School closures and quarantine have brought profound change to the delivery strategy for school day and out-of-school time (OST) programs. Yet, there has been amazing consistency from the OST workforce, who have leveraged their strengths to care for the social and emotional health of the children and youth served in their programs throughout the ongoing pandemic.

The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at Wellesley College is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special summer edition of its Afterschool Matters journal, featuring an interview with NIOST founder Micki Seligson, a nationally recognized leader in afterschool and in childcare policy and practice.

By NIOST DIrector and Senior Scientist Georgia Hall. As if quarantine, loss of parent jobs, food insecurity, and transition to homeschooling weren’t enough of a burden for our children, the ugly, persistent specter of racism raised itself again into widespread consciousness over the last week in multiple and heart-wrenching ways. And even birdwatching became a focal point, after a White woman falsely accused Christian Cooper, a Black man, of threatening her in Central Park while he was birdwatching, and his sister Melody Cooper posted the video to Twitter.

National Afterschool Matters Fellow Amy Franks, who works at a literacy support organization, reflects on changes brought by the pandemic and on the new ways she's finding to encourage reading at home.

Educators, out-of-school time professionals, teachers, and parents have dramatically adjusted their work during the pandemic, and part of this may mean letting go of some things. Yet NIOST Director Georgia Hall says "If we can hold onto one thing, let it be reading."

Next week marks the start of Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week (April 20-24), and this year, we’re thinking about all of the ways we appreciate what afterschool and out-of-school-time (OST) professionals are doing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the uncertain days of social distancing ahead, families may find it challenging to offer learning and social opportunities for their children. Here are some ideas from our own out-of-school-time (OST) toolbox along with some additional resources that may help alleviate some of the stress.

Out-of-school-time (OST) professionals place great importance on a passion for their work, building relationships with children, and fostering their positive, healthy development, according to a new study by NIOST researchers. Yet financial instability and a lack of competitive pay may be hindering workers’ satisfaction and longevity in the field.

NIOST announces the release of a free guide for those who coach out-of-school time programs. The guide helps coaches build their expertise to help any organization develop and implement a continuous quality improvement plan.

NIOST designed the recently released version of its APAS suite of tools to more fully reflect equity, inclusion, and diversity in the experiences of youth, families, and the out-of-school-time (OST) workforce. We also have a number of papers to share from our journal, Afterschool Matters, on these important topics.

Growing up, says National Afterschool Matters Fellow Keith F. Miller Jr., he felt “the trauma of a young boy buckling under the weight of poverty and a crippling fear of failure.” In a piece written as part of his fellowship, he shares how his experience with an educational system steeped in systemic racism shaped him and led him to his current path.

In NIOST's home state of Massachusetts, it's the second annual STEM Week, with the theme of "See Yourself in STEM." Here are some ways out-of-school time (OST) programs around the country are helping students do just that, as evidenced by these articles in our Afterschool Matters journal.

Today marks the first of two Global Climate Strikes organized by young activists this week to draw attention to the climate crisis and call for a move to renewable energy. Out-of-school-time (OST) programs have long promoted student learning that encourages awareness, critical thinking, and innovative solutions around energy and the environment. Take a look at two examples from our Afterschool Matters journal.

Some of the most experienced and diversely talented professionals in the out-of-school time (OST) field will next week kick off a year-long fellowship to hone their leadership, research, and critical thinking skills. The third cohort of National Afterschool Matters (NASM) Fellows includes 16 members from 13 states across the U.S., who bring a range of experience in nonprofit and public OST settings.

NIOST staff love to read, so we’re sharing a few books from our summer reading that have a connection to out-of-school-time (OST) themes such as professional development or OST experiences.

This month, the second cohort of National Afterschool Matters (NASM) Fellows reaches the end of its tenure as the third cohort prepares to start. Take a look at some of the work published by our first two cohorts of out-of-school-time (OST) professionals during the course of their fellowships, covering professional development, youth development, and how to design engaging OST programs.

As students around the U.S. prepare to head back to school in the coming weeks, we wanted to share some papers from our Afterschool Matters journal that look at the ways that schools and out-of-school-time programs can be effective partners in serving youth.

This week marks National Summer Learning Week, so we're highlighting some papers from our Afterschool Matters journal that showcase the importance of summer learning.

Summer learning loss, the idea that during the summer, students forget months of what they learn during the school year, with low-income students falling even further behind--has for many years been a driving force behind the implementation of comprehensive summer learning programs that blend academic and enrichment learning experiences.

Summer is approaching fast, so we're happy to share two pieces from our National Afterschool Matters fellows on creating engaging summer programs.

Ellen Gannett, NIOST senior strategist and former director, is featured in a new documentary, The History of Afterschool in America.

UPDATE: This position has been filled as of June 10, 2019.

NIOST is hiring! We're seeking a training associate to join our team at Wellesley College and help us increase quality for all in out-of-school time!

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month! NIOST research and publications show how out-of-school-time programs can invest carefully to ensure the best physical activity programming.

We at NIOST are delighted to celebrate Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week this week and to offer an extra special "thank you" to all of the out-of-school-time (OST) professionals making a difference in the lives of children across the nation, including our Afterschool Matters Fellows.

Dr. Katie Bouman has been receiving recognition recently for her key contributions to the team that gave us the world's first image of a black hole. We at NIOST are proud of the work being done in out-of-school-time (OST) programs to support girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, as evidenced by these articles in our Afterschool Matters journal.

NIOST is going to the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) Annual Convention March 15 to 18 in New York City! Several NIOST staff members and a number of our National Afterschool Matters fellows will be presenting workshops; NIOST Senior Strategist and former Director Director Ellen Gannett will also be given a special Leadership Award.

NIOST, as a founding member of the Healthy Out-of-School-Time (HOST) Coalition, is proud to mark National School Breakfast Week this week, a celebration launched 30 years ago to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program to all children.

Out-of-school-time (OST), education, and youth development professionals in mid-career are invited to apply for the National Afterschool Matters (NASM) Fellowship, a one-year leadership development program that better positions them to inform and contribute to the quality of OST programs, practice, and the broader field.

NIOST loves afterschool, so we're taking part tomorrow in the We Love Afterschool campaign from Afterschool Alliance. Here are five reasons why we say #IHeartAfterschool:

As part of our new series, “Get to Know NIOST,” Kathryn A. Wheeler, a research associate at NIOST, recently took some time to answer questions about her work and the idea of quality in out-of-school time.

NIOST researchers recently collected data through a workforce survey to better understand the experiences of out-of-school time (OST) workers and their careers. We will present preliminary findings at the Wellesley Centers for Women Lunchtime Seminar Series on February 28.

This is a season of giving and gratitude, so here are some of the things we’re grateful for in out-of-school time (OST) – and a reminder of how much of an impact gratitude can have in OST and in the lives of children and youth.

We are seeking articles for future issues of Afterschool Matters, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting professionalism, scholarship, and consciousness in afterschool education. Published by the National Institute on Out-of-School-Time (NIOST) with legacy support from the Robert Bowne Foundation, Afterschool Matters serves practitioners who work with youth in out-of-school time (OST) programs, as well as researchers and policymakers in youth development.

Carla O’Donnell-Rizzo, director of school-based programs at Completely KIDS, and one of the 2017-19 National Afterschool Matters Fellows, writes on the Completely KIDS blog about her research on why it is so hard to hire and retain out-of-school-time (OST) professionals.

The newest issue of Afterschool Matters, the national, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting professionalism, scholarship, and consciousness in the field of afterschool education, reflects on the field’s ability to help provide students with experiences outside of the classroom that give them opportunities to stretch their skills, grow friendships, and challenge their limits.

As part of our new series, “Get to Know NIOST: Working Towards Quality for All,” Kathy Schleyer, Director of Training and Quality Improvement at NIOST, recently took some time to answer questions about her work and the idea of quality in out-of-school time.

The National Afterschool Matters (NASM) Fellowship recently held its second retreat for the latest cohort of NASM Fellows, some of the most experienced and diversely talented professionals in the out-of-school time field.

We're excited about a new book on social and emotional learning (SEL) in out-of-school time -- and how NIOST tools have been shown to effectively assess youths' SEL skills.

September is Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month. As a co-founder of the Healthy Out-of-School Time Coalition (HOST), NIOST helped develop the developed the National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards that recommend a fruit or vegetable at every snack or meal. We’re therefore pleased to share these fun fruit and veggie ideas from NIOST Research Associate Elizabeth Starr, who’s tested them all with her own kids!

State primary elections are wrapping up and election season isn't far behind. Regardless of political beliefs, out-of-school-time programs are helping the next generation of voters become informed and engaged citizens, as research from Afterschool Matters has shown.

As children around the U.S. head back to school, we're highlighting a few articles from Afterschool Matters that show the strong connection between out-of-school-time programs and in-school (and in-life) success.

By Judy Chin, NIOST Project Assistant

It is 8:30am on a Wednesday morning, an hour into this pre-calculus summer preparatory class. There is a buzz and excitement going on inside this particular classroom that can be heard from the other side of the door. Not the behavior I was expecting from rising 11th and 12th graders this early on a summer morning in late July as I visit  this program as part of their continuous quality improvement process.

How can we ensure that students have high-quality learning experiences during afterschool programs? We check the data, of course. To make this possible, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time co-developed the APT (Assessment of Program Practices Tool) -- a self-assessment observation tool that afterschool programs can use to identify where their program stacks up when it comes to organization, learning, skill building, and other key aspects that are tied to positive youth outcomes. But developing the tool was just the first step.

By Elizabeth Starr, NIOST Research Associate

About 20 tweens pile into the unassuming studio space of their ballet school in mid-July. There are no frills here. The waiting area is small and a bit disheveled; the cinderblock building has seen its share of life. But look closer: there’s magic inside.

Most afterschool programs in the U.S. offer fruits and vegetables to children, and doing so is associated with membership in the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) and awareness of its Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards, according to a paper co-authored by NIOST researchers.

The National AfterSchool Association (NAA), the lead organization for the advancement of the afterschool professional, has selected the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) as one of NAA’s 2018 Most Influential in Research and Evaluation. Honorees are distinguished for their contributions to research and evaluation on youth and adolescent development.

“NIOST has been a leader in defining, shaping, and promoting out-of-school time as a distinct professional field with evidence-based quality standards for 39 years,” said Georgia Hall, director of NIOST. “We have had the pleasure of not only conducting large and investigator-initiated research, we’ve partnered with on-the-ground program staff to help them measure quality outcomes for all, assess the effectiveness of policies and practices, benchmark against best practices, and develop in-house evaluation skills. We’re proud of this work and the recognition by the National AfterSchool Association.”

Georgia Hall contributed an article to the Women Change Worlds blog on June 21, 2018. She wrote:

"As a country we seem to be moving far away from the nurturing and sustaining activity of the settlement houses of our past. The first settlement house, established in New York City’s Lower East Side – Neighborhood Guild – was founded by Stanton Coit, and just a few years later came Hull House in Chicago, materializing through the passionate vision of Jane Addams.

Summer isn’t just about basketball hoops, sprinkler parks, and popsicles. It’s an ideal time to help adolescents and children catch up on building their reading, writing, and math skills.

“Summer experiences and out-of-school time should be embraced as opportunities to not only help put children on more equal footing when they return to the classroom, but to empower youth so that they return with improved self-esteem and have more positive experiences within the school community,” reports Georgia Hall, Ph.D., director and senior research scientist of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST).

NIOST applauds the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) for its new Afterschool Tech Toolkit, which aims to help integrate technology in afterschool programs and to ensure equitable access to digital learning opportunities, especially in underserved communities. Research in NIOST's Afterschool Matters journal has long shown the importance of out-of-school-time (OST) programs in promoting technology and STEM learning, and offers further ideas for effective, equitable programming.

Wellesley College, home of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, has a significant connection to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, site of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting.

During Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) celebrates the professionals who enhance our youths' healthy development in out-of-school time programs. Learn why in this new video.

Going to the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in New York this week? Catch our session on "Identifying Cultural Biases: Reflections From Developing Video-Based Training for the After-School Program Practices Tool."

This coming weekend is March Madness, the collegiate basketball championships, a good time to consider the social, policy, and bureaucratic issues that affect women in NCAA basketball. Watch researchers from NIOST and colleagues from the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) and Wellesley College, discuss wins, losses, and fouls in a recent lunchtime seminar.