A quality program builds meaningful relationships and collaborates with families and caregivers to enhance programming and foster the healthy development of youth. A quality program develops community partnerships to establish an educative community and form an interconnected network that supports the holistic well-being of youth.
Featured Resource
Engaging Families in Afterschool – Webinar
This webinar will walk you through best practices of engaging families in your program and give you tips on how to start today.
Research & Best Practices
Better Together: Building Local Systems to Improve Afterschool – Wallace Foundation
Engaging with Families in Out-of-School Time Learning – Harvard Family Research Project
Strengtening Partnerships and Building Public Will for Out-of-School Time Programs – Wallace Foundation
Strengtening Partnerships Research Brief – You for Youth
Growing Together, Learning Together: What Cities Have Discovered About Building Afterschool Systems – Wallace Foundation
Financial Strategies to Support Citywide Systems of Out-of-School Time Programs – Wallace Foundation
Building Citywide Systems for Quality: A Guide and Case Studies for Afterschool Leaders – Wallace Foundation
Growing Young Minds: How Museums and Libraries Create Lifelong Learners – Institute of Museum and Library Services
Focus on Families: How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School – Harvard Family Research Project
Increasing Family and Parent Engagement in After-School (Publication) – The After-School Corporation (TASC)
Engaging Library Partners in 4H Programming – Afterschool Matters
Afterschool Toolkit: Community to Business – Corporate Voices for Working Families
Afterschool Training Toolkit: Involving Day Schools, Families, and Communities – National Center on Quality Afterschool
Expanding Afterschool Opportunities: Action Kit for Municipal Leaders – National League of Cities
Strengthening Partnerships and Building Public Will for Out-of-School Time Programs: Strategy Guide – National League of Cities
Creating a Vision for Afterschool Partnerships – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
United Way Out-of-School Time Toolkit: Engage Stakeholders
Putting it All Together: Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens – Public/Private Ventures
Out-of-School Time: Leveraging Higher Education for Quality – Foundations, Inc.
Creating Change: How organizations connect with youth, build communities, and strengthen themselves – Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development
Connecting with Community Partners – Click2Science