Over the past 10 years, developments in technology and how we interact with information have been racing forward at a staggering pace. We are living in the future—and these changes have impacted young people and their education.

I am a millennial Luddite working at a tech startup.

We are looking for expert professionals for the National AfterSchool Association's Afterschool Expert Hub, powered by Catalyst:Ed—a technology-enabled service connecting afterschool and out-of-school-time (OST) providers and partners with expertise both within and outside the National AfterSchool Association network for their short-term, mission-critical needs.

In recent years, there has been momentum to include the arts in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning.

Imagine the potential of empowering the 10.2 million children in afterschool programs with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, while providing them with opportunities to eat healthy and stay active.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my visit to our NAA storage facility to go through years and years of organizational files. With NAA's 30th anniversary coming up in 2018, I find myself spending more and more time thinking about how to honor the past of our work, while also looking toward the future.

Did you know that The National Afterschool Association is a great resource for STEM professional development? In a recent survey of the afterschool community, 98% of respondents listed NAA as a place to get valuable resources and information to improve STEM offerings and teaching practices.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—the subjects called STEM—continue to be a major focal point in education. This urgent focus on STEM came from the growing concern that education was not providing the building blocks necessary for students to achieve successful future employment in an increasingly technical world.

I recently had a great chat with a parent that highlighted a prevalent fear among parents everywhere: technology. Parents don't know how to embrace the technology their kids are using AND keep them safe in the process!

Is Program Quality Enough?

Year after year, we're amazed by those who think outside the box to enrich kids' lives. Notions of what camp can be—or how an instructor can teach—keep expanding, thanks to the creative leadership and outstanding programs launched by these passionate, caring individuals.