Desiree Morales, Every Hour Counts The prevailing story of Out-of-School Time (OST) during the pandemic feels triumphant — the value of our relationship-forward approach prioritizing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is in the spotlight, and the Biden administration pushed forward an unprecedented investment in afterschool and summer, recognizing that OST…

By Every Hour Counts “Tired. Stressed. Overwhelmed. Anxious.” These were among the first words heard by attendees of the 2021 Every Hour Counts National Conference. Some of the words that came next were, “Excited and happy. Curious where this will go. Determined.” The voices speaking these words came from young people in cities across…

Guest blog by Jodi Grant, Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance As we head into the 22nd year of Lights On Afterschool, the nation’s celebration of afterschool programs, I have mixed feelings. Should we be celebrating? After all, this isn’t the school year we hoped to have. …

From Crisis to Opportunity While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented our nation with countless obstacles and challenges, it has also presented us with an opportunity to become stronger and more resilient. The most recent COVID-19 relief legislation, the American Rescue Plan Act, provides $122.775 billion to States and districts through…

Preparing for the 117th Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration by Every Hour Counts The new year brings fresh, new opportunities for Every Hour Counts to drive change in Washington — the kind of change that will increase opportunities and resources for young people, families, and communities across the country. This change could not be more necessary. As the National…

What We’ve Learned Guest blog by Barbara Couto Sipe, President & CEO, NextUp RVA The COVID-19 crisis has shined a light on many inequities in our society, one in particular being access to quality educational opportunities. When schools closed last spring, our current model, which brought high-quality afterschool programs directly to the schools…

Insights from Six Cities on Building Partnerships to Improve SEL By Ally Margolis, Policy & Communications Manager, Every Hour Counts Our country’s compounding crises have magnified the importance of supporting children socially and emotionally. …

Intermediary Approaches to Advancing Social and Emotional Learning By Ally Margolis, Every Hour Counts As this new, unprecedented school year begins, social-emotional learning (SEL) and development is needed now more than ever before — both for young people and the adults we entrust to care for them. As Dr. Shawn Ginwright explains in Healing the Impact of Racial…

Guest blog post by Saskia Traill, President & CEO, ExpandED Schools In April, Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that he was doing away with New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which annually puts tens of thousands of youth in paid summer jobs. With a huge budget deficit looming amid…