Afterschool and Service-Learning. Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief PDF Download
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Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 2
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Book Description
Service-learning is a form of instruction in which students design projects to address community needs as part of their academic studies. Many afterschool programs use service-learning to help improve youths' academic achievement, develop their leadership skills and strengthen ties to their community. With proven benefits, service-learning is popular with both schools and the public and studies have shown that youth who volunteer are less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or engage in destructive behavior and are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote and be philanthropic. Service-learning has been shown to increase engagement in learning and can help increase skills that lead to improved academic achievement. Because of the hands-on nature of service-learning projects, many afterschool programs using service-learning report that youth often do not notice that their projects have reinforced academics until project staff point it out. (Contains 9 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 2
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Book Description
Service-learning is a form of instruction in which students design projects to address community needs as part of their academic studies. Many afterschool programs use service-learning to help improve youths' academic achievement, develop their leadership skills and strengthen ties to their community. With proven benefits, service-learning is popular with both schools and the public and studies have shown that youth who volunteer are less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or engage in destructive behavior and are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote and be philanthropic. Service-learning has been shown to increase engagement in learning and can help increase skills that lead to improved academic achievement. Because of the hands-on nature of service-learning projects, many afterschool programs using service-learning report that youth often do not notice that their projects have reinforced academics until project staff point it out. (Contains 9 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 6
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Book Description
The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the third in a series of four issue briefs examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This brief focuses on service-learning opportunities for middle schoolers. Pairing service with academic enrichment can support youth success in many ways. Middle schoolers in particular can benefit greatly from the improved self-confidence and learning gains afforded by service-learning opportunities. Afterschool programs interested in providing service-learning for students must be mindful of the important blend of providing community service opportunities along with an academic component. Whereas community service activities allow youth to develop and apply their skills and knowledge to real-life situations and enhance their ability to become productive, contributing adult citizens, including an academic component by allowing youth to lead the service project ties youth development goals to actual gains in the classroom. All of this leads to better students and a brighter future, and highlights an example of how afterschool benefits children, schools and their communities. (Contains 15 endnotes.) [For the related reports, see "Aligning Afterschool with the Regular School Day: The Perfect Complement. MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 50" (ED522625); "Afterschool: A Strategy for Addressing and Preventing Middle School Bullying. MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 51" (ED539793); and "Literacy in Afterschool: An Essential Building Block for Learning and Development. MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 53" (ED539788).].
Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 4
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Book Description
The 21st century's information economy is creating more jobs that require not only a college education but also at least some expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, collectively known as STEM. Across the country, schools and communities are finding that the hours after school are particularly conducive to project-based activities where a wide variety of children can participate in the design, construction, investigation, sense-making, and communication of science projects. Additionally, after-school program connections to community organizations such as museums and science centers can change attitudes about math and science, giving students from under-represented communities, opportunity to gain the necessary skills to compete in formal science classrooms. Some after-school programs are making headway, giving students extra time to explore the STEM fields. The report concludes that after-school programs have proven to be effective supports for young people on a variety of fronts, including: fostering healthy lifestyles; preventing drop-outs; boosting student academic achievement and self-esteem; and helping young people find and develop their passions. As the public and parents become more concerned about students falling behind in math and science, they are realizing that the extra hours after school can be used to help young people keep up and excel. It is noted, however, that after-school programs alone can not make up all lost ground, but that they can and should be part of a comprehensive approach to giving more young people a chance to discover an interest in STEM, and an aptitude that could lead many to choose degrees and careers in emergent STEM fields. (Contains 19 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 6
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Book Description
Since the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools have been under increased pressure to demonstrate gains in academic achievement, primarily measured through test scores. Despite school day interventions designed to improve student achievement, many schools struggle to improve these outcomes. In addition, there is growing interest in giving students broader opportunities and experiences so they have a better chance to succeed in these rapidly changing times. Those challenges, coupled with the upcoming reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, have led school system leaders and policy makers across the country to consider extending the amount of time children and youth spend in school in order to boost their academic performance and enhance their skills and knowledge. There's good reason to consider extending learning time. On average, children spend only 20 percent of their waking hours in school. Typically, schools are in session 180 days a year, six and one half hours a day. Keeping schools open longer to meet the needs of children and communities was recommended in 1994's "Prisoners of Time." Expanding learning opportunities was one key reason the federal government has invested in 21st Century Community Learning Centers--the nation's only federal funding source dedicated to afterschool programs--for nearly a decade. (Contains 13 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 2
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Studies show that afterschool programs improve academic achievement, reduce grade retention and increase student attendance and interest in school. Across the country, afterschool is a key element in strategies to turn around under-performing schools. The superintendent of Philadelphia and the governor of Virginia have used afterschool to turn their schools around. Congress recognized the benefits of afterschool by mandating provision of extra learning opportunities in afterschool hours through the creation of the Title I Supplemental Educational Services program. According to state departments of education, more than 7,000 schools in the United States are considered in need of improvement. Characteristics of successful schools include high academic achievement, clear standards and evaluation processes, community involvement and students who are engaged in learning. Afterschool programs offer a chance to reinforce and supplement the curriculum by offering new and different opportunities for learning that further engage students in school. Community involvement frequently is built in, as many afterschool programs are partners with community- and faith-based organizations. (Contains 7 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 2
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Book Description
The need for youth to be supervised and safe does not end with the school year. For this reason, summer programs like those funded by the US Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program are vital for the well-being of youth. Summer schools have traditionally served youth who are in need of remedial academic assistance, although many schools and community-based organizations have created programs which provide recreation and extracurricular learning for all youth. Like afterschool programs, summer programs keep kids safe, help working families and improve academic achievement. Summer programs also provide opportunities to encourage service and volunteerism among young people. Additionally, summer programs are also critical to ensuring that youth receive the same nutritious meals and snacks during the summer as those offered during the school year. Although summer programs provide an essential service to youth and the community, these programs are often among the first to be affected by budget cuts, and communities increasingly are looking toward grants like the 21st CCLC program to provide youth with safe and enriching summer experiences. (Contains 10 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 6
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Preparing youth for success in tomorrow's workforce is of increasing concern to American schools, communities, policymakers and businesses. After-school programs are uniquely situated to help youth develop the skills needed in the 21st Century workplace. The after-school setting provides additional time for learning, and allows for engaging instructional methods, such as project-based learning, real world application and smaller group sizes. In 2000, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that increased competition on a global scale was giving rise to a trend of "high-performance workplaces" in which flexible, decentralized work practices are carried out by multi-skilled workers. NCES acknowledged that, at the time of the report, these types of workplaces were in the minority and were clustered in a few industrial sectors. However, NCES predicted that, in the near future, the skills required of front-line workers may increase to include proficiency using a variety of machines and technology, and personal skills such as flexibility, problem-solving, responsibility, teamwork, and initiative. NCES also predicted that in an increasingly service-based economy, the need for critical-thinking and social skills would also increase. More recently, the Department of Education has asserted that "today's flexible workplaces rely on people who can handle multiple tasks, interact well with colleagues, respond to varying customer needs, identify problems and make quick decisions on how to fix them." The afterschool field recognizes that preparing the future workforce to be competitive in the global economy is something that quality programs can contribute to. In fact, they have been helping young people develop such skills for decades. The genesis of today's afterschool program can be traced back to the turn of the century and the desire of 'boys clubs', settlement houses and churches and other religious organizations to provide safe, supervised environments for children during the after school hours. As afterschool grows, a range of practices are being refined and in turn these practices are being replicated in programs throughout the nation. Since 2000, numerous afterschool evaluations and studies of promising programs continue to identify practices that help children and youth succeed, both in school and out. In addition, the skills gained in afterschool go beyond those that can be measured by grades and test scores. The extra learning time, and time to develop leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills, are essential to ensuring that today's youth are prepared for tomorrow's workplace. (Contains 19 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 4
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After-school advocates and practitioners face a seemingly continual struggle for adequate funding. While there have been successes, budgets have tightened at all levels of government, and advocates must be prepared to demonstrate that after-school programs are a worthy investment. This report highlights benefits of these programs by pointing out that a struggling student is not the sole bearer of the cost of academic difficulty: remedial education, absenteeism, grade repetition, drop-outs, crime, drug use, teen pregnancy and income lost are some of the costs taxpayers bear when a young person does not succeed in school. These costs start tallying when school begins and last for a lifetime. As manufacturing jobs dwindle, the next generation of workers will need more education and advanced skills in order to succeed as productive members of the workforce. If future workers come out the end of the education pipeline unable to meet these standards, businesses bear the cost of retraining. Studies and evaluations continue to demonstrate that after-school programs are cost-effective and save money by addressing risky and expensive (for society) behaviors by keeping youth busy during the hours they are most likely to get into trouble, and providing young people with access to caring adults who provide the support they need to succeed, whether in homework help or learning how to say no to drugs. Children and youth who regularly attend quality after-school programs have better grades and conduct in school, are more likely to graduate, and have lower incidences of drug-use, violence and pregnancy. The flexibility of after-school programs means that they are uniquely able to tailor themselves to what their community needs. Beyond the bottom line, many benefits to individual students, teachers, schools and communities cannot be assigned a dollar value. Time to find a passion or a skill, better self-esteem, teamwork skills, confidence, a greater sense of curiosity, a lifelong love of learning: society will reap the benefits of making an investment to create future generations of scientists, teachers, leaders, artists and thoughtful citizens. Quality after-school programs, like schools themselves, need quality staff, effective curricula and community collaboration in order to succeed. Federal, state and local governments need to put their weight behind developing policies that support staff and curriculum development and regular evaluation so programs can best serve today's youth and tomorrow's adult citizens. (Contains 18 endnotes.).).
Author: Afterschool Alliance
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 8
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Book Description
Today's classrooms reflect a full spectrum of abilities, interests and cultures. In part due to standardized testing's influence on the school curriculum and the pace at which students must move through the coursework, meeting the needs of individual students during the school day is challenging. Many students are falling behind and, as a result, there is a growing necessity to provide more student-centered, personalized learning opportunities that accommodate different interests and approaches to learning. With the support and guidance of teachers and caring adults, students can become the center of their own learning and have the power to create innovative and experiential projects and activities. Increasingly, high quality afterschool programs focused on the whole child are helping youth gain access to more resources and providing an unparalleled space for them to have a hand in their own learning in ways that suit their most pressing needs and keenest interests. Innovative afterschool programs with a student-centered approach have the potential to prepare youth as responsible citizens who are in control of their future. (Contains 30 endnotes.).
Author: Afterschool Alliance
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 12
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Book Description
The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, is proud to present the first in their latest series of four issue briefs examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This series explores afterschool and: the Common Core State Standards, students with disabilities and other special needs, data utilization to improve programming, and keeping children safe and supported. With the goal to equip their students with the knowledge and skills they will need in college and in the workplace, currently 45 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards. As the Common Core begins entering more classrooms across the country, students and parents need additional help to understand the standards and familiarize themselves with the standards, and teachers and schools require additional support to ensure they are able to raise student achievement to meet the standards of the Common Core. Afterschool programs can be--and in many places, already are--an integral source of support for teachers, schools, children and parents. This issue brief discusses assessments of U.S. students' math and reading skills compared to their peers globally, the call for a focus on 21st century skills, the goals of the Common Core to help raise students' ability to complete on a global stage, and the variety of ways afterschool programs are working with students, teachers, and schools to support learning under the Common Core. [For the related reports, see "Afterschool Supporting Students with Disabilities and Other Special Needs. MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 64" (ED546847); "Keeping Kids Safe and Supported in the Hours after School. MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 65" (ED546850).].
