Issue Briefs

Afterschool: Fostering Protective Factors that Can Last a Lifetime (September 2019)

New research tells us that the adolescent years are a highly important developmental period for brain growth and “the second most critical period of development.” However, there are factors at the individual and community levels that impact the development process. This includes both risk factors that increase the likelihood that one will take part in unhealthy behaviors, such as substance misuse, and protective factors that spur healthy behaviors and development. This issue brief, accompanied by in-depth afterschool program profiles, examines the way in which afterschool and summer learning programs promote protective factors to help young people to build up the skills and competencies they will need to navigate life’s challenges and become the country’s next generation of leaders, thinkers, and trailblazers.

• Montrose Recreation District’s Summer Enrichment Program and the Learning Enriched Afterschool Program: Providing an environment that models and makes time to practice positive skill development
• Todos Juntos and the Harlan County Boys and Girls Club: Being a resource for students and their families to help them connect to appropriate systems of support
• Southeast Asian Young Men’s Group: Building self-awareness and self-confidence through youth voice and choice

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A Big-Picture Approach to Wellness: Afterschool Supporting Strong Bodies and Minds (September 2018)

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 for healthy children grow into healthy adults. This issue brief details the national public health issues children are facing today and discusses the afterschool field’s ability to provide a place where children feel safe, are surrounded by supportive mentors, have access to nutritious foods, are able to be active, can form relationships with their peers, learn how to set positive goals for themselves, and feel empowered to take charge of their lives. Accompanying this brief are five in-depth afterschool program profiles that highlight the different roles programs play to support their students’ physical and social and emotional health:

• Zhang Sah Afterschool Program: Focusing on activities that intrinsically embrace HEPA and SEL
• Coaching Corps: Using HEPA as a vehicle to build students’ social and emotional skills and competencies
• DC SCORES and A World Fit for Kids!: Training staff to model healthy behaviors
• Camp Fire Lone Star: Empowering students to take charge of their health

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Summary