If you were to spend any significant amount of time with me in marketing meetings brainstorming, it's likely you'd eventually hear me blurt out "Audience first!" It's one of my favorite quotes.

From colleges to preschools, STEM continues to be a hot topic for both formal and informal education. STEM education is being driven by our increasingly technical society, a fear that America is falling behind in innovation, a lack of STEM college graduates and the need to prepare today's youth for the jobs of tomorrow.

Since the election in November we've been hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

The inaugural National AfterSchool Association's Most Influential in Health and Wellness selections and honorable mentions are distinguished for their strong advocacy for and support of health and wellness in afterschool.

Working in the private and public sectors, I have been involved in science education for over 20 years. From parents and principals, to CEOs and administrators, I am passionate and accustomed to fighting for STEM. Today, I need to speak about something more fundamental.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has received a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) School Health Branch to provide technical assistance and training to school districts and school buildings, to support healthy eating and physical activity in out-of-school time (OST) settings.

What are your organizational resolutions for the New Year?

The National AfterSchool Association (NAA), the lead organization for the advancement of the afterschool professional, has selected its 2017 Next Generation of Afterschool honorees.

This past summer, members of the National AfterSchool Association spent time with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and other organizations in Ireland as part of their annual International Learning Exchange.

Intermediary organizations play a critical role in the afterschool ecosystem by connecting OST providers to each other and to other stakeholders – including policymakers, funders, parents and communities.