February 5, 2025 NIOST Conducting Survey to Support OST STEM Workforce The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) is conducting a survey that is aimed at supporting the OST STEM workforce. Learn More The survey poses questions on the topic of how afterschool and summer programs can best recruit, train, and retain out-of-school-time staff who offer STEM activities. It is being conducted by NIOST at Wellesley College with support from the Overdeck Family Foundation and in partnership with the National Afterschool Association. The goal of the study is to inform program leaders and educators how to best obtain, prepare, and support staff to deliver high-quality STEM activities in out-of-school programs. NIOST is calling on out-of-school-time program directors to take part in the survey, which takes about 20 minutes to complete. All data collected in the study is for research purposes only. Participants will not include their names when completing the survey. Any questions should be directed to Georgia Hall, of Wellesley College, at 781-283-3499 or ghall@wellesley.edu. The study is available online.
November 5, 2024 National AfterSchool Association Opens Next Gen Leader Nominations The National AfterSchool Association (NAA) is calling for nominations for its Next Generation of AfterSchool Leaders. Learn More Each year, the NAA recognizes a cohort of emerging young leaders in after-school and out-of-school time professions. NAA’s Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders identifies young leaders and recognizes and cultivates the talent of afterschool advocates who have the potential to influence the field. Honorees will have demonstrated contributions that have started to influence beyond individual programs to organizations and communities, a passion of developing themselves and others, active engagement in efforts to improve the afterschool field, and persistence in their work to grow as leaders. Nominees should be ages 30 or below and vested in such areas as advocacy, professional development, creative program design, the power of youth voice, data and evaluation, and social justice. Submitting a Nominee Those interested in submitting a nominee should do so by Wednesday, Dec. 4. Individuals submitted as nominees should be active in the broader after-school community, including but not limited to membership in NAA and its state affiliates, and actively engaged in efforts to elevate the after-school field and profession. Each honoree will receive a free NAA membership, a free NAA25 Convention registration, ongoing leadership development, support in broadening their professional networks, and other opportunities. For more information, visit the National AfterSchool Association website.
September 11, 2024 National Afterschool Association: Thriving Evidence Webinar The National Afterschool Association will host an upcoming webinar on child and youth growth and development. Learn More Thriving Evidence will be a candid discussion of the current landscape of state and local policies that allow students to get credit for anywhere, anytime learning. The webinar will explore how and why these policies have come into being, and how they have supported or unintentionally thwarted the development of robust learning ecosystems that illuminate multiple pathways toward accruing credits that matter for young adults. The webinar will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Registration is now open.
August 28, 2024 Webinar: An OST Leader’s Guide to Leveraging AI The National Afterschool Association is hosting an upcoming webinar on a new version of an AI-powered language model. Learn More An OST Leader’s Guide to Leveraging AI will feature a discussion on ChatGPT 4.0, the newest version of an AI-powered, large language model that is changing how OST professionals work. Whether one is a program director, administrator, or development officer, the webinar will show attendees how to harness the power of ChatGPT to streamline operations, enhance programming, and boost communications. Those who attend the webinar will learn: The basics of ChatGPT 4.0 – what it can do and why it is useful for the OST sector How to leverage ChatGPT as a personal assistant How to master prompt engineering; how to train it to understand specific needs Tips for effective AI interaction The webinar is designed for OST professionals who want to save time, reduce workload, and focus on making a difference in the lives of children and families they serve. It aims to enable attendees to walk away with practical tips and strategies to incorporate the tool into daily work. More Details The webinar begins at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Registration is now open.
June 25, 2024 Afterschool Alliance and NAA Partner for Afterschool Workforce Initiative The Afterschool Alliance and the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) have announced a strategic partnership aimed at fostering a skilled and stable workforce within the afterschool and summer field to ensure increased access to quality programming for children and youth. Learn More The collaboration between the two organizations comes at a time when the nation is coping with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and programs are experiencing staffing shortages while students’ needs are continuing to grow. This is the first time that the two organizations are formally collaborating by combining NAA’s leadership on professional development with the Afterschool Alliance’s policy and advocacy expertise. The needs prompting this collaboration include: Staffing shortages and the ability to recruit staff have been challenges for program providers. More than eight in 10 report concerns in surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023. Program provider surveys in the past three years have found a majority of programs reporting difficulties hiring or retaining staff. The most recent survey in 2023 found that 57% of providers reported this to be the case. Resources that the two organizations have been told would be most helpful for programs include advice on staff burnout and keeping teams engaged. “Research and the lived experience of our workforce shows that skilled and knowledgeable program staff are critical to desired youth outcomes, and our initiative strives to provide research, resources, standards, and best practices to strengthen the workforce,” said NAA CEO Gina Warner. Planned Initiatives The new partnership officially began in March. Activities planned as part of the initiative include: NAA hosted the third annual Workforce Summit as part of the 2024 NAA Convention. NAA began circulating draft national OST Job Quality Standards, set for release on June 25. The Afterschool Alliance and NAA, along with various partners, released a searchable online database featuring promising national, state, and local strategies to address workforce challenges. The Afterschool Alliance and NAA convened afterschool and summer advocates to share resources and strategize at the Alliance’s 23rd annual Afterschool for All Challenge. For more information on the initiative, visit the NAA’s website. About Afterschool Alliance The Afterschool Alliance is the leading national voice for afterschool and summer enrichment programs and the young people and families who depend on these programs to keep youth safe, support working families, and offer enriching learning opportunities. The NAA focuses on supporting, developing, and advocating for those who work with and for youth in out-of-school time.