Newsletter

Program Quality News: October 2021

October 7, 2021

Good Afternoon!

Education First recently released a new report, Heeding the Call for Change: Centering Equity in Social & Emotional Learning (SEL). I had the opportunity to be interviewed during their data-gathering process and contributed perspective about how the Weikart Center’s SEL approach—that focuses on what adults need to do to create the conditions where young people are able to develop SEL skills—can shift the narrative in ways that support equity. The report has lots of interesting examples that can help advance and strengthen SEL practice.

The Forum for Youth Investment, in partnership with Learning Policy Institute and Turnaround for Children, and in association with the SoLD Alliance, recently released “Design Principles for Community-Based Settings: Putting the Science of Learning and Development Into Action”. This resource, which draws insights from the Preparing Youth to Thrive guide and references many of the Weikart Center’s resources and supports, provides practical guidance to tap into assets of community-based settings and ensure we put the science of learning and development into action in all learning settings. Our SEL youth work methods and SEL series for leaders can be helpful resources to support putting these ideas into practice.

Speaking of trainings, we have been adding events to our public training calendar and have many upcoming live virtual opportunities where we hope to see you. Click on the events below to learn more and register:

  • External Assessor Reliability Trainings for the Youth, School-Age, and SEL PQAs (dates throughout fall)
  • PQA Basics on October 15 from 9am-3pm ET
  • Emotion-Centered Practices Learning Community Series from November 4-18
  • Youth Work Management Training-of-Trainers (TOT) from November 8-18
  • Planning with Data on December 1 from 12pm-6pm ET

We have also set a date for what we hope will be our first in-person Methods TOT since December 2019! It will be April 25-28, 2022, in Ypsilanti, MI. Registration is not yet open, but please fill out our TOT interest form if you hope to attend.

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
  • The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is virtually hosting the 2021 SEL Exchange Virtual Summit on October 14, 2021, to engage with youth, educators, researchers, and community partners to leverage the power of SEL to move beyond talk and build tomorrow together.
  • Join National Urban League on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 2:00pm EDT for Emerging Voices from the Pandemic: Students Speak Out, a behind-the-scenes talk with the students featured in their 13-part film series about young people’s remote learning experiences and discover how communities can better advocate for students affected by the pandemic.
  • School’s Out Washington’s annual Bridge Conference is back virtually this year on October 26-29. Register to hear from thought-provoking presenters and learn new strategies to build strong programs and equitable systems for young people, in and out of school.

Resources from the field
  • The Intersection of Anti-Black Racism and Adolescent Development, the first Council Report from the National Scientific Council on Adolescence (NSCA), summarizes research on how racism and related inequities impact key developmental milestones of adolescence and offers recommendations to support Black youth within key social contexts of the middle and high school years.
  • Every Hour Counts has developed the “Return to School Guide”, a collection of 45 resources, including many from OST networks around the country, that emerged from the field’s collective pivot to ensure that the transition back to school this fall met the needs of young people, their families, and their communities.
  • Based on new research, Learning Heroes and The Wallace Foundation launched a Playbook for educators, providers, and advocates to communicate the benefits of OST programs and develop policies that make these opportunities more accessible.
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