The importance attached to the development of strong character is evident in schools, out-of-school time (OST) programs, and the workplace. Providers of OST programs must infuse their programs with activities that build positive social and emotional skills in order to help mold future human capital. Educators, employers, and society as a whole…

Most educators believe that social and emotional learning (SEL) skills are a fundamental part of good teaching and learning. Long before the pandemic, surveys showed that teachers believed these skills were essential for students to learn at school, and research confirmed that they are linked with measures of academic success. Educators need…

The American Rescue Plan Act has made funds available to states and districts to speed up recovery from the effects of COVID-19, including addressing learning loss. The Wallace Foundation has distilled evidence from its work that may be helpful in informing choices about how to spend those funds, as well as how to implement key strategies. The…

Although social-emotional learning is associated with long-term success in school and careers, it is often a missing link in U.S. public education. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for social-emotional supports for children. In this time of crisis, educators have also sought new ways to make connections and reimagined how students…

This is the technical appendix to a report that offers early lessons from an initiative focused on social and emotional learning (SEL) in elementary schools and out-of-school time (OST) programs. In 2016, in an effort to gain knowledge about how to help children develop SEL skills, The Wallace Foundation launched a six-year project called the…

Ensuring all children and youth thrive as they move through school and into their adult lives requires that they have the opportunity to develop the skills and competencies that will help them land their first job, navigate and overcome the challenges they will face, keep positive relationships, and make good decisions. While families are central…

The third case study from the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development discusses the role community partners can play in supporting children's learning in collaboration with schools. "School-Community Partnerships: Joining Forces to Support the Learning and Development of All Students" cites key…

During the past 20 years, the afterschool field has been held accountable in varying ways--first, on the ability to provide safe places for young people to spend time while their parents work; then, on success in helping to improve participants' academic achievement as a supplement to the school day. Today, measuring success in afterschool…

Taking a comprehensive approach to wellness--which includes healthy eating and physical activity and extends to additional aspects of health, such as social and emotional skills and competencies--can provide the necessary supports to help healthy children grow into healthy adults. Afterschool and summer learning programs are well-situated to be an…

It is only in recent years that extended education has been a topic of broader public interest in Switzerland. The impetuses for extended education were changes in social and family conditions, and PISA 2000. In 2007 under the HarmoS Intercantonal Agreement on Harmonization of Compulsory Schooling in Switzerland, all cantons that adopted the…

For educators and employers, understanding the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that ultimately contribute to success in school, work, and life is a priority. Although young people need many skills to be successful in the workplace, one aspect of employability has gained attention in recent years--the need for workers to have strong social and…

The academic struggles of English language learners highlight the essential need to provide additional supports for this growing body of students. Given the multiple hurdles facing ELL students as they move through school, it is difficult for schools alone to provide ELL students the extra supports necessary for them to succeed academically.…

On April 27, 2011 a series of tornadoes tore through the southeast United States. Sixty-four percent of the counties in the state of Alabama were directly affected by these storms. After a natural disaster, children who are directly or indirectly affected show numerous intense emotional reactions. Recovery programs can be set up to enable them to…

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a participatory culture pedagogy in the context of a pilot after-school program at LAUSD's Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools. Ethnographic fieldnotes, instructor and student reflections, photographs, video recordings, and student work illustrate the program's culture of participatory…

The Title I, Part D (Part D) Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk under the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act," allocate funds to states and school districts to improve educational services for these youth.…