In June, NAA's International Learning Exchange (ILE) took place in Rome, Italy—where there were many lessons learned, visions shared and leaders leaving feeling inspired to impact their communities. Devan Blackwell, M.A., an Executive Member of NAA, has outlined his five key takeaway ideas from the event.

Earlier this month, NAA led a delegation of 22 afterschool leaders to Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia to explore child and youth development systems and meet with youth policy experts in these two countries.

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.

For many in the United States, the United Kingdom has been a standout among political powers because of its treatment of youth work—afterschool programming, voluntary services, job training, housing—as a public good.