Edutopia, a trusted source shining a spotlight on what works in education, recently released a new collection of compelling videos that connect what we know about the science of learning and development with practical applications for educators and providers in all youth-serving settings. The collection highlights exemplary out-of-school time programs in four communities and examines the best practices at work. While the videos were filmed pre-COVID, the strategies and themes are more important than ever.

Offering hybrid or virtual programming this fall? Quality matters in those spaces, too! This session was designed for those already familiar with observation assessment using the Youth and School Age PQA tools. Adaptations for use in virtual program settings, an overview of new PQA scoring options, and guidance for conducting assessments are covered in this recording.

CASEL CARES is a new initiative from CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) that connects individuals and communities with experts to address how Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) can be most helpful in today’s circumstances. It is important to recognize that the most vulnerable students are at particular risk during this time. As part of the CASEL CARES webinar series, the Education Trust’s John King and the Forum’s Karen Pittman recently offered reflections on existing inequities in education that have been exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.

While many youth-serving programs have adapted quickly in response to COVID-19, disruptions to research and evaluation data collection efforts have left practitioners with questions about how to complete current projects and what information to collect to guide future planning. This webinar convenes researchers, evaluators, and funders to discuss practical solutions for interrupted data collection efforts and reporting expectations to promote the continuation of quality improvement conversations and the sharing of program impact stories.

Take a look at this video for brief highlights from the release of the latest Index. Please share this information with others.

We have 40 years of evidence that shows us how learning happens but what’s next? How can students benefit from this knowledge? How can we continuously improve quality in learning settings to support social, emotional and academic development? In this brief video, the Forum for Youth Investment's CEO and co-founder Karen Pittman delves into these topics.