Research shows that afterschool and expanded learning programs work best when they are high quality and evidence-based. Beyond the Bell ® is a suite of professional development services, products, and practical tools designed to help afterschool and expanded learning program leaders and staff members create and sustain high-quality, effective afterschool ...
Researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders are increasingly aware of the powerful potential for summertime experiences and the need to design, implement, and continuously improve summertime experiences for all.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of collecting and using data with intentionality—especially when it comes to the well-being of young people. The Every Hour Counts Measurement Framework can help out-of-school time system leaders leverage data to improve the lives of young people. ...
School districts around the country are increasingly looking to community schools as models to both respond to ongoing youth and family needs made more poignant by the COVID-19 pandemic and as a platform for providing opportunities for positive youth development that accelerate equitable student outcomes in education, health, and employment. ...
Ensuring strong alignment between quality standards and afterschool programs requires creative thinking, planning, and collaboration. Afterschool programs that align professional development with quality standards can support staff learning and sustain continuous improvement by reinforcing professional standards and practices. ...
Research shows that traumatic experiences prior to and during military service can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of women Veterans, increasing their risk for homelessness. Traumatic experiences can also affect ability to maintain health and sustain employment. With advances in awareness of the prevalence and impact ...
An estimated 4.2 million American adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 25 experienced some form of homelessness in the previous year. Collecting high-quality data about the services provided to young people is an important step in finding solutions to homelessness. AIR, under contract to the U.S. Department of Health ...
In this brief, AIR researchers offer a potential pathway to understanding how learning and development happen in quality afterschool and summer programs. This pathway emphasizes three key competencies—relationship skills, a sense of agency, and identity development—that research suggests can facilitate learning and development in other areas. ...
Christine Kiecha is AIR’s managing director in Kenya. Her key responsibilities include acting as AIR’s point of contact for office management and business development in Kenya; working with AIR’s senior leadership to develop future business opportunities; and gathering data to provide information about social, demographic, economic and funding trends. She ...
Amy Syvertsen is a principal researcher in AIR’s Youth, Family, and Community Development area. Dr. Syvertsen is an applied developmental scientist, and a content expert in positive youth development in childhood and adolescence with an emphasis on the developmental processes and contextual supports that undergird strong youth-adult relationships and civic ...