To explore parents' emotional investment in and behaviors in response to youth sports, the author conducted a mixed-methods investigation to answer four research questions: (1)How do parents feel about their children's participation in organized youth team sports? (2) Which situations trigger which feelings? (3) How do parents' feelings influence…

A key but often overlooked aspect of intentional, out-of-school-time programming is the integration of a guiding theoretical framework. The incorporation of theory in programming can provide practitioners valuable insights into essential processes and principles of successful programs. While numerous theories exist that relate to youth development…

Students from underrepresented groups who seek to become the first in their family to attend college confront economically and racially stratified education systems. This article reports findings from an evaluation of First Graduate, an organization that offers college advising, mentoring, tutoring, and case management to first-generation students…

The demands and opportunities of globalization involve not only America's economic competitiveness, but also national security, the need for tolerance in increasingly diverse communities, and a need to solve pressing social issues. To be successful, students need a comprehensive and integrated set of global learning experiences that help them…

Out-of-school-time programs, especially arts-based programs, can be critical players in a community's efforts to prevent school dropout. This research review suggests the following approaches for arts-based programs: (1) recruitment and retention of target populations with multiple risk factors; (2) long-term skill development that engages youth…

Organizational leaders often work to retain their employees and teach them the knowledge needed in becoming future organizational leaders. The purpose of the study examined in this article was to determine how mentoring within Camp Adventure Child and Youth Services contributes to the development of students selected to deliver programs to…

Professionals who work with youth can have a tremendous impact on the development and life trajectory of these young people. This article reports on an effort to provide support and professional development for those who work with youth during nonschool hours in a youth development fellowship program. Combining intensive residency workshops and a…

If expanded learning is going to make a real difference, then three key principles must inform how communities overcome challenges and assure equitable access to learning opportunities. Much of today's debate is framed in the language of formal education systems--students, classrooms, schools--even though part of the expansion seeks to engage a…

Over the past decade, expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) have begun to redefine the traditional boundaries between the school day and after school, and between the school building and the community. Traditional after-school programs provide services during a set-aside period of time, whereas ELOs strive to integrate school and after-school…

More schools than ever are expanding their schedules beyond the traditional limits of six and a half hours a day, 180 days of the year. Schools serving predominantly high-poverty populations make up the vast majority of this emerging movement as they try to overcome the widespread failure of schooling to meet academic goals for high-risk students.…

From their beginning, community schools have expanded the learning day as a central component of their comprehensive strategy. Community schools of the early twentieth century served as centers of the community where students, families, and community members came to learn, to become civically engaged, and to prepare for the workforce. In this way,…

As federal and state policymakers and many education researchers and experts suggest, expanding the learning day for students makes sense. Given the demographic trends--women increasingly entering the workforce and low-income families working multiple jobs--children and youth need supervision and opportunities to learn in the hours between 3:00…

The After-School Corporation (TASC) follows the national discussion on expanded learning initiatives with much interest. TASC believes that by increasing the amount of time that students spend in school, students can participate in diverse activities that go beyond the structured school curricula that characterize many of the schools nationwide.…

In 2005, the Clarence Edwards middle school in Boston was failing. It was one of the lowest-performing schools in the city and on the verge of closure. Today, the school is thriving as one of Boston's highest-performing middle schools. The catalyst for this dramatic turnaround was the implementation of a new, partner-dependent expanded learning…

Expanded learning time and opportunities (ELTO) requires a committed school leader who is willing to partner with community-based organizations in order to provide strong academic and enrichment daily experiences for his or her students. This article examines four such leaders and the diverse approaches they took to implement ELTO in their…