After-school programs are popular with parents and the community, but are a lot of extra work for headteachers and the staff involved. This book will provide headteachers and administrators with the guidance they need to build a successful and sustainable after-school program. Based on a national study conducted by the author, this hands-on…

This guide suggests that truancy is not just a school problem but a community problem, and the whole community needs to come together to devise solutions. This monthly action kit provides tools to help communities combat truancy. It contains: (1) important facts about truancy; (2) some ideas on how to assess the local problem; (3) actions that can…

Culture studies/global education could easily occupy students' time for an entire academic year. However, faced with the realities of the typical teaching day, it is difficult to find time for anything new or different. One solution is to provide students in the social studies with enrichment learning opportunities through the creation of an…

La Escuelita, a Warwick (Rhode Island) Spanish language instruction program for children in grades 3 through 6, originated in 1983 in a group-tutoring program and expanded under the auspices of the local Parent-Teacher Association into an after-school activity for all city schoolchildren. The PTA undertook the administrative tasks, and the…

Noting that the need for after-school child care will vary considerably by community, this tool kit has been developed to encourage local collaborations of community members to examine the needs and programs for school-age care, with this term including child care before school and during the summer, in their community. The guide provides a…

Noting that many after-school programs are exploring ways to help children develop strong literacy skills, this paper is designed to help program providers think about ways to support literacy development, clarify the types of services various staff are qualified to provide, and offer ideas about strategies to best meet the needs of children and…

Despite widespread support for out-of-school time programs, many of these programs rely on time-limited core funding and struggle to find new funds to sustain their programs and initiatives as initial grants expire. This report provides concrete tips and examines ways out-of-school time initiative leaders have succeeded in replacing initial seed…

This booklet provides schools with ideas for using their afterschool programs in new and effective ways to promote student achievement and meet the needs of students and community. It illustrates a variety of activities, separated by subject matter, that are available through the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). These activities include reading…

For young adolescents, the link that exists between learning during the school day and opportunities for educational and social growth in the afterschool hours warrants attention. By implementing the connections of this link, young people will be able to utilize the proper skills, experiences, and guidance necessary to become contributing members…

Based on the assumption that the school-age caregiver can effectively facilitate children's development, this monograph for staff development examines reasons for teaching children social skills and presents a step-by-step method to do so. Seven skills are considered paramount: community-building, control, confidence, curiosity, coping,…

This manual presents a 10-day lesson plan for day camp and after-school program leaders. The activities and experiments described in the manual focus on nutrition and space exploration. Topics covered by the lesson plan and specific projects include: (1) gravity; (2) food spoilage; (3) model rocket building and launching; (4) the basic food…

Currently at least 5 million children--some estimates are as high as 15 million--are left unsupervised before or after school for 3 or more hours a day. In response to the problems of these latchkey children, many public schools are now developing some form of school-based or school-related before- and after-school child care programs. The purpose…

Sustainability is a critical issue for the vast array of community initiatives that promote healthy children, strong families, and safe communities. Noting that sustaining an initiative over time requires maintaining sufficient fiscal resources as well as a combination of nonfiscal resources from the initiative itself and the broader community,…

Noting the importance of good nutrition to out-of-school time programs serving children, this strategy brief provides an overview of the major sources of federal food and nutrition funds that can support out-of-school time and community school programs. The brief then highlights five strategies that community leaders and program developers can…

Advocates the creation of an "at-home" environment in after-school programs to encourage children to wind down after active days and to make child care a place of security, love, and fun. Suggests that a quiet environment, snacks, homework, puzzles and games, outdoor or gymnasium play comprise an effective after-school program. (KDFB)