Newsletter

Program Quality News: November 2021

November 4, 2021

Good morning!

This week, we are excited to announce the publication of the latest volume in IAP’s Current Issues in Out-of-School Time (OST) series, which I co-edited with Tom Akiva of the University of Pittsburgh. It Takes an Ecosystem explores the idea and potential of the Allied Youth Fields—an aspirational term that suggests increased connection across the multiple systems in which adults engage with young people. The chapters in this book provide ideas, tools, examples, and visions for a more connected, more equitable world for young people and the adults in their lives. If you’re eager to read it, copies are now available for purchase. Over the next few months, we’ll highlight particular chapters and themes, and let you know about webinars and other events that will be taking place to further the conversations about cultivating healthy learning and development ecosystems that support young people to thrive. Be sure to also check out the Changing the Odds Medium page today for the launch of a new blog series by the Readiness Projects featuring the book’s authors.

We are continuing to add to our team! Check out our job openings page to see the latest opportunities on the Weikart Center team and across the Forum. We are currently looking for two administrative assistants to join the Weikart Center team to support the range of logistics that happen behind the scenes to support our partners with high quality tools, resources, and training opportunities. We are also looking for an Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications to join the Forum’s executive leadership team. The new Strategic Communications EVP will play a critical role in supporting the development and dissemination of the Forum’s strategic plan and will be building processes that help us advance external and internal communications. Please share these opportunities with your networks! Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@forumfyi.org.

Have a wonderful day,

Kimberly H. Robinson, Ph.D. | (she, her, hers)
Managing Director, David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality
Executive Vice President, The Forum for Youth Investment
kim@forumfyi.org

Mark your calendar
  • Visit the Afterschool Alliance’s website to see highlights from the amazing celebrations that took place last week to honor afterschool programs & staff as part of Lights On Afterschool. While you’re there, register for Pilot, Astronaut, Leader! Oh my! on November 8 at 3:00 PM ET, a Q&A with NASA Deputy Administrator and Astronaut Pam Melroy to celebrate National STEM Day.
  • The Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) Alliance invites you to join a lively discussion on the Intersection of Anti-Black Racism and Adolescent Development, the first Council Report from the National Scientific Council on Adolescence (NSCA), on Tuesday, November 9 at 4:30 PM ET. Speakers will discuss how adolescents experience anti-Black racism and the impact it has on their learning and development, including within the school context.
  •  Join the Urban Institute and the Forum for Youth Investment on November 10 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET for Using Evidence for Promoting Equity for Children and Youth, a conversation about how evidence and evaluation can promote and reflect equity initiatives in the policy space, particularly policies that affect children and youth.
  • Registration is open for the 2022 American Camp Association National Conference. This year’s theme is Surviving & Thriving, and will take place February 8–11 in Portland, Oregon.
  • Check out the Forum’s Events page to register for our public trainings! Current opportunities include an SEL PQA External Assessor Reliability Training (EART), Youth EART, and Planning with Data.

Resources from the field
  • The Children’s Funding Project has developed a collection of tools and resources to help policymakers, service providers, and advocates use the historic level of federal aid available through the American Rescue Plan.
  • The Wallace Foundation’s Out-of-School Time Cost Calculator ​lets you determine the costs of a variety of options for high-quality afterschool programs and the summer portions of year-round programs.
  • The Aspen Institute released a report this month – United We Learn: Honoring America’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Education – which looks at empirical research on teaching about race and racism, across more than 40 studies on child development, beliefs about academic ability, positive ethnic-racial identity, and sense of belonging.
Read as a PDF.

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