"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." —Mahatma Gandhi

Recently, Gina Warner, President and CEO, National Afterschool Association, spoke as part of the U.S. Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Center Summer Symposium and touched on what it means to be an afterschool professional in the midst of a global pandemic.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought many changes to the delivery strategy for school-day and out-of-school time (OST) programs.

According to Stan Lee, former editor and publisher of Marvel comics, a superhero is a person who does heroic deeds and has the ability to do them in a way a normal person couldn't.

The World Education Research Association – International Research Network Extended Education chairs recently released a statement concerning the situation of children and youth worldwide during the COVID-19 crisis.

Many states are issuing guidance documents to help communities prepare to reopen schools in the fall. If you haven't done so already, reach out now to school administrators to ensure afterschool is not an afterthought. Here are some tips and tools to help you get started.

All children have role models. The question remains whom this responsibility lands on and if they are willing and prepared.

A good mentor can have a professional and personal impact. One young professional shares four things she's received from her mentors over the years.

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and a very long list of people killed by police and white supremacists, are Black, not unlike many of the young people participating in out-of-school time programs and the staff who work with them across the country. The compounding deaths of so many Black Americans, leading up to the death of Mr. George Floyd, must redefine how we as practitioners and leaders in this work see and feel justice and equity.

As programs are planning and beginning to reopen, it’s important to think of ways to help young people stay healthy through social distancing and other best practices related to prevention of the spread of coronavirus.