In this article, the author describes a Seattle-based nonprofit organization, Powerful Voices, designed to help girls realize their dreams, engage their communities, and shape a better world. One among many efforts to address the equity gap for girls of color, Powerful Voices intertwines gender- and race-specific practices with evidence-based…

Afterschool programs are currently conceptualized in two ways. One is represented by "expanded learning," which includes a wide range of content-rich opportunities in the hours outside of school, including summer camps. The operating assumption is that, in structured out-of-school time (OST) programs, children can learn concepts or develop…

Business leaders, educators, and government leaders agree that, in order for the United States to retain its standing as a world leader, public and private institutions need to work together to develop a well-qualified workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, the number of graduates with STEM degrees has not…

Self-assessment is an often-overlooked alternative to external assessment. Program staff can use self-assessment processes to systematically review the quality of their afterschool programming and to facilitate discussions on ways to enhance it. Self-assessment of point-of-service activities, which can provide a wealth of valuable information…

That the English learner (EL) student population is growing is not a problem, but that ELs are not generally thriving in U.S. classrooms is. ELs score lower on tests, get poorer grades, take fewer advanced or college prep classes at the secondary level, and graduate from high school at much lower rates than do native speakers of English. Moreover,…

When the author accepted a job with the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA as the director of the Beacon Center on the campus of Burton High School in San Francisco, she found out that New Day for Learning (NDL), an initiative that helps schools implement the community schools model, had chosen Burton as a pilot site. The author had heard that community…