You are here

Out-of-School Time Resources

21st century community learning centers

Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program

Title IV, Part B, of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

 

Overview

The Out-of-School Time (OST) Resources webpage allows users to access content, webinars, and other resources that may assist with facilitating high quality programs. 

21st CCLC National Technical Assistance Center

Launched in 2024, the 21st CCLC National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is specifically designed to support 21st CCLC programs. NTAC will regularly update their website with new resources, courses, and toolkits. Grantees are encouraged to connect directly with NTAC with questions and requests for content and support.

NTAC is:

  • Advised by a committee of 21st CCLC professionals and subject matter experts.
  • A collaborative partner with federal and nonfederal agencies and organizations.
  • A strategic provider of a multitiered system of supports (MTSS) with universal, targeted, and intensive technical assistance.
  • Data driven.
  • Results oriented — our technical assistance liaisons fine-tune supports to SEA Coordinators and subgrantees to ensure their success.

Capacity-Building Courses

Learning Recovery

Microlearning Modules

Training Kit

External Resources

Academic Enrichment and Tutoring

Cox Campus provides free resources to develop language and literacy by implementing both an evidence-based and justice-based process. Social-emotional learning and trauma-informed practices are also considered and utilized in their education.

Beyond the Chalkboard provides free K-12 activities for out-of-school time programs. Categories include math, science, literacy, art, engineering, culture, and health.

Out-of-School Learning offers resources, projects, and publications specific to OST from the Education Development Center, a global nonprofit organization.

Career and Technology Education in OST provides a collection of research, articles, videos, and resources to connect career and technical education (CTE) to OST programs.

High-Impact Tutoring: Out-of-School Time Playbook

 
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

National Park Service - 21st CCLC Greening STEM Grants

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Resource Collection

NASA Afterschool Universe - OST resources targeted to middle school students

Equity

Culturally Responsive Practices to Support American Indian English Learners’ Success

Expanding Equity in Afterschool and Summer Learning: Lessons from School Districts

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is an extensive resource for SEL-related content. Their Out-of-School Time Tools page provides a guide for developing effective SEL supports in programs.

Family Guide to Supporting Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being

 
Project Based Learning

Boston University provides an overview of Project Based Learning and offers links to resources that will help design an effective PBL curriculum.

Edutopia provides free materials and downloads that will aid in designing and implementing project-based learning in 21st CCLC programs.

Sustainability

Wallace Foundation: Building, Sustaining, and Improving - Using Federal Funds for Summer Learning and Afterschool

Leveraging Community Partnerships for Integrated Student Support

Marketing Afterschool provides suggestions and examples to help publicize your OST program to increase visibility, encourage attendance and engagement, celebrate successes, and “tell your story” to stakeholders

U.S. Department of Education: Collaborating With Municipal Officials to Support Afterschool and Summer Learning

Student Health and Wellness

Healthier Generation Out-of-School Time Initiative: This page provides tools to help OST programs plan and implement best practices to create a healthier environment for students.

Chronic School Absenteeism and the Role of Afterschool

Additional Resources

General
  • WI 2021 Youth Risk Behaviour Data and Student Participation in Out-of-School Time Programs - On January 18, 2023, DPI hosted a special presentation on the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey results and the story it tells about WI youth. During the presentation, DPI Evaluation Consultant, Owen Tortora, and Education Specialist, Denise Kohout shared what the survey tells us about WI student’s perception of self, school, their participation in extracurricular activities, and the impact out-of-school times can have on student mental health and engagement. Students who are more involved in extracurricular programs tend to have more positive health outcomes and this presentation uses our statewide data to examine this relationship. View the

    21st CCLC and Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Data webinar

  • Wisconsin Out-of-School Time Alliance (WOSTA) - WOSTA is part of the a national coalition of statewide afterschool networks supported through the Mott Foundation. They provide all Wisconsin out-of-school time programs with resources and support, advocate to expand funding, develop and facilitate professional learning opportunities, and cultivate partnerships and collaborations in support of out-of- school time initiatives. WOSTA serves as the host for the annual statewide OST conference and offers multiple trainings, as well as one on one technical assistance.

  • US Department of Education - The US Department of Education provides resources, links, and guidelines specific to the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grant program.
  • The National Afterschool Association (NAA) offers after-school specific professional development opportunities, including blog posts, interviews, and content-specific toolkits that can be downloaded. New content is posted weekly and can be accessed at the NAA Professional Development website
  • The Afterschool Alliance is a national organization that advocates for out-of-school time programs. Check out their list of archived webinars that touch on a wide range of topics, including SEL, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), adolescent development, and youth voice. See the Afterschool Webinars website for more information
  • The National Institute on Out-of-School Time provides research, training and tools to support evidence-based practices in OST settings.
  • Badgerlink offers 21st CCLCs access to 68 separate resources, including full text and multimedia content you can use to create activities for use in after-school programs. The resources are searchable by grade or reading level, cover STEM subjects, test preparation and practice tests, and royalty-free music, video, and images perfect for school projects. Explore all of BadgerLink here.

For questions about this information, contact Jake Wilson 608 264 9327