As a teenage driver in a small rural town, life was simple: Stop. Look both ways. Proceed with caution.

It's back to school (and afterschool) for most of the United States, but in Texas, Hurricane Harvey has shuttered hundreds of school districts.

Two things learned throughout my career:

1. Language is powerful.
2. Great leaders never stop learning.

Afterschool professionals know the importance of one caring adult in the life of a child. Research and anecdotes show that knowledgeable and skilled staff are crucial to quality afterschool programs that result in positive youth outcomes; relationships between adults and youth are key.

Have you found yourself wondering what all the buzz is about the NAA Convention? Maybe thinking, "What makes it special?" or "That's great ... but what's in it for me (WIIFM)?"

This year we lost several great musicians—first Prince and David Bowie, and then last week we said goodbye to two musical legends, Leon Russell and Leonard Cohen.

Last year, I felt like a Gen Xer living in a millennial's world. Wait—who am I kidding? That's exactly what I was! This year is different. I realized that I'd somehow grown from latchkey, Doc Martens, and MTV of the '70s and '80s to afterschool for all, casual Fridays and Twitter for the 21st Century!

The National Afterschool Association (NAA) was recently invited to present at the annual National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) annual conference held July 6-8 in Washington, D.C.

"No more classrooms, no more books, no more ..." Waaaait a minute. No more books? As children, reading was one of our favorite summer activities—but we know that's not the case for many kids, especially when they are outside of school.

In my role at the National AfterSchool Association, one of my key responsibilities is to plan professional development. So I think about professional development A LOT, which is why a recent EdSurge article, "Why Good Professional Development Is Crucially Linked to an Educator's Attitude," by Glenda I. Lozada Negron, caught my attention.