Over the past decade, afterschool programs have established themselves as a vibrant and important setting to engage young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The National AfterSchool Association (NAA) recently elected and appointed new members to its Board of Directors. The strong slate of candidates was impressive, which was reflected by the large number of members who voted in this election—it was an all-time high for our association! Thank you to our members who took the time to vote.

The 2016 NAA Convention is now only two months away! We've been working hard to put together the best program yet, and are excited to highlight some workshops we're most excited about. You can also preview all of our 140+ sessions on our website.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies have become a standard part of many afterschool and summer programs' comprehensive programming. While providers and practitioners have long valued the hands-on, inquiry-driven programs, directly seeing the effect afterschool STEM programs have on students means funders, policymakers, and other stakeholders often want data that substantiates such claims and demonstrates positive changes in a variety of outcomes.