Family engagement has a life-long impact on the lives of children and comes in many forms. As professionals in the field of afterschool and expanded learning, it is important to remember that even though we may not see a child's family at school or a program, this does not mean they are not engaged in the lives of their children. With that in mind, we need to actively build strong engagement with families when they can come to the school or program.

As the Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice (JYD) releases a new special issue on character development in youth programs, it is pleased to announce both a new publisher and a new partnership.

Fill in the blank. I would rather _________ than do a math problem.

1. Eat worms
2. Clean a bathroom
3. Write an essay
4. Give a speech
5. Not eat for a day
6. Dump ice on my head

10 Tips for Stepping Into Your Leadership:

The role of a leader is one of great responsibility. These tips can help us fully step in with intention, dedication and courage.

EZChildTrack is a comprehensive online child care software with automated billing/payment, parent portal, site access and multiple attendance options. With EZChildTrack, program directors, site coordinators, staff members can manage operations from a single system.

As afterschool professionals, you know it is crucial that federal STEM education policies integrate informal STEM programs. The STEM Education Coalition has released the report The Case for Investing in Out-of-School Learning as a Core Strategy in Improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education, which speaks to the importance of informal STEM learning and contains policy recommendations.

Spring has sprung! The days are getting longer, and the weather is getting brighter. It's great to play and learn outside. Unfortunately, time spent outdoors is becoming a rare commodity for our young people. Full disclosure: I may be old. I grew up in the '70s and '80s—and back then, playing meant playing outside.

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. What better time to encourage your afterschool students to jump on a healthy lifestyle path?

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."
—Jack Welch

HBR, LinkedIn, TED, Fast Company, fill-in-the-blank. We dive into so many resources looking for the recipe on effective leadership and how to build it in others. Each of us are paving our own path, making both minor and gigantic mistakes and hopefully picking ourselves back up to learn and lead again. Along the way, most of us are discovering our own recipe for effective leadership with our teams.

Just like us, children are interested in the current presidential race. KidsHealth.org asked more than 2,000 children and teens throughout the U.S. what they think about recent presidential election and how it might affect them. A whopping 75 percent of kids and 79 percent of teens answered "yes" when asked whether they thought the outcome of an election would change their lives.