The Future Educator Pathway is a comprehensive "Grow Your Own" program designed to recruit, motivate and mentor students of color so they can attend college and become future educators. The Future Educator Pathway is a collaboration between Millersville University and local school districts, and it consists of the following four unique…

This article examines the ways in which interdisciplinary small groups were used in a school setting in order to drive students' "joyful engagement and" literacy instruction. Drawing from the work of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad in "Cultivating Genius" (2020) and "Unearthing Joy" (2023) we designed and implemented a summer…

Exploring Summer Youth Employment Programs: Increasing Access Through Career Pathways builds the case and provides actionable recommendations for state-led support in the intentional alignment of summer youth employment programs (SYEP) with career pathways and the work-based learning continuum, including through Career Technical Education (CTE).…

State early childhood administrators are planning to strategically invest the federal appropriations in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) to address disruptions in children's care and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. State leaders must consider how this one-time funding can be used effectively while understanding the context around…

A high school diploma is no longer enough to get by in the current job market, and high-level knowledge, skills, and abilities are crucial to success especially in the fields of and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Afterschool programs are a critical component and lever to better prepare our youth for college and careers,…

Over the course of the last month, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) have come together to define the essential elements that they believe are necessary to effectively understand and address the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted students' academic and developmental experiences.…

Kathleen Riley begins this article by providing quotes from James H. Lytle, and Anissa Weinraub, which were published in "Perspectives on Urban Education" in the summer of 2013. While they hold different professional positions (Lytle is a retired administrator and professor; Weinraub is a teacher and organizer), both wrote as…

One in three children in this country is overweight or obese. One in five children lives in food-insecure households that struggle to put food on the table. Both problems affect millions of children. Both can occur in the same child at the same time. Both are linked to poor academic performance, behavior problems, and high rates of school…

Public libraries have long supported the literacy goals of public schools in their communities by providing access to printed and electronic resources that enhance learning and teaching. This article describes an ongoing collaboration between the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's BLAST outreach program and the Pittsburgh Public Schools that has…

The foundation and impetus for a sustained professional development program offering 44 graduate courses serving 641 FCS educators (approximately 50% returning participants) in Pennsylvania and the surrounding area were the six assumptions of Knowles related to the motivation of adult learners. Education researcher Malcolm Knowles asserts that…

This article looks at media literacy education as a critical part of education for today's youth, focusing not only on the critical thinking and technical skills it provides, but also the other side of these programs--the many social benefits they offer in addition to their skill development. To draw attention to this quieter side of media…

The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) is a special entity within the National League of Cities (NLC). The YEF Institute helps municipal leaders take action on behalf of the children, youth, and families in their communities. The YEF Institute's first-ever report on The State of City Leadership for Children and Families…

The CollegeKeys Compact[TM] is a national call to action to school districts, colleges and universities, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations to identify, share and expand programs and practices that address the needs and challenges of low-income students and help them get ready for, get into and get through college. The College…

WorkReady Philadelphia is the City's comprehensive approach to youth workforce development. Since its founding in 2003, the initiative's efforts have leveraged funds from a variety of sources to significantly expand available opportunities for Philadelphia's youth. The WorkReady Philadelphia system aligns the efforts of the private sector,…

Summer camps provide opportunities for children to experience play, pleasurable activities, and social interaction with other children of similar ages and interests and are an integral part of the modern-day American cultural landscape. The authors discuss the emergence of summer camps for children with special needs, the types of play activities…