Bridging the Gap Between Traditions and Afterschool: A Personal Journey
By: Dawn Marie Johnson, Community Advocate, South Dakota Life weaves beautiful moments that define who we are, nudging us to act from the heart. For me, the journey of bringing t
The Student Mental Health Crisis: How Out-of-School Time Programs Can Help
In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021, highlighting trends and experiences
Family Engagement: Make it About Empowerment
Families are children’s first and consistent educators. Tapping into family engagement strategies can be the “secret sauce” to supporting a child’s engagement in science, t
Research and Out-of-School Time Learning Tips
What is the value of conducting research in out-of-school time learning? What does it tell us? These are some of the questions, STEM Next’s Senior Advisor for Afterschool
Youth Voice: An Invaluable Perspective
“Our generation is set to inherit a complicated world with challenges we did not create; now is the time to start listening to us.” – Henrietta and Emerald, 2022 Flight C
Welcome Back to Afterschool 2023: Five Big STEM Ideas to Supercharge Young Minds
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can spark curiosity in children that can inspire a lasting love of learning. Interest may start with a project to restore a
Sticks, Stones, Dirt, and Bugs: Summertime Adventures in STEM
I (Linda) enrolled my son in a summer program hosted by our community park’s department in a forest setting. Kyle and his best friend spent their day building forts and hiking th
Engaging Millions of Girls in STEM: The Moonshot Mid-Initiative Report
The Million Girls Moonshot has a single, laser-focused goal–to cultivate one million more girls with an engineering mindset by 2025. As a signature initiative of STEM Next Opport
Budget Appropriations Have Begun – Here’s What You Need to Know
The appropriations process takes a long time. Some years it takes longer than others. The budget process usually kicks off when the President announces budget recommendations in
Youth Employment Works Launch – Centering Young People in Workforce Development Opportunities
On March 9th, the U.S. Department of Labor announced its Youth Employment Works strategy, a vision for how the workforce system serves young people across the country. Youth Employ