217 results found
Measuring Youth Development: How Out-of-School Time Programs Collect and Use Data
February 27, 2024Out-of-school-time (OST) programs and their funders rely on sound data to make decisions about everything from professional development and student recruitment to the selection of activities to offer students. Programs operate at a range of times (before and after school, weekends, summer) and in a variety of locations (e.g., schools, community-based organizations, city parks and recreation centers), are run by a variety of entities (e.g., government agencies, private community organizations), and receive funding from a variety of sources (e.g., government, philanthropy)—each of which may be interested in a different set of data and come with its own reporting requirements. This means there is a great deal of variation in the types of data programs collect.In 2019, The Wallace Foundation (Wallace) commissioned Child Trends to conduct a study of the kinds of youth outcomes OST programs are interested in measuring, the tools they use to measure those outcomes, and the challenges they experience in doing so. The study included a literature scan and interviews with leaders and staff members at 28 OST programs. Twelve of the 28 also completed surveys; a separate group of 10 provided information by survey only. The study expands on past research by a) focusing on programs that work in specific content areas (e.g., the arts, civic engagement and social justice, career and workforce development) and b) covering both quantitative approaches (i.e., tracking numerical data) and qualitative approaches (gathering descriptive information through surveys, interviews, etc.) to data collection.While its findings apply to OST programs in general, the study focused on particular types of programs (i.e., afterschool, summer, online) and particular content areas, as well as programs that serve school-age children and adolescents from marginalized communities, those that support students' social and emotional learning (SEL), those that serve systems-involved youth, and those that focus on promoting equity—for example, by training staff to recognize and overcome personal biases or by recruiting and retaining leaders and staff who reflect the diversity of the participants served.
Assessing Child Care Access: Measuring Supply, Demand, Quality, and Shortages in the District of Columbia
January 29, 2024This report, "Assessing Child Care Access: Measuring Supply, Demand, Quality, and Shortages in the District of Columbia," was commissioned in response to our early childhood partners in D.C. who wanted to:* Understand the current supply of and demand for child care in D.C. so that decisions and investments — by early childhood professionals, federal and local governments, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector — can be intentional and thoughtfully targeted for maximum impact* Reflect on the social and demographic changes that affect families and their child care decisions* Examine current realities, pivot, and explore new possibilities
Space for Identity Exploration: Through the Lens of Gender
January 22, 2024For this study we sought to answer the question, "What impact (if any) do gender-inclusive and gender-affirming measures have on young people, their caregivers, and their camp experience?" By framing our research question broadly, we attempted to allow participants to guide the conversation and to share what was true for them. What we found was that young people experienced high levels of belonging, community, relief, and pleasure during their time at camp because of the intentional space that was created. Youth had access to a community that embodied a commitment to inclusion and belonging, and for some young people, this contrasted with the isolation and judgment they encountered outside of camp. Some young people were better able to participate in camp as a result of the implementation of affirming practices such as: offering gender-neutral cabins and bathrooms, sharing pronouns, and providing the support of affirming adults. Caregivers largely described feeling a sense of relief that there was a safe and affirming space available to their child. This has implications for the camp and youth development fields and requires further study to better understand the long term impacts of an inclusive camp experience on 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.
“Hyperlocal” Career Pathway Programs in New Hampshire: Collaborating to Support Youth at the Secondary/Postsecondary Transition
January 11, 2024With public debates about the value of college escalating and demographic forecasts threatening to reshape higher education, K–12 institutions are adapting by engaging youth more deliberately in "learning for careers" as they approach graduation. Some commentators argue that broadening options to include career and technical education (CTE), certificates, and 2-year degrees—while recognizing the earnings still afforded by a college degree—is essential for realizing equity gains across racial and socioeconomic groups. Successfully building such pathways cannot be accomplished by educational institutions alone; it requires collaboration across public, nonprofit, and private sectors, as well as financial and policy incentives that reduce barriers and risks.This paper describes an innovative effort to address these challenges in New Hampshire, focusing on a set of programs that follow a "hyperlocal" approach to career pathway development. Seeking to expose participants to careers in high-demand areas, the programs simultaneously address specific, local industry, community, and individual needs. Their purpose is to increase the likelihood of social mobility by using career exposure and hands-on involvement to spur interest and motivation toward additional education and training in promising fields. The research reported here focused on programs that target youth approaching the secondary-postsecondary transition.The paper begins by briefly describing New Hampshire's unique demographic characteristics as they relate to the state's approach to education and workforce development. The characteristics help us understand the challenges involved in helping individuals make the transition from secondary education to postsecondary roles. The study's main findings focus on key elements of career pathway programs that align with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's (NHCF) hyperlocal model. Excerpts from participant interviews across six programs help to show what works in different career pathway sites, in terms of realizing effective collaboration among partners and providing learners with a positive experience. The paper concludes with a discussion about areas of ongoing need both within and outside of individual pathway programs.
P-TECH 9-14 Pathways to Success: Implementation, Impact, and Cost Findings from the New York City P-TECH 9-14 Schools Evaluation
October 30, 2023The New York City P-TECH 9-14 schools are an educational model that ties together the secondary, higher education, and workforce systems to improve outcomes across domains. The distinguishing feature of the model is a partnership among a high school, a community college, and one or more employer partners that focuses on preparing students for both college and careers within six years.P-TECH 9-14 schools collaborate with local colleges to provide students with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma within four years, followed by a cost-free, industry-recognized associate's degree. During the six-year program, employer partners provide students with work-based learning experiences such as internships, mentoring, and job shadowing. This model has proliferated rapidly both nationally and internationally since the first school was opened in Brooklyn, NY in 2010.This study provides impact, implementation, and cost study findings from the first rigorous evaluation of the model, examining the first seven P-TECH 9-14 schools that opened in New York City. The study follows entering classes of students for seven years after they begin ninth grade, which would carry them through the end of their expected high school graduations and through three years of postsecondary education. The study takes advantage of the random lottery process created by the New York City high school admissions system to identify the model's effects: It compares students who won lotteries to attend P-TECH 9-14 schools (the P-TECH 9-14 group) with students who applied but did not win (the comparison group). It also includes an in-depth implementation study that assesses how schools carried out the model, and a cost-effectiveness study that examines costs per college degree earned for P-TECH 9-14 schools compared with other schools.
Positioning & Prioritizing for People: 2022 Annual Report
October 26, 2023Serving the community as a vibrant agency that has a positive impact on children, youth and families means continually assessing and refining UCAN's programs and operations. Like other non-profits, we know the critical importance of being flexible during and after a pandemic that required establishing and streamlining ways of communicating and engaging with each other and those we serve. In Fiscal Year 2022, that reality was a driving force behind our multi-pronged Strategic Direction that guided our work agencywide.The plan enabled us to revisit and refine our program structure and create three hubs that even more accurately define UCAN's evolution: Foster Care & Transitional Services; Therapeutic & Clinical Services; and Prevention & Empowerment Services. We know, however, that regardless of labels, our dedicated staff remain the change agents and dream facilitators for those who need and rely on UCAN's expertise. We are working with our funders, partners and peers to ensure that these three hubs smartly reflect our plan to further integrate our work that is the foundation of UCAN's Continuum of Care.
Digital Dystopia: The Danger in Buying What the EdTech Surveillance Industry is Selling
October 2, 2023Over the last two decades, a segment of the educational technology (EdTech) sector that markets student surveillance products to schools — the EdTech Surveillance industry — has grown into a $3.1 billion a year economic juggernaut with a projected 8% annual growth rate. The EdTech Surveillance industry accomplished that feat by playing on school districts' fears of school shootings, student self-harm and suicides, and bullying — marketing them as common, ever-present threats.Education officials and school administrators play a vital role in determining how best to keep students safe. But as long as school districts continue to make decisions based on information provided by the very same companies that are seeking to sell schools their EdTech Surveillance products, the EdTech Surveillance industry, and not their students, will be the biggest beneficiary."Digital Dystopia" is meant to equip school decisionmakers, influencers, and community members with the full and reliable information they need to make the best decisions possible when it comes to student surveillance technologies and keeping students safe.
Colors of the Heart: Investigating how teen girls of color develop their emotional understanding
October 1, 2023Colors of the Heart is directly influenced by Dr. Jennifer Keitt's dissertation research. She found that there is not enough research delving into the emotional development and life experiences of teen girls of color. This leaves us wondering if they all experience emotions in the same way, express them similarly, or even use the same language to talk about their feelings.That's where this phenomenological study comes in. We wanted to dig deep and understand how teenage girls from diverse cultural backgrounds navigate their emotional worlds. We explored five critical factors: gender, culture, how their parents teach them about emotions, their ability to regulate emotions, and how they differentiate between different feelings.
What Matters to Youth?: YLabs Annual Report 2022
September 1, 2023At YLabs, we believe in amplifying the power of youth to design a healthier, more prosperous future for themselves and their communities. We believe in designing with youth, not just for youth. We believe in focusing on what truly matters to young people.In 2022, our team dedicated over 18,000 hours to actively listening to young people's thoughts, ideas, and concerns. We co-designed digital self-care platforms, built evidence-informed advocacy campaigns, and developed innovative models that are realizing actual change in norms and behaviors. We didn't just listen - we acted.
Changing Course in Youth Detention: Reversing Widening Gaps by Race and Place
August 3, 2023The Annie E. Casey Foundation has found large and widening gaps in youth detention by race and place in its three-year analysis of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on juvenile justice systems. When it comes to the odds of being detained, young people in the United States live in different worlds, depending on their race and the region and jurisdiction where they reside. The disproportionate use of detention for Black youth — already distressingly high before the pandemic — has increased. Also, over that three-year period, where youth lived mattered to a greater extent to their odds of being detained than it did before.
High Stakes High Reward: How All Funders Can Make Critical Catalytic Contributions to Investing in the Financial Security of Youth and Young Adults
August 2, 2023To support movement toward a country where all young people can thrive, this brief provides:An explanation of what financial security means for youth and young adults and what allows them to experience it now and in later adulthood.An analysis of the state of young adults' financial well-being today and barriers to it.A vision for what it will take to provide the necessary foundations of financial well-being for all young adults and the policy solutions that could move the needle.High impact recommendations for philanthropy to catalyze a whole-of-society approach to investing in young people.
What We Need to Thrive: A Youth-Led Vision for a Just Alameda County
August 1, 2023In July of 2021—after decades of organizing by young people and their families—California made a bold decision to close the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). As a result, California counties are now responsible for treating, caring for, and even locking-up young people who would have otherwise been reprimanded to DJJ.To facilitate this realignment, California is distributing over $500 million in grants to local counties, including Alameda. It has been nearly 3 years since these funds began flowing in, but according to young people themselves, they still do not have access to improved services. So we asked ourselves, where is the money going? And perhaps more importantly, we asked the youth: where should these funds be going? What is the county doing since realignment funds first began flowing to Alameda in 2020? Are they receiving the support they need? What services do they prioritize for youth justice in their county? What aspirations do they hold?To find out, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC) and Ceres Policy Research conducted a youth-led, community-driven research project in Alameda County. This project aimed to assess the impacts of the current youth justice system, gathering input from impacted families, youth, and community leaders to build a shared strategic vision for youth justice in Alameda County, and beyond. The results are outlined in this report.
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