Professional Development

Wondering how to keep healthy living in the forefront of your afterschool program? Are you ready to play BINGO and build a healthier out-of-school time site? Print out this resource to use all year long!

Research shows that parents believe it's important for their children to have water, fresh fruit and vegetables, and physical activity opportunities during out-of-school time (OST). Parents also believe that OST programs should promote healthy environments for children.

Collaboration is the name of the game today! Working with school districts and other community organizations can produce great outcomes, especially for all the children involved.

Unless you are one of the very lucky afterschool programs operating in your own space, collaboration for you most likely starts with the sharing of school buildings, recreation centers, churches, and other community spaces, each and every day. Just this act alone requires open lines of communication and active coordination. Even then, however, you may be faced with the rogue Girl Scout Troop showing up in the cafeteria at 4:30 to distribute their annual cookies—displacing your program for the rest of the afternoon. Oh, no! What to do?

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies have become a standard part of many afterschool and summer programs' comprehensive programming. While providers and practitioners have long valued the hands-on, inquiry-driven programs, directly seeing the effect afterschool STEM programs have on students means funders, policymakers, and other stakeholders often want data that substantiates such claims and demonstrates positive changes in a variety of outcomes.