Resource Library
Click each topic to view resources.
IGNITE AFTERSCHOOL: COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT (Free)
A young person’s development is strengthened when positive reinforcement comes from many partners working together—from parents, families and caregivers who feel valued by the program and can better support their children at home to communities that are strengthened by a positive image of youth making valuable contributions to our world. Young people are exposed to new ideas, experiences and/or supports that the program alone can’t provide.
Search Institute – Community Building and Civic Development (Free downloads and information – fee based workshops)
Bringing people together across communities is vital to a strong society and for young people’s development. This can include cross-sector collaboration, collective impact efforts, prevention coalitions, as well as a wide range of efforts to build community and civil society—including engaging and nurturing young people as active participants. Time spent with caring adults outside of the home and classroom can have a profound impact on how youth see themselves and the world around them. We know from our research that Out-of-School Time (OST) programs, ranging from mentorship, athletics, the arts or academic support, have the potential to build social and emotional skills that are critical to young peoples’ success.
School-Community Learning Partnerships: Essential to Expanded Learning Success (Free)
Increasingly, the field of afterschool is recognizing that community partnerships are essential to efforts to expand when, where, how, and what students learn. This article begins with an overview of the benefits of school-community partnerships to students, schools, and community organizations. It then examines the role of partnerships in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative, reviewing national data on the numbers and kinds of partners that 21st Century Community Learning Centers nationwide are engaging with to support student success. The article concludes with a discussion of four features of effective learning partnerships.
Youth Service America – Working Together for the Common Good (Free)
Youth Service America believes that youth, communities, and democracy thrive when we all work together for the common good. YSA is a leading global nonprofit that activates young people, ages 5-25, to find their voice, take action, and acquire powerful civic and 21st Century skills as they solve problems facing their communities.
Resources to Promote Belonging and Inclusion (Free)
The Afterschool Alliance, Every Hour Counts, and the National AfterSchool Association are pleased to present this set of resources to help afterschool and summer learning providers fight hate and promote love in their communities.
Talking to Kids About Racism and Justice: a list for parents, caregivers & educators (Free)
From the New York State Network for Youth Success: Find a variety of resources on how to discuss racism and justice with kids of all ages. Find books for children from toddlers to 7th and up. This site also features impactful articles, videos, and websites to ensure that you have as much information as possible on this important and difficult topic. Click here to learn more!
Joint list of DEI Resources (Free)
The 50 state afterschool networks have complied a joint list of resources for anti-racism and equity education for youth development providers. The list includes: Resources for Providers Engaging with Children and Youth; Lesson Plans; Tips for Talking about Race with Children and Youth; and Book & Film Lists. Click here to learn more!
National Girls Collaborative Project (Free)
NGCP offers many resources to strengthen girl-serving STEM programs, partner networks and Collaborative networks and advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for girls.
SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-BIAS PRACTICES (Free)
This is an eight page pdf covering anti-bias practices, including a framework to draw from and the experiences of various classrooms.
STOP BULLYING (Free)
When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behaviors they send the message that it is not acceptable. We can help youth prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe afterschool environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy. Research shows that Black and Hispanic youth who are bullied are more likely to suffer academically than their white peers.
The Virtual Family Engagement Resources
You for Youth SEL Courses (Free)
The You for Youth (Y4Y) Portal is operated under contract by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, specifically to provide resources for 21CCLC programs. It has a wealth of resources including course tools such as planners and checklists, as well as professionalization resources and external links. It’s free, but you must create an account in order to save course progress and receive certificates of completion.
In the area of family engagement, Y4Y offers a course with 4 components:
- Introduction to Family Engagement – 2 hours – Receive a Basic Level certificate of completion.
- Implementation Strategies – 5-7 hours – Receive an Advanced Level certificate of completion.
- Coaching My Staff – 1 hour – Receive a Leadership Level certificate of completion.
- Tools – Find ready-to-use, customizable tools that can help you in your efforts to engage families.
Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Free)
The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2) is designed to support the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs. There are four main components to the framework: The Challenge, Essential Conditions, Policy and Program Goals, and Capacity Outcomes. Each component has a number of resources intended to help understand and meet the needs of programs seeking to strengthen family relationships.
BRINGING DEVELOPMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS HOME (Free)
This downloadable booklet offers everyday ideas and activities parenting adults can use to build developmental relationships in their families. While the booklet is directed towards parents, it is an excellent resource for program staff to help develop and strengthen relationships with the youth in their programs.
5 WAYS TO BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES (Free)
This document is a 4 page pdf broken into three parts: offering five ways to build strong relationships with families, discussion guide, and certificate of professional development for staff.
IDEAS ON HOW TO GET FAMILIES INVOLVED (Free)
The National Afterschool Association has compiled a list of ideas to increase family involvement in afterschool programs.
Engaging Families in Out-of-School Time Programs Toolkit (Free)
Build the Out-of-School Time Network (BOSTnet) has created a toolkit to help you improve how you involve families in your program and in the success of their children. This Toolkit summarizes best practice tools and strategies from the Engaging Families Initiative. In the Engaging Families Toolkit, you can start off by assessing what stage your program is at with Family Engagement. You may then identify priority areas for improvement and develop a Family Engagement Action Plan that will guide you in taking the next steps toward engaging families in your program.
Back-to-School Guide – Strategies for a Successful 2021-2022 School Year – from Aperture Education (Free)
Social and emotional learning (SEL) will play an important role in supporting both educators and students this year. This Back-to-School Guide is packed with helpful SEL information, lessons, and activities. These articles are organized so you can quickly locate tips and strategies relevant to your area of focus.
You for Youth SEL Courses (Free)
The You for Youth (Y4Y) Portal is operated under contract by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, specifically to provide resources for 21CCLC programs. It has a wealth of resources including course tools such as planners and checklists, as well as professionalization resources and external links. It’s free, but you must create an account in order to save course progress and receive certificates of completion.
In the area of social emotional learning, Y4Y offers a course with 5 components:
- Introduction – 2 hours – receive a Basic Level of certificate of completion
- Implementation Strategies – 5-7 hours – receive an Advanced Level certificate of completion
- Coaching My Staff – 1 hour – receive a Leadership Level certificate of Completion
- Tools – Find ready-to-use, customizable tools that can help you plan, design, implement and assess an effective social and emotional learning program
- Learn More Library – find links to numerous external resources including videos, lesson plans, publications and more.
National Afterschool Association survey findings suggest that, while organizations and programs value SEL and many professionals implement SEL practice, many do not feel knowledgeable talking about SEL. NAA and American Institutes for Research (AIR) have developed this guide as a support for afterschool professionals and leaders. Free.
Integrating SEL into academic Instruction – from Aperture Education (Free)
Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills can easily be taught to students K-8 right alongside core academic instruction in classrooms or afterschool programs. From reading, writing, and arithmetic, SEL can be woven into nearly any subject. In fact, SEL often makes teaching core instruction easier because when students have strong social and emotional competence, they are more engaged, motivated, and ready to learn. Here you will find 10 activities and lesson ideas — organized by subject area and grade level — to get you started.
A comprehensive online toolkit for starting an afterschool program made available by the Nebraska statewide afterschool network.
A resource from the American Institutes for Research (AIR).
Impact AfterSchool – Afterschool Program Start-Up Guide (Free)
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance has put together this guide to provide guidance for those wishing to start an afterschool program. It includes sections on planning, funding, organizing, staffing, training staff, reporting, partnerships, evaluation, and family engagement. Especially helpful is the “What I Wish I Would Have Known In My First Year”, as well as the check-lists and time-line sections. Use this as a blueprint for creating your action plan and assist you during the start-up phase of program implementation.
MRTQ offers technical assistance for Maine programs and can answer questions related to becoming licensed and/or accepting childcare subsidy.
New York State Network for Youth Success – Program Start-Up Resources (Free)
On this webpage you will find links to various resources that will guide you in starting an afterschool program, including sections on funding, program design and quality, expanded learning models, middle school programs, and managing the media.
The National Summer Learning Association (Free)
The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) is a national, non-profit organization focused on the powerful impact of one achievable goal: investing in summer learning to help close the achievement gap. NSLA offers resources and training in areas such as program planning, program management, systems building, and positive youth development.
Summer Learning Toolkit by the Wallace Foundation (Free)
With more than 50 evidence-based tools and resources—drawn from the work of five urban school districts and their partners, and aligned with research from RAND—the Summer Learning Toolkit helps educators deliver programs that make a real difference. It includes sections on planning, student recruitment, academics and enrichment, staffing, and site climate.
Elementary School Summer Session Activities (Free)
Keep your students motivated and occupied by creating some fun, hands-on activities that will keep them inspired to learn throughout the summer. Here you will find a collection of lessons, activities and ideas to use in your summer school classroom.
Kid Activities – Free Resources For Parents and Teachers (Free)
Not just for summer, but parents and teachers will be able to discover and develop lesson plans, find fun games and activities for kids, uncover kid appropriate jokes & riddles, and gather ideas for holiday celebrations.
20 After-School Activities That Are Actually Fun (Free)
Because your kids are always in the pursuit of happiness. And hey, they might learn from these too (but don’t tell them that)!
Extension & Enrichment Activities (Free)
These cross-curricular enrichment activities are perfect for teachers and staff working with an extended-day program. Enhance children’s creativity with a wide variety of crafts, puzzles, games, and outdoor activities that will help you extend any topic. Build skills in critical thinking, listening, memory, visualization, and concentration through singing, hands-on science experiments, physical education games, word puzzles, art projects, and more!
Unit One (Who Am I)
Unit Two (Healthy Life)
Unit Three (Passion Purpose)
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Unit Four (Invention Imagination)
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Unit Five (Exploring My World)
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