Addressing the Worker Shortage: Hiring Young People in Afterschool Programs

By Sam Piha

One of the major challenges facing the afterschool field is the worker shortage. One solution: expand our labor pool by hiring younger and older workers. 

One important way of addressing this worker shortage while improving program quality and its attractiveness to young people is to engage older youth and program alumni in the operation of the program. There are multiple benefits - both to the program and the young adults who are engaged as leaders or hired as staff.  

Who would know better about the benefits of hiring youth and program alumni than the young people who were granted this employment opportunity? In 2015 we interviewed youth who worked in an afterschool program. Below are some of their statements regarding their experiences. 

Lorena Retano, Program Alumni, Youth Institute

Lorena Retano, Age 18,

Youth Institute 

Program Alumni

Being a Youth Institute alumnus is probably one of the best things I’ve experienced. I’ve had the opportunity to work on multiple jobs teaching kids, younger than me, how to use movie and photograph editing software. The best example I have for what I experienced when being hired to work in an afterschool program was when I went to Richmond two summers ago to go teach iMovie, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign. A team of three other people and myself spent about six hours a day teaching kids in middle school and high school how to use the different software. It was really exciting to share my knowledge with other people.

To work in an afterschool program you need to have confidence in what you are doing with your students so that you are not only successful but so that your students respect you. Supporting youth and program alumni in practicing different skills is definitely a great way to develop that confidence.

David Montoya, Program Alumni, arc 


David Montoya, Age 20,
arc Program Alumni

I was a student of the after-school program for 4 years. After I graduated, the program offered me a job. It was a great opportunity since I was pretty familiar with the program - I knew what was going on and what needed to happen. At the beginning, it was a bit weird since I went from being a student to a staff. The staff was very supportive, the students saw me as their friend. It took me a while to set myself aside from them and to build a line and to show them that I am a staff now.

Being hired allowed me to go to school, have a job, and do something that I love. I brought everything that I knew about the after-school program. As a student participant, I gained leadership skills, which I used in my community, and most importantly at my school.

I think when people think of young adults they think of people who have no experience, who don’t know what they’re doing. But I think we are capable of taking on bigger responsibilities. We just need someone that would trust us and give us a chance.



Skhy Felder, Program Alumni, Youth Institute

Skhy Felder, Age 17,
Youth Institute Program Alumni

Employing program alumni gives them the opportunity to grow and gives them the feeling of being an adult. They understand the younger youth better because they, in a way, know the struggle they go through.



From this experience, I have an advantage for future jobs. I can’t wait to be a full staff member, give back to the youth and give them my knowledge. I want to be that staff that a youth would say, "I remember when so and so helped me through this".



 

 

Jon Cabral, Program Alumni, Youth Institute 


Jon Cabral, Age 18,
Youth Institute Program Alumni

The addition of older youth and program alumni into the team of afterschool professionals greatly affects the dynamic of the experience for both youth and staff alike. Working this past summer as technical instructor after finishing my third year as a high school program alumni student, it shifted from being the student inspired by mentors to the mentor inspiring students. Having been with the YMCA and its branches since sixth grade and having grown up with the program, I’ve definitely benefitted from having a young, relatable staff person, which I saw as my older sibling. Largely of who I am today is a result of the many young mentors I have had through the YMCA.



My responsibilities range from afterschool tutor assisting in homework questions and project help, to a mentor lending advice - a hand for help, a shoulder to cry on, or whatever else an adolescent teenager navigating through middle and high school would need. 



Coming back and being able to give back to the program that helped me grow gives me the gift of now being the person I needed when I was young. This job equipped me with technical, child development, and professional skill sets and provided me with advantages leading to my being a well-rounded person and professional.

Adriana Zuniga, Program Alumni, Youth Institute


Adriana Zuniga, Age 17,
Youth Institute Program Alumni

While working as an intern for the program, I experienced many benefits. I was able to get hands-on training from the staff and also teach younger kids the basics of computer literacy and camera functions. It gave me a chance to learn technological skills and help develop my social skills. Having been involved with the program for four years, I already know how the program runs, what is expected and how to do certain things that incoming interns are not familiar with yet. Because I already have experience, I can lead my own group of people on projects or inform them on how to use a Canon camera or edit a photograph on Photoshop.




David Molina, Program Alumni, A World Fit for Kids! 

David Molina, Age 27,
WFIT Program Alumni

I am an alumnus from A World Fit for Kids! Mentors In Motion (MIM) program at Belmont High School. I was a part of the program for 3 years. The Assistant Coach position was my first job that I held and I began to do it when I was 15 years old. The position was the dip of my toe in the water that is the real world. This position provided me my first professional experience that I ever had; it was a great learning platform.



When I graduated high school, I was fortunate enough to be asked to coach soccer at Lawrence Middle School, while I attended California State University Northridge. I was able to bring my 3 years of experience into the fields right off the bat. I knew the high standard of performance I had to deliver to the kids that I coached.



The wealth of knowledge that I gained was immense from the time I was a MIM. I always felt that the MIM program is a great resource to groom future coaches because the lessons taught are specific to the afterschool program and their expectations. These types of positions are usually entry level positions and they are usually a stepping stone to students’ eventual careers.



Jacob Reyes, Program Alumni, arc


Jacob Reyes, Age 21,
arc Program Alumni

The impact we have made is amazing. Hiring older youth helps communicate more with the students because we know how it is to be a student, we understand their feelings, and we can help them in the best possible way that we can.



I think that hiring program alumni is an important practice because the communications between alumni and students are close and more responsive. Students can go up to us and talk. They don't have to fear oppression of what a teacher or an adult might give them. They feel a sense of trust in us, which is good for a student.

 

TO LEARN MORE

You can learn more on this topic by reviewing 2 briefing papers that we developed to help afterschool programs hire older youth. 

Engaging Youth as Workers in Afterschool Programs

Engaging Youth as Workers Within High School Afterschool Programs

Voices from the Field: Hiring Older Youth Workers in Afterschool

Source: Experience Corps

By Sam Piha

Eric Gurna is the former president and CEO of LA’s BEST and he has some experience with hiring older youth workers in afterschool programs. To learn more about this, we asked him a few questions and his responses are below.

Q: Do you think hiring older adults to work with youth is a good match?

A: I do think hiring older adults to work with youth is a good match - it's mutually beneficial for youth participants, young adult staff and older adults. We don't create enough opportunities in our culture for intergenerational exchange outside family settings. Historically we had these opportunities for older and younger people to interact in mutually enriching ways but in our current modern American society this is lacking, and bringing older adults in to work with youth in informal educational settings is a way to do that. Older adults bring a range of experiences that they can share with the mostly young adult staff of afterschool programs as well as youth. In practical terms it is also a good fit - the youth program workforce is largely part-time, and many older adults are looking for that kind of arrangement. 

Q: Generational diversity (older workers)- What are the benefits to the workplace, workers, and youth?

A: Please see answer above! Intergenerational communication has the potential to build empathy and understanding on all sides.  

Q: What are the potential challenges?

A: Because many young adults have not had the opportunity to interact with many older adults outside their own family, some may feel a bit close-minded to learning from and working with older adults. Likewise, some older adults can bring a sort of "I know best," condescending approaching to younger staff. I think these challenges are relatively minor, and can be mostly avoided with a strong staff orientation and ongoing professional development process, so that all staff learn and grow together.

Source: AARP Experience Corps

Q: How should an organization prepare itself to incorporate older workers?

A: I’m not really sure of the specifics here, but I think the first step is to learn from other organizations who have made intentional efforts to incorporate older workers already. Understanding the needs and concerns that older adults have about coming into a youth program workplace is important, so asking them about that would be a good start as well. 

Q: Any resources that you would recommend?

A: When I was CEO of LA's BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program, we had a thriving partnership with AARP Experience Corps - they have developed amazing partnerships with youth programs across the country and have a wealth of experience to learn from.  

Q: Would you offer any tips for program leaders?

A: Besides what I have already mentioned, I would encourage program leaders to stay open minded and enthusiastic about the idea of bringing older adults into their workforce - that positive attitude will go a long way. 

MORE ABOUT…

Eric Gurna

Eric Gurna is an experienced nonprofit executive and consultant committed to supporting the work of organizations dedicated to community & youth development and social justice. From 2015 to 2021, Eric served as President & CEO of LA's BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program, a partnership of the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the private sector serving 25,000 children at nearly 200 Los Angeles elementary schools. Eric joined LA’s BEST as the second President & CEO in the organization’s history. During his tenure, LA's BEST helped to lead a statewide advocacy movement that led to close to $200M in increased funding for expanded learning programs, secured the largest private donation in organizational history ($2M), spearheaded an initiative for LA's BEST to become the first large-scale trauma-informed expanded learning system in the nation and completely revamped the organization's visual branding and messaging.

Eric brings a deep commitment to positive youth development to his work, and a national reputation for thought leadership in the Expanded Learning movement. He also brings a nuanced understanding and appreciation for how children learn and develop, and a passion for staff and program development.

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Hiring Part-Time, Temporary Staff to Work with Youth Isn’t Okay Anymore

Source: Rebecca Fabiano 

By Guest Blogger Rebecca Fabiano, Founder & President of FAB Youth Philly. (Note: This blog was originally published in Youth Today.)

We did something revolutionary with our two newest job postings in our youth program: offered them as full-time, year-round positions. Typically, these positions are part-time, hourly, temporary positions — and that is simply not working for us, or for our field, any longer.

Like many out-of-school time and afterschool programs, we’ve had to hire program staff at least two, even three times per year. While the function of these positions might be similar or even the same, because the time of day for the programs differs so greatly, we often have to hire different staff.

This creates a cycle of recruiting, interviewing, on-boarding, training, and off-boarding that is counterintuitive and counterproductive to the things we stand for in our field: positive relationships between youth and adults and equitable, career paths that have a living wage. It costs organizations of all sizes, but especially small organizations like ours, significant amounts of time and money, including for job postings, clearances, swag, and staff salaries. It takes up valuable time that could be put towards programming, staff training, community engagement and more, because we are doing it every three, six and nine months to be able to staff our afterschool and summer programs.

This approach to hiring is rooted in the nonprofit industrial complex and concepts like scarcity thinking. It is a waste of time, money and talent and keeps the very people we say add value to our organizations poor and less able to establish a meaningful career in our field. But most of all, for us, at Fab Youth Philly, this hamster wheel of hiring keeps us from building and maintaining trusting, caring and consistent relationships with the teens and their families we work with. If there is a new person from an unknown phone number calling or texting or sending an email every six months, how is a teen supposed to feel connected to us? How do caregivers know who to contact if they have a question or concern?

Source: Temescal Associates

“But what will these new hires do all day?” you ask. They will do and get paid for the things we ask them to do for free or outside of their work hours or for the “passion for the work”.

They will be able to attend community meetings and conduct outreach and build relationships. They will have time for planning and curriculum development. They will have time to collaborate with their colleagues — and we are hoping, as we continue to build relationships with schools and other youth-serving, nonprofit organizations and businesses. They can provide additional support in schools or public libraries or offer clubs during the day at school or at childcare centers. We see these full-time positions serving as a bridge between the school day and out-of-school time.

If you or someone you know are interested in this approach, check out the job description and others currently available on our FAB Youth Philly website. And if you’re a youth-serving organization who wants to follow the same path, here are three ways to get started:

1. Talk with your board of directors. Consider whether this move aligns with your organizational values and goals; if not, work with your board on what might need to shift. 

2. Review your budget and see where there is room to create full-time positions. We had some under-spending and talked with one of our funders about allocating this funding for the purpose of hiring full-time staff. You may have to plan a year or more out before you can offer a full-time position.

3. Talk with current or potential funders about your hiring goals and see if they are interested in testing this concept with you.

Rebecca Fabiano is the president and founder of Fab Youth Philly. For nearly 25 years, she has worked in various capacities across nonprofit and youth-serving organizations, served on boards and helped to build solid youth programs that engage, encourage, and create spaces for positive development. 

Preparing Youth for the Workforce in Afterschool and Building Your Own Youth Worker Pipeline (Part 1)

Source: Alexandriava.gov

By Sam Piha

We know that when asked, older youth say they are most interested in acquiring the skills needed to get a job. Also, we know that as youth program leaders, it is our job to help prepare young people for success in adulthood, which includes creating opportunities to explore careers and gather work-based skills. Afterschool, sometimes referred to as Expanded Learning (ExL), is well positioned to help older youth to acquire these skills. 

Bill Fennessy

Bill Fennessy is a Program Specialist for Workforce Initiatives at the California AfterSchool Network (CAN). I first met Bill years ago when he innovated a new high school afterschool program in Pasadena, CA. Bill was part of the first round of ASSETs (After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens) program funding. He subsequently joined Think Together as their first Director of High School Programs and continued this role later at A World Fit for Kids. We recently invited Bill to lead a How Kids Learn Speaker’s Forum webinar entitled, Preparing Youth for the Workforce in Afterschool and Building Your Own Youth Worker Pipeline. To learn more and register, click here.

In preparation of this webinar, we asked Bill a few questions on the importance of youth workforce development in afterschool programs, and his responses are below.

Q: What do you mean by workforce preparation?   

A: Preparing older youth for the workforce is giving students both the skill building instruction, practice and experience to prepared them for the employment process, and then provide additional specific preparation previous to an actual workplace environment to provide a truly beneficial experience and real context for working. Starting to expose and prepare older youth to serve in afterschool or expanded learning (ExL) elementary programs can be a significant help to developing and finding potential quality staff, thereby creating your own ExL program staffing pipeline.

Q: What do we hear from the business community in regard to preparing youth for the workforce?

A: Businesses and corporations are looking for a diverse workforce of young employees that can assimilate into the workplace smoothly, quickly, and carry themselves in a professional manner. Being able to thrive in a team environment and/or on team projects is also a highly sought ability. They are also looking more now at what an employee can actually do, rather than what level of education they have attained. Then once employed, advancing in the workplace also has far more to do with an employee’s “people-skills” than the volume of work completed. In addition, Community Colleges are considering giving credits for employment completed in general. Resumes are very important in demonstrating what skills potential employees possess, and ExL employment provides an opportunity to acquire a vast number of skills and competencies.

Q: Why is preparing youth for work and career success important for young people from low-income neighborhoods? Is there an issue of equity that we should seek to address?  

A: Preparing young people from low-income neighborhoods is absolutely critical for their success in both education and the workforce. Results from a Gallup Poll showed that 65% of underserved and youth of color will take their educational and career advice from someone in the workplace, over their parent, teacher, or counselor combined. Thus, it is incredibly clear that preparing and placing our underserved and youth of color in the workforce is a MUST.  

Our ExL youth participants are the diversified workforce we are looking for in our ExL programs. Having students serving in elementary ExL programs, can also be a start towards an education pathway, which should then help provide the diversified Exl workforce and potentially continuing on to the diversified teaching workforce desired.  

I would tell the other afterschool programs that it is an excellent idea to bring student youth workers to their program because it is giving them a chance to succeed in life, and they won't be just in the streets doing nothing. Instead, they will be in the programs learning about new experiences and how to be better in the future.” – HS youth, Richmond Village Beacon Center, SF, Ca 

 

Q:  Is this an appropriate concept for elementary, middle and/or high school?  

A: This is most appropriate for high school students, as they are old enough to get a work-permit from their school district. Employing high school youth in elementary school ExL programs does have a positive effect on those programs. Also, older youth students serving in our elementary school ExL programs do not require a Work-Permit, so the opportunity is open for ALL high school students. (We do avoid high school students working with middle school students to avoid potential over-identification issues.) 

Bill Fennessy is a Program Specialist for Workforce Initiatives at the California AfterSchool Network (CAN). Bill was part of the first round of ASSETs (After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens) programs funding. He subsequently joined Think Together as their first Director of High School Programs and continued this role later at A World Fit for Kids, before joining CAN.

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Emerging Issues Impacting Afterschool

By Sam Piha

There are many emerging issues that impact afterschool programs as well as a wealth of articles that focus on them. How do we keep up on reading about issues that you are interested in? Below are some articles and resources arranged by topic. We invite you to click on those that are most relevant to your program. 

YOUTH WHO EXPERIENCE HOUSING INSTABILITY: Housing instability is linked to chronic absenteeism, lower graduation rates, and higher suspension rates among students. Affected students were also disproportionately Latinx, Black, and English language learners.

• At Least 2,600 Students in San Mateo County Schools Have Experienced ‘Housing Instability,’ Stanford Study Finds
• Housing Instability and Educational Outcomes of San Mateo County Youth
• Serving The Needs Of Housing Insecure And Foster Care Youth: An Interview With An Afterschool Innovator (LIAS Blog)

DECLINING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: “Kids miss school every day and always have—often for good reasons. But school leaders around the country say they’re struggling with a wave of chronic absenteeism that’s worsened over the course of the pandemic.” 

There are lots of factors, ranging from COVID-specific illness and family disruption to students who have just fallen out of the habit of regular attendance. And while current statistics are scarce, educators say the empty seats don’t make it any easier to get schools back to normal.” – Mark Bomster, Ed Week

• Where Are All the Kids? 4 Things to Know About the Current Absenteeism Crisis
• We Must Focus on Equity as California Tackles Declining Enrollment

YOUTH AND GRIEF: There is a growing awareness of the importance of emotional regulation, social emotional learning, trauma informed practice and healing centered engagement. However, it is important that we understand more about the needs of youth who are grieving or experiencing loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic (deaths and illness, as well as the loss of “normal”), the opioid crisis, the rising gun violence and the racial violence that is plaguing the country.

Source: Ed Week

• Pandemic Prompts Grief Support in Schools | Quick Guide
• Hidden Pain: Children Who Lost a Parent or Caregiver to COVID-19 and What the Nation Can Do to Help Them
• LIAS Blogs on Grief
• Responding to Grief and Loss in Afterschool Programs (Speaker’s Forum Recording, 96-min)

THE NEEDS OF BOYS: There's an emerging trend in afterschool to focus on the needs of boys, especially boys of color and those from low-income communities.

• Are We Facing a Mental Health Crisis for Boys?
• America’s Boys are in Serious Trouble. Schools Can Help
• LIAS Blogs on The Needs of Boys

COVID AND THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND TEENS: In our work with young people, it is important that we think about the many ways they may have been impacted by COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can affect adolescents directly and indirectly. Beyond getting sick, many adolescents’ social, emotional and mental well-being has been impacted by the pandemic. Trauma faced at this developmental stage may have long-term consequences across their lifespan."

From the very first waves of school closures and lockdowns in 2020, the pandemic significantly damaged children’s mental health in ways teachers are still coping with and researchers are still struggling to understand.” – Sarah D. Sparks, Ed Week

Source: Ed Week

• Teen Mental Health During COVID: What New Federal Data Reveal
• New Research Shows How Bad the Pandemic Has Been for Student Mental Health
• LIAS Blogs on Young People’s Mental Health
• COVID-19 and Young People's Mental Health: How Afterschool Can Help (Speaker’s Forum Recording, 101-min)

AFTERSCHOOL WORKER SHORTAGE: Recruiting, hiring, and retaining afterschool workers have been longstanding issues. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit—and these issues were greatly exacerbated. They had resulted in programs closing, drastically reducing capacity, and adding stress to afterschool workers. Many of these challenges are not unique to the afterschool field- they are being experienced by those in education and a wide range of fields. We know that the issue of staff shortages is not new to veteran afterschool program leaders. However, we felt it is important to summarize what we know in the time of COVID-19.

The most pressing problem facing afterschool is the nationwide shortage of workers.” – Michael Funk, Director of CDE Expanded Learning Division

• After-School Programs Are Low on Staff, Leaving Students Unsupervised and Underserved
• California Childcare Workers Struggle to Survive
• LIAS Blogs on The Afterschool Worker Shortage
• Responding to the Afterschool Worker Shortage (Speaker’s Forum Recording, 113-min)

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: According to the Afterschool Alliance, “The afterschool field is an essential partner in ensuring that all children have the ability to participate in immersive, relevant, and hands-on civic engagement opportunities.” Not only are civic engagement strategies participatory strategies, they contribute to the positive development of youth and the health of our democracy. 

• Learning to Lead: The Impact of Youth Organizing on the Educational and Civic Trajectories of Low-Income Youth
• Youth Civic Engagement and Activism in Expanded Learning Programs
• LIAS Blogs on Youth Civic Engagement
• Youth Civic Engagement and Activism in Afterschool (Speaker’s Forum Recording, 115-min) 

Rethinking Afterschool

By Sam Piha

Michael Funk

Michael Funk joined the California Department of Education (CDE) in 2012 to serve as the director of the expanded learning division. He oversees over $800 million in state and federal grants supporting over 4,500 afterschool programs in California. He also leads the newly created $1.75 billion Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, which funds every local educational agency in California. The Governor's current budget proposal for 2022-23 expands that funding to $4.4 billion.

Michael recently joined other afterschool leaders in a discussion addressing the worker shortage in afterschool. During this webinar, Michael offered several interesting comments, some of which are presented below. 

AFTERSCHOOL WORKERS as "COMMUNITY EDUCATORS"

What I saw during the pandemic were K-12 educators who were all of a sudden working alongside afterschool workers. Suddenly districts and education leaders were calling on afterschool community educators because they really knew the families and communities. And what I saw was, especially in these learning hubs, when schools closed, there was no division between school and afterschool or "community educators." And that's the phrase I'm using now more than school-based, expanded learning time workers. I'm using the phrase community educators. We are using that phrase more than youth workers or afterschool workers. They are educators, and they are from the community. 

THE VALUE OF AFTERSCHOOL

Most of our professional K-12 educators, not all, are from outside the neighborhood surrounding our schools. They drive in from other areas, while most of our community educators are from the neighborhood that houses our students' families. What we saw during the pandemic was a recognition from K-12 educators that "Wow, these people have something to bring. These people have something to offer that can help support the whole child in a compelling way." I am heartened that expanded learning time is increasingly being recognized as something powerful, effective, and transformative. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I'm seeing more educational leaders look at expanded learning as a field differently. Over time, will gravity try to pull us back to those old divisions? Yes, but I'm also seeing us working with great enthusiasm and passion for seizing this moment and not going back to how things were.

Source: Play Captains

AFTERSCHOOL WORKERS: SHOWING UP AS WHO WE ARE

We've often talked about afterschool as a teacher pathway as if we're going to turn these afterschool folks into K-12 teachers and help them fit into the educational system. While I have seen community educators become amazing teachers, that can’t be the only pathway into education. We need to have community educators/ afterschool workers in the educational system, showing up as who they are and not trying to turn them into something else.

I've said this for years now that afterschool workers were always told they need to align themselves to the school day and they need to ask the school administrators what they want them to do. They need to show up, hat in hand, and say "We're here to serve, what do you want us to do?" I think it's time to stop that. They need to show up as their best selves, as who they are with their assets and know-how.

RETIREES AND THE AFTERSCHOOL WORKFORCE

I think we've often overlooked some of the places with the most fertile potential for future afterschool workers, because, as a field, we tend to have a bias about who should be an afterschool worker. It's an implicit bias I'm sure, but how many of us think about recruiting retirees? When I managed the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center in San Francisco, we launched Experience Core Bay Area. We launched this effort to target retired adults to be line staff and site coordinators in our afterschool programs in Oakland. And what a phenomenal experience that was to see people with 20 years left of active, engaged energy working in afterschool programs.

Source: AARP

In our programs, we had retired professionals, many people of color from that neighborhood. I contend that one of the keys to program quality is an intergenerational workforce. Imagine how rich it would be if you had a 55-year-old retired executive working with children alongside a 25-year-old college student. Imagine the cross-mentoring potential between the younger staff and the older staff. One of my fondest memories was when one of the older staff, about 15 years ago, brought a portable record player to the elementary afterschool program. The kids were fascinated because they had never seen a record player before. And it opened this amazing world of opportunity. 

PURPOSE, NOT DOLLARS

Often, I hear people talk about the afterschool workforce shortage, they speak in technical terms - "They're going to get $2 more an hour at Starbucks," or "This company is going to give them a little bit more money here or there," or "They can get a scholarship over here." I had this compelling sense that we're missing the opportunity if we don't invite people to a higher purpose. If we see youth work not as a job, but as a pathway to their purpose, we can frame an expanded learning job as a portal to a career in education or transforming young people's lives. 

I suspect that the people you want working in your programs are the people who have a sense of purpose and care more about that than what the wage is. I'm not saying we shouldn't pay people well. Youth work has to be a purpose-driven occupation. I've talked with many after school leaders this week about how to get their afterschool staff into a living wage with the resources we have and I'm committed to that, also.

Michael Funk, Director of the Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) for the California Department of Education (CDE), was appointed in January 2012. He was charged with developing a strategic plan building upon Expanded Learning to create programs that maximize outcomes for youth, families, schools, and communities. This work led to the Statement of Strategic Direction, identifying four key strategic initiatives. Michael brought together stakeholders from the EXLD field to finalize the plan and has continued to prioritize incorporating those principles of high-quality learning into all aspects of the work of EXLD. Michael is leading the effort to support Local Educational Agencies across California to implement the new Expanded Learning Opportunities Program. 

Prior to this role, Michael was the Founder and Executive Director of the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center in San Francisco, which provides engaging programs to youth and adults. While serving at SNBC, Michael founded Experience Corps Bay Area and represented Community Based Organizations on the California Utilities Commission, Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee, and served on CDE's Before and After School Advisory Committee. Michael also co-led the Learning In Afterschool and Summer initiative, a partnership with Temescal Associates.

Afterschool Worker Shortage: Voices from the Field

by Sam Piha

We thought it is important to understand the issue of worker shortages from afterschool practitioners. To accomplish this, we issued a “snap” field survey in which we received 44 responses from practitioners across the country in 12 hours. Below we share some of the responses from our “snap” survey as well as from a survey from the East Bay Asian Youth Center (representing a collective of 13 lead agencies providing afterschool programs to a total of 76 OUSD schools.

SURVEY OF AFTERSCHOOL PRACTITIONERS CONDUCTED BY TEMESCAL ASSOCIATES ON 12/6/21: 

What are the reasons for the worker shortage? 

“I believe many of the people that worked for us before the 2020-21 school year went on to find other work. I also believe that some have enrolled in college and some no longer are able to live in the area due to being priced out of the housing market.” – School District Coordinator, California

“1. Competitive hiring market with higher pay than pre-pandemic. 2. Not all youth are vaccinated and fear of contracting or passing Covid. 3. High cost of Bay Area living and relocation of workers. 4. Work from home job options more prevalent. 5. Stimulus checks led to savings for some and not needing to immediately return to the workforce. 6. Secured alternate work with higher wages instead of returning to the afterschool field.” – Afterschool Program Staff, California

“After school programs generally do not pay well, and we're dealing with a major inflation. Also, I think fear of exposure to COVID plays a large part, too. Working with a large number of mostly unvaccinated people, even if they're kids, is scary sometimes.” – Afterschool Program Staff, California

“Low wages, part-time work (only), no benefits; perception of lack of career path (rather, just a part time, temp job on the way to something more permanent. People staying home to take care of own kids.” – Afterschool Provider CEO, Pennsylvania

“There are a variety of stressors that bring about this shortage: loss of work hours, loss of loved ones and family members, mental exhaustion, and lack of adequate health care and better wages.”- Afterschool Provider CEO, Florida

“We had trouble finding qualified staff who were also fully vaccinated.” – Afterschool Program Staff, Ohio

How has your program been impacted by the worker shortage?

“Programs have had to limit youth attendees in some programs, sometimes programs have had to cancel a day or so due to lack of substitute staff, and less activities are offered in some sites due to lack of instructors.” – Afterschool Evaluator and Consultant, California

“We are serving less students than we have spaces for. The staff is overwhelmed, and the program quality has decreased.”- Afterschool Program Director, California

“Depending on the site location, we are at 50%-75% of capacity to serve youth after school. Fewer students are being served which jeopardizes our local/state/federal grant awards.” – Afterschool Program Staff, California

“The current staff shortage has prevented our 13 programs from fully enrolling our ASES funded sites. We are at about 50% capacity at this time. It is very distressing to not be able to serve the maximum number of families.” – School District Coordinator, California

“We’ve had substantial turnover at our site coordinator level, and front-line staff is more of a revolving door than before.” – Afterschool Program Director, Michigan

“Our enrollment is low because we only have 2-3 staff per site (as opposed to 5-6).” – Afterschool Program Director, Utah

What are some things that the field can do to address the impacts of a worker shortage? 

“I believe we were better positioned than many organizations to hire because we budgeted for a higher wage than many other youth programs. I think increasing wages and explaining the necessity of that to funders so that they can support the organizations they fund in that increase. Afterschool and youth development work also need to be seen as a viable career path with professional training and education.” – Afterschool Program Director, Ohio

“Hire high school students who are 18+ to work at elementary sites, provide university credit for field service hours, increase pay rates.” – Afterschool Program Director, Michigan

“Formal pipelines for after school to educators. Schools facing the same concerns. Increasing wages is tough - in our area, California’s Afterschool Education and Safety (ASES) program will not cover the full cost of the program nor will parents be able to afford the true cost of program.” – Afterschool Provider, California

“Beyond livable wages? Benefits that compensate for the low pay such as full-time employment, fully paid medical and dental, free childcare, reimbursed college tuition, access to robust mental health coverage.” – Afterschool Program Director, California

“We need more money. We are criminally underpaid and overworked.” – Afterschool Program Coordinator, California

Any suggestions on how we can improve the worker shortage at the policy/systems level? 

“Could give credit for high school students that work in afterschool programs under an elective or community service requirement.” – Afterschool Evaluator and Consultant, California

“Funders and contracting organizations like Starting Point and Say Yes could set a $15 minimum wage for afterschool program work and fund programs accordingly. Local colleges could offer Youth Development degrees/certifications and place students in afterschool programs for field experience.” – Afterschool Program Director, Ohio

“Encourage funders to raise grant amounts to get to living wages. Create full time jobs. Consider hybrid work schedules if appropriate. Paid training and prep-time.” - Afterschool Provider CEO, Pennsylvania

“The California Department of Education has to truly make it a pathway to education careers and the Unions should let LEAs and CBOs hire combined positions, so both the school and the afterschool program are fully staffed, because offering more hours attracts more staff. Higher compensation.”- Afterschool Program Director, California

“Bring back funding to invest in and manage workforce development by building a formal pipeline between high school to community colleges and state universities, including the UC system and tap into the resources of private universities.” – Afterschool Program Staff, California

“Loan forgiveness or tuition credits as many part time afterschool workers are in school. Regional or statewide benefits packages as the cost to smaller orgs is tremendous but better benefits could entice workers to stay in or take these jobs. Ensure the jobs are pipelines to full time opportunities and careers.” – Afterschool Program Staff, California

SURVEY OF 13 AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM LEAD AGENCIES CONDUCTED BY THE EAST BAY ASIAN YOUTH CENTER: 

What program strategies are being implemented to hire staff?:

• 92% Use of “Indeed”
• 85% Recruitment through Colleges & Universities
• 85% Recruitment through Personal Network
• 77% Recruitment through Professional Network
• 77% Increase Hourly Wage
• 62% Recruitment through social media (Facebook, Etc.)
• 54% Referral Bonus
• 31% Idealist
• 23% Paid Recruiter
• 15% Sign-on Bonus
• 23% Other 

Temescal Associates and The How Kids Learn Foundation will be conducting a webinar featuring a presentation by Stu Semigran and his team from the EduCare Foundation on Heartset® for Self-Care and Resiliency on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 from 10:00am - 11:30am (PST). To learn more and register, click HERE.

Addressing the Afterschool Worker Shortage: Keeping Equity in Mind

by Sam Piha

The emergency triggered by COVID-19 lays bare the structural failures of a nation where the most vulnerable continue to be the worst hit. To realize the promise of equity, every policy and investment must provide significant, sustained support to the people hurting most; and serve as a bridge to creating an equitable economy…” – Policylink.org

Turning an equity lens on the recovery of afterschool is critical in order to not recreate past equity issues. According to California Afterschool Network (CAN), “Communities of color and low-income communities––the very same communities that make-up a large percentage of the expanded learning workforce––are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”

These same communities now have disproportionately less access to afterschool programs than before. Recent studies reveal that:

• low-income students are far less likely to have access to afterschool programs in person this fall, compared with children and youths from higher-income families.
• 45% of providers serving mostly high-income families report plans to provide fall in-person services, compared with only 15% of providers serving mostly low-income families.
• The disparities across income levels to in-person after-school program access reflect trends showing that race is a strong predictor of access to in-person schooling, with predominantly white schools being more likely to offer in-person or hybrid schooling options rather than being fully online.

As programs respond to the crisis by shrinking their footprint, Felicia Young, Senior Manager of Education, Training and Program Development at the Metro United Way in Louisville, KY, notes that site closures have been concentrated in marginalized neighborhoods of Louisville, creating significant barriers for the communities that need them most.” – Desiree Morales

The California Afterschool Network (CAN) formed a Workforce Strategy Committee which developed recommendations and resources (such as Considerations for an Equitable Recovery for the Expanded Learning Workforce) to assist afterschool programs to make changes, taking equity into account. It is recommended that the reader references their website. 

Source: Seattle Times

PROGRAM TOOLS

These are some program tools that leaders can use to ensure that their programs do not advance inequities. 

• Equity Screen Tool: A statewide committee of out-of-school time stakeholders, convened by the California Afterschool Network, develop a tool that agencies can use to ensure that recovery decisions, policies, and strategies best meet the needs of employees most negatively impacted by COVID-19.
• AWAKE to WOKE to WORK: Building a Race Equity Culture: This tool was developed by Equity in the Center to provide evidence-based guidance for leaders working to advance race equity in their organizations.

Temescal Associates and The How Kids Learn Foundation will be conducting a webinar featuring a presentation by Stu Semigran and his team from the EduCare Foundation on Heartset® for Self-Care and Resiliency on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 from 10:00am - 11:30am (PST). To learn more and register, click HERE.