Take ActionHelp Your Community Start a Youth Development Program
If you find out that there just aren't enough youth development programs offered in your community, or none are offered at all, think and talk with others about starting one. Here are some resources that might be helpful.
Keys to Quality Youth Development
This section of the University of Minnesota Extension Service website provides an overview of the qualities that effective youth development programs should have.
AfterSchool Alliance
This website offers various tools to help communities develop and expand out-of-school-time programs. Check out Start a Program and Program Tools.
National Parent Information Network
This site is a source for research-based information on education, and includes aVirtual Library with extensive resources on after-school and summer youth programs, including a downloadable version of a previously held satellite town meeting webcast, links to information on finding or starting an after-school program, and a collection of publications.
Promising Practices in Afterschool
This site is a place to find and share ideas that are working in youth development programs. It has information on curriculum, funding, staffing, evaluating, and other areas of interest.
The Finance Project
The site includes downloadable guides on after-school funding.
Beyond the Bell is a suite of products designed by Learning Point Associates to help afterschool directors, coordinators, and staff create and sustain high-quality, effective afterschool programs. The suite provides resources and training for afterschool staff that are practical, easy-to-use, and grounded in research and experience. Beyond the Bell is one component of the Learning Point Associates resources for afterschool programs.
Publications that can be accessed at Beyond the Bell include:
- Beyond the Bell Start-Up Guide
- Beyond the Bell Toolkit
- Beyond the Bell Principal's Guide to Effective Afterschool Programs