LIAS Effectiveness Study

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

The Learning in Afterschool & Summer (LIAS) project was launched in 2010. In the summer of 2015, the LIAS staff conducted a LIAS Effectiveness Study to gauge our impact on the field and how best to further the project goals. The objectives of this LIAS Effectiveness Study were to:

• Learn how effective the LIAS campaign was in reaching and impacting expanded learning stakeholders and program leaders;
• Learn how effective the individual LIAS strategies were;
• Improve the LIAS campaign going forward; and
• Share with the larger field any learnings that may be helpful to future efforts to improve expanded learning program quality.

We collected 91 surveys completed by Regional Leads, those who oversee or work directly with youth, or provide technical assistance. In terms of geography, most of the respondents are located in Regions 3, 4, 9, and 11. These four regions contain 57% of the total California ASES and 21st CCLC programs. (Source: California Afterschool Network). We also conducted follow up interviews with 20 afterschool leaders across the state. 

Below is a summary of findings from our study. To view the study Executive Summary, click here. To view the full report, click here. 

LIAS effectiveness: 

• The LIAS project has successfully raised awareness of the LIAS principles across the state.
• On average, 74% of respondents reported their contact with LIAS materials. Of those, 67% on average, rated their experience as a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale of effectiveness, with 1 being the lowest.
• On average, only 30% of respondents reported an involvement with LIAS support activities. Of those, on average, 79% rated their experience as a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale of effectiveness, with 1 being the lowest.
• Of those surveyed, over 84% reported that the LIAS materials and supports impacted their programs. They reported that the LIAS project either changed the way they talk about their programs (49%) or effected their program design (35%).

LIAS strengths: Respondents reported that the language of the LIAS learning principles are clear and understandable (nearly 84%) and the LIAS learning principles can easily be applied to program design and improvement (nearly 69%). 

LIAS weaknesses: A fair number of respondents (22%) thought that the LIAS project can do more outreach to educate practitioners about the LIAS learning principles. Nearly 46% of respondents replied, “No comment”. 

Challenges and barriers to program improvement: Respondents named staff turnover (92%), insufficient funding (86%), and insufficient time (80%) as the largest barrier or challenge. 

Takeaways
Objective 1: Learn how effective the LIAS campaign was in reaching and impacting expanded learning stakeholders and program leaders

• LIAS outreach – The LIAS project has been very successful in spreading the word on the LIAS principles. The newly designed website and LIAS blog have been well received.  

• LIAS impact – The LIAS project reportedly has impacted many by changing the way they talk with others about their program activities and/or changing actual day-to-day practice. Program leaders want more guidance on how to apply LIAS and character building strategies into practice. 

Objective 2: Learn how effective the individual LIAS strategies were

• LIAS materials – The LIAS postcard has been widely distributed across the state and well received by program leaders. However, some of the LIAS materials such as the webinar, are not reaching a large audience. 

• LIAS training opportunities – The LIAS orientations and introductory trainings are an effective educational outreach strategy. However, they do not go far enough in changing practice at the program level. The LIAS learning communities have been well received and judged as effective ways to impact program quality. However, they are not widely available due to issues of cost, commitment, and geography. 

Objective 3: Improve the LIAS campaign going forward

• Diversify audience – It would be useful if the LIAS project could reach out to diverse audiences that impact young people’s learning. These additional audiences include youth program providers outside of the “afterschool circle”, principals and educational administrators, instructors in higher education, museums, libraries, and Parks & Recreation departments. 

• Access to online tools – Because of issues of cost and distance, and because young workers grew up in the digital age, we have been advised to ensure that materials and tools include short videos of actual program practice, are accessible via the Internet, be multimedia, and viewable on smartphones and tablets. 

• Integrate new concepts - materials should include the new state Quality Standards. They should also integrate 21st century learning skills, social emotional learning, building character skills, non-cognitive skills, growth mindsets, and foundations for young adult success. There is also the demand that programs respond to the new state Quality Standards for Expanded Learning Programs and the Common Core State Standards. While it is true that some of these are overlapping, they still present an overwhelming set of “lists”. The LIAS project has been advised to create an approach that integrate these “lists” and the Quality Standards.

Objective 4: Learnings that may be helpful to future efforts to improve expanded learning program quality

• Cost as a barrier - Due to rising labor costs and stagnant grant awards, programs have cut the amount of resources for professional development and program tools. For all of us that work to improve program quality, we have been advised to consider the issue of cost – program materials and training - and even offer stipends to training participants in exchange for a commitment to attendance and program improvement efforts. 

• Other barriers to program improvement – Any effort to improve program quality requires educational outreach that is ongoing due to staff turnover. In addition to continuing these efforts, we have been encouraged to target program leaders, who have longer tenures than frontline staff.  

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We invite you to join us at the How Kids Learn V conference: Preparing Youth for Work and Career Success. To see more information and register, click here. 

Employability Skills Framework

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

There are a growing number of tools to guide the design and improvement of youth programs. These come in the form of frameworks, program quality measurement tools, self-assessment or reflection surveys. Some are general in nature and some are very content-specific.

If program leaders try to use all of these tools, it can be a bit overwhelming and probably not useful. It is important that programs begin by taking a look inside and answering the question, “What are we about?” and “What needs do youth have and which do we think we should focus on through our program offerings?”. Then, program leaders can select the most appropriate framework, quality assessment tool, or self-reflection survey. 

By “framework”, we are referring to a conceptual structure intended to serve as a support or guide for the design and implementation of a youth program. There are frameworks for youth development, for young adult success, employability skills, character building, social emotional learning, and more. 

RTI International (RTI), one of the world’s leading independent, nonprofit research and development organization, developed an Employability Skills Framework for the U.S. Department of Education. This framework names the skills that employers are looking for and divides this into three categories, each with a subset of skills. They are: 

Effective Relationships

• Interpersonal Skills (understands teamwork and works with others, responds to customer needs, exercises leadership, negotiates to resolve conflicts, respects individual differences)
• Personal Qualities (demonstrates responsibility and self discipline, adapts and shows flexibility, works independently, demonstrates a willingness to learn, demonstrates integrity and professionalism, takes initiative, displays positive attitude and sense of self-worth, takes responsibility for professional growth)

Workplace Skills

• Technology Use (understands and uses technology)
• Systems Thinking (understands and uses systems, monitors and improves systems)
• Communication Skills (communicates verbally, listens actively, comprehends written material, conveys information in writing, observes carefully)
• Information Use (locates, organizes, uses, analyzes, and communicates information)
• Resource Management (Manages time, money, materials, and personnel)

Applied Knowledge

• Critical Thinking Skills (thinks critically, thinks creatively, makes sound decisions, solves problems, reasons, and plans and organizes)
• Applied Academic Skills (uses reading and writing skills, uses mathematical strategies and procedures, uses scientific principles and procedures)

Employability Skills Framework

This framework serves as a valuable tool for programs that wish to prepare young people for success in work and career. When examining this framework, one can appreciate how it overlaps with 21st century learning skills and character building/social emotional skills, and broader frameworks for youth development.

Laura Rasmussen Foster, Program Director of Adult Education Studies at RTI International, led the development of this framework. She will speak about it at our upcoming How Kids Learn V Conference in Berkeley. Below, she answers a few questions we had about the framework.  

Q: Can you briefly say how and why this framework was developed? 

A: It was developed by RTI International for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. 

The goal in creating the framework was to look across existing sets of employability skill standards and assessments and identify areas of overlap that would begin to unify this existing work in a common framework. We found right away that there are so many different terms used to describe employability skills and wanted to provide a common language (based on research) for both education and business to use. 

Our work was guided by a technical work group, which included representation from career technical education, adult education, and workforce training organizations. Stakeholder groups reviewed the framework and other key products as they were developed to ensure their applicability to the broad education and workforce fields. 

Q: Who was the intended audience and how do you hope this framework will be used? 

Laura Rasmussen Foster

A: The audience (educators, policy makers, and employers) is intentionally broad, as we recognize the importance of employability skills to all individuals and the need to integrate these skills into education and training programs across grade levels and content areas. Hopefully the framework can be used by these audiences in different ways to meet their specific needs. For example, teachers can review the framework skills, identify those that they already may be teaching and develop lessons for incorporating other skills. Employers can use it as a communication tool for explaining their skill needs to their education partners. Other tips for using the framework are described on audience-specific pages (see http://cte.ed.gov/employabilityskills/index.php/audience/educators, for the educators page, for example).  

Q: Do you believe that it is useful and relevant for youth programs that happen in the out-of-school hours?

A: Yes, definitely. Employability skills are an essential component of college and career readiness, no matter where that preparation takes place. It is not just the responsibility of one career and technical education program or a single teacher to teach all of the framework skills. Instead, they can and should be integrated across educational levels and programs and reinforced in various contexts. 

Q: This framework names several concepts we see in frameworks for character building, youth development, and social emotional learning. What are your thoughts on the overlap? 

A: I’m not surprised about the overlap, as the framework builds on existing sets of skills, standards, and assessments – it was not intended as a new, separate set of skills. Hopefully the overlap helps you understand how youth programs are already addressing these skills and identify any gaps for further work! 

The "HOW" Versus the "WHAT"

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

I want to comment on the distinction between "HOW KIDS LEARN" and "WHAT KIDS LEARN". The Learning in Afterschool & Summer (LIAS) learning principles are focused on how kids learn. They are based on recent research, combining brain research, the new science of learning, and what we know from practice.

The "how" is separate from "what": the "how" is absent of any content. Different programs and adults think that young people should acquire certain skills - this is "what". The "what" could be STEM, social emotional learning, character building, workforce readiness, or academic proficiency. The "how" is about how best to shape the strategies and activities to promote learning - regardless of what content or skills we are seeking to teach. The difference may be subtle and confusing to some, but it is fundamental to teaching and learning. 

Below are some quotes that may be helpful: 

• "I think that the learning principles in after school and summer really get at the core of learning for students really starting in early childhood, going through to university." - Deborah Vandell, Department of Education, UCI

• “The LIAS principles are all critical. These principles reflect what our own field experience and research suggest about the characteristics of effective learning environments." - Karen Pittman, Forum For Youth Investment 

• “When you think about what it means to create an environment where a child is excited, supported, and ultimately takes ownership of their learning, LIAS hits the nail on the head. The principles resonate across communities of practice and in our fragmented policy context." - Samantha Tran, Children NOW

Dependable Funding? It's Up To Us!

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

The afterschool movement first went to scale in the 1990s with allocation of public tax dollars: federal funding of 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) by the federal government and the release of tax dollars for California afterschool programs, mandated by Proposition 49. People assume that these funds are stable, but in fact they are threatened by legislators seeking to reduce these funds. 

We strongly believe that every program provider and program leader should understand the history of public funding for afterschool programs and be involved in advocacy efforts to preserve these funds (for a background on the funding of afterschool programs in California, see Examining California’s Afterschool Movement Post Proposition 49). 

Bruno Marchesi,
Project Manager,
Center for Collaborative
Solutions

We asked an important leader in afterschool, Bruno Marchesi, Project Manager for the Center for Collaborative Solutions, to share his perspectives on this issue. 

Q: Afterschool and summer programs became widely accessible to families with the investment of public dollars. Can we assume that this funding is now safe and dependable?

A: Even though funding authorized for afterschool and summer learning programs have remained constant for the past 6 years through 21st Century Community Learning Centers at the national level, and constant since its initial implementation through the After School Education and Safety (ASES) legislation in California since 2006, the afterschool and summer learning field (or Expanded Learning as it is also known in California) should not assume that funding is currently safe and dependable.

I have served as the Co-Chief Reader for 21st CCLC grants for the past 3 cohorts and the reality is that the current need far exceeds the amount of funding available for these programs. In the last few 21st CCLC cohorts, it was stated that most likely 1 out of every 10 programs that applied for funding were approved. This does not even take into account the many organizations and school districts that chose to not apply for funding based on the previous year's shortage of funding. 

Although federal funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers has remained relatively constant over the past few years, every year there have been proposals to reduce the total amount, repurpose the dollars for other uses or consolidate the funding with other federal education dollars into block grants.

In California, we are probably in a better funding position, since ASES was voter approved and therefore it would need to be brought back to the voters to cut or take away the $550 million dollars per year allocated for these programs under Prop 49. Even though this is the case in California, the funding levels to sustain high quality programs have not gone up to reflect the rising operating costs of running these programs since the amount was first established in 2002 at $7.50 per child per day.

Q: Do program leaders have a responsibility at the local level to ensure that these funds are safe and dependable? Can program leaders support the work of advocates at the federal and state levels? 

A: Each and every person at all levels in the Expanded Learning field has a responsibility to address the funding for these afterschool and summer programs. Line staff have the responsibility to provide high quality programs. It is important that these programs operate at capacity each and every day so that students are engaged and continue to attend. This ensures that they maximize the funding allocations. 

Site Coordinators and program leadership have the responsibility to build champions in their local communities. From building partnerships with school principals and districts to create joint use agreements to work together. By working together, they can ensure that the afterschool program complements the regular school day goals and objectives through the Learning in Afterschool & Summer activities that are active, collaborative, meaningful, supports mastery, and expands horizons.

Site Coordinators and program leadership should stay informed at what is happening, not just at the local level, but also statewide and nationally when it comes to best practices, policy and funding. They are a critical component to support the work of advocates at the state and national level because the folks operating programs have access to the key stakeholders in their communities. These include the students, the families, school leadership, local businesses, etc. Because of these interactions they understand their community need, challenges and opportunities that could play a crucial role in helping to shape the agenda and key talking points for advocating organizations. 

Q: What organizations are advocating for the preservation of these funds at the federal level? 

A: Organizations like the Afterschool Alliance are doing a great job in advocating for the preservation of these funds by providing information about the impact of high quality programs around the country, creating awareness with legislators and key stakeholders to build champions not just in Washington, DC, but also at the local level through their Lights On Afterschool efforts and their America After 3 p.m. report. Organizations like the Afterschool Alliance are crucial to the preservation of these funds.

Q: What organizations are advocating for the preservation of these funds at the state level? 

A: Organizations like the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3), the Partnership for Children and Youth (PCY), the California School Age Consortium (CalSAC), among others are leading the way in advocating for the preservation of after school and summer learning program funding and sustainability.

In California, we have a large network of technical assistance providers like the California AfterSchool Network (CAN) who keep the field informed. CAN serves as a vehicle to get information from the California Department of Education (CDE) down to the program level for implementation, and highlight the voice of the field back to CDE through its statewide initiatives and committees. 

Q: What can program providers and leaders do? 

A: There are many things that program stakeholders can do to continue to help to ensure that these funds continue to stay safe and dependable.

1. High quality programs: Make sure that you continue to operate high quality programs that support maximum attendance and complement the regular school day goals and objectives. 

2. Host program visits: You can host community partners or legislative visits. Many in your community may not be aware of your afterschool or summer program and the wonderful opportunities there may be to partner or build champions at the local or state level.

3. Participate in current advocacy efforts: There are multiple opportunities to provide voice and leadership at the statewide level through the CalSAC Challenge event, through any of the multiple California AfterSchool Network committees or share your knowledge and expertise at one of the many regional or statewide conferences and events.

4. Lights On Afterschool: Participate in the Lights On Afterschool Event by hosting an event at your site. You can also participate in the national movement by signing up your event through the Afterschool Alliance’s website and staying active in promoting the event through your social media channels. 

5. Create Partnerships: Find ways to create partnerships to leverage your funding and opportunities. Connect with your local food bank to bring in extra resources for your students and families, reach out to local businesses to match donations or serve as volunteers in your program. There are many local and statewide organizations that have multiple resources to offer for the exact population that you serve in your programs each day. 

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For information on federal policy follow the Afterschool Snack blog posts at: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/afterschoolsnack/ASnack.cfm and also follow the Afterschool Alliance on Facebook and Twitter.

To register your Lights On Afterschool site and to get event tools and kits go to: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loa.cfm

To learn more about supply, demand and parent satisfaction with afterschool across America and in your state go to: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/
______________________
Bruno Marchesi serves as Project Manager for the Center for Collaborative Solutions. He has more than 18 years of after school and summer programs experience at all levels including frontline staff, Site Coordinator, Program Manager, and most recently as Program Director of the California AfterSchool Network at the UC Davis School of Education. Bruno's passion and drive come from his own core values of humility, integrity, and service.

Checking In with Dr. Pedro Noguera

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

Pedro Noguera has been an important voice in the areas of school reform, race, and poverty. He has been a dedicated warrior to address the inequity that young people face, especially low-income youth of color, in learning opportunities. Pedro worked with others to found the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education initiative. 

Today, Pedro is a Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences at UCLA. Prior to his moving to UCLA, Pedro served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University (2003 – 2015), Harvard University (2000 – 2003), and the University of California, Berkeley (1990 – 2000). He was a member of the Berkeley School Board from 1990-1994.

Dr. Pedro Noguera

Pedro has been a strong advocate for the afterschool movement and a friend to the LIAS project. He was a speaker at our HKL II conference and provided a video interview on the LIAS principles. Below we asked Dr. Noguera a few questions for our LIAS blog. We were excited about his return to the west coast. Pedro will also be a speaker for our upcoming HKL V conference. 

Q: You are returning to the west coast and will be an education professor at UCLA. Why did you make this move? 

A: I’m making the move back to the west coast and to UCLA for personal and professional reasons.  All four of my older children live on the west coast and I want to be closer to them.  Additionally, I have many close colleagues at UCLA and I'm looking forward to working within a community of scholars rather than in isolation as I have at NYU.  

Q: You will be presenting again at the upcoming How Kids Learn conference. Was there a particular reason why you agreed to return to address the attendees at HKL V? 

A: I am a big fan of the How Kids Learn conference because I think it's focused on the right questions. Too often, we expect kids to adjust to the way schools teach, rather than adapting the instruction to their learning needs. By focusing more intently on the needs and interests of the learner, we could be far more successful at engaging them in powerful educational experiences. This is what I believe the conference supports and encourages.

Q: Can you speak to one or more of the LIAS principles that most resonate for you when you think about creating learning environments and activities for kids? 

Dr. Pedro Noguera at our
How Kids Learn II conference

A: Meaningfulness, I think is really important, especially for kids who come from low-income communities, and kids who come from families where no one has gone to college. If they don't see the relevance and understand why what they're learning is meaningful and important, they're more likely to become disengaged. 

Many times middle-class kids will learn something simply because they're told by adults, this will get you into college. But for someone who is not necessarily on a path to college, just saying you need this to go to college is not enough. You actually have to show them why learning something like algebra or biology or reading Shakespeare, why is that important?  What does that have to do with their lives? And teachers who can't make those kinds of connections for their students, often fail in being able to address their learning needs. 

I would say similarly that education always has to expand horizons for young people, to expand their sense of what’s possible. One of the things we're constantly working against, again particularly with young men of color, is the negative and pernicious effect of stereotypes. Stereotypes which lead them to believe they have a better chance of being a ball player, or a rap star, than of being a scientist or a writer, or being an elected official or lawyer. 

Part of expanding horizons means giving concrete experiences, which allow them to see and learn about how knowledge is applied in the real world, in professional settings, and why in fact that is a course of action and a career path that they may want to choose, and most importantly, what does it take to get there? So that kind of work, of expanding the sense of what's possible, of exploiting the stereotypes, and of tapping into that deeply seeded sense of identity is essential to the work of really capturing the imagination of young people.
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How Kids Learn V: For more information and to register, go to www.howkidslearn.org.

HKL V: Preparing Youth for Work and Career Success

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

In the winter of 2015/2016, we will sponsor our fifth How Kids Learn conference. If we are to achieve economic equity, young people must have access to activities that prepare them for work and career success. This means starting with young children through high school. 

Hear from leading thinkers and afterschool practitioners on research and strategies for Preparing Youth for Work and Career Success. 

Speakers will include: 

• Pedro Noguera, Distinguished Professor of Education, UCLA

• Jenny Nagaoka, Deputy Director, University of Chicago and lead author of the recently released Wallace Report entitled, Foundations for Young Adult Success

• Alvaro Cortes, Executive Director, Beyond the Bell/LAUSD

• Alex Taghavian, Vice President, Linked Learning Alliance

• Michael Funk, Director, After School Division at the California Department of Education

• Beth Kay, Linked Learning Manager, Foundation for California Community Colleges

In addition to the above speakers, we will host a bevy of workshops led by innovative practitioners who work with young people, K-12. 

For more information, go to www.howkidslearn.org.

To register:

• Berkeley, December 10, 2015: http://bit.ly/HKLVBerkeley
• Los Angeles, January 21, 2016: http://bit.ly/HKLVLosAngeles  

Talk Like TED: 9 Tips from Reviewing the Most Popular TED Presentations

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

TED Talks are a cultural phenomena. These are 18 minute presentations by the world’s leading thinkers in a variety of disciplines. These talks inspired the format for our How Kids Learn conference. They have been viewed by over a billion people. Carmine Gallo recently wrote a book, Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds.  

These 9 tips on giving presentations are useful for youth program leaders who give presentations, and can be shared with older youth who are interested in improving their public speaking. His 9 tips, taken from an article in Forbes, are listed below:

Carmine Gallo,
Forbes Magazine Contributor

1. Unleash the master within. Passion leads to mastery and mastery forms the foundation of an extraordinary presentation. You cannot inspire others unless you are inspired yourself. You stand a much greater chance of persuading and inspiring your listeners if you express an enthusiastic, passionate, and meaningful connection to your topic.

2. Tell three stories. Tell stories to reach people’s hearts and minds. Brain scans reveal that stories stimulate and engage the human brain, helping the speaker connect with the audience and making it much more likely that the audience will agree with the speaker’s point of view. Recently I wrote this column about Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Her original TED talk was going to be “chock full of facts and figures, and nothing personal.” Instead she told three stories and ignited a movement. Stories connect us. Tell more of them.

3. Practice relentlessly. Harvard brain researcher Dr. Jill Bolte-Taylor had this “stroke of insight” that has been viewed 15 million times on TED.com. Dr. Jill rehearsed her presentation 200 times before she delivered it live. Practice relentlessly and internalize your content so that you can deliver the presentation as comfortably as having a conversation with a close friend.

4. Teach your audience something new. The human brain loves novelty. An unfamiliar, unusual, or unexpected element in a presentation jolts the audience out of their preconceived notions, and quickly gives them a new way of looking at the world. Robert Ballard is an explorer who discovered Titanic in 1985. He told me, “Your mission in any presentation is to inform, educate, and inspire. You can only inspire when you give people a new way of looking at the world in which they live.”

5. Deliver jaw-dropping moments. The jaw-dropping moment—scientists call it an ‘emotionally competent stimulus’— is anything in a presentation that elicits a strong emotional response such as joy, fear, shock, or surprise. It grabs the listener’s attention and is remembered long after the presentation is over. In this column on how Bill Gates radically transformed his public-speaking skills, I demonstrate how Gates learned to incorporate a jaw-dropping moment into many of his public presentations, including his now famous TED talks.

Sir Ken Robinson on How Schools Kill Creativity

6. Use humor without telling a joke. Humor lowers defenses, making your audience more receptive to your message. It also makes you seem more likable, and people are more willing to do business with or support someone they like. The funny thing about humor is that you don’t need to tell a joke to get a laugh. Educator Sir Ken Robinson educated and amused his audience in the most popular TED talk of all time: How Schools Kill Creativity. Robinson makes humorous, often self-deprecating, observations about his chosen field, education. “If you’re at a dinner party and you say you work in education—actually, you’re not often at dinner parties, frankly, if you work in education…” Robinson makes very strong, provocative observations about nurturing creativity in children, and he packages the material around humorous anecdotes and asides that endear him to the audience. Lighten up. Don’t take yourself (or your topic) too seriously.

7. Stick to the 18-minute rule. A TED presentation can be no longer than 18 minutes. Eighteen minutes is the ideal length of time to get your point across. Researchers have discovered that “cognitive backlog,” too much information, prevents the successful transmission of ideas. TED curator Chris Anderson has been quoted as saying that 18 minutes is “long enough to be serious and short enough to hold people’s attention.”

8. Favor pictures over text. PowerPoint is not the enemy. Bullet points are. Some of the best TED presentations are designed in PowerPoint. Others use Apple Keynote or Prezi. Regardless of the software, there are no bullet points on the slides of the best TED presentations. There are pictures, animations, and limited amounts of text—but no slides cluttered with line after line of bullet points. This technique is called “picture superiority.” It simply means we are much more likely to recall an idea when a picture complements it.

9. Stay in your lane. The most inspiring TED speakers are open, authentic, and, at times, vulnerable. Researcher Brené Brown even gave a TED talk on the topic of vulnerability and how her own research led to her personal journey to know herself. Opening up paid off for Brown in a big way. Oprah discovered Brown on TED, invited Brown to be on her show, and today Brown is a bestselling author and regular contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine.

For a piece by Charlie Rose, where he explored TED Talks, shown on a recent 60 Minutes, click here. One thing we learned from his piece is that TED provides coaches for all of the speakers months before they present on stage. This is to ensure that their presentations are simple and provocative. 

"Inside Out" is On Point

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

Pixar is famous for feature-length, animated films that are appealing to both children and adults. Their films have included “Finding Nemo”, “Toy Story”, “Wall-E”, and “Up”. They have created some of the most enduring characters in film and have spoken to the archetypal issues of loss and resilience, of being lost and finding the way home, and the importance of friendship. 

Photo Credit: rollingstone.com

Their latest film, “Inside Out", is a special gift for those who work in expanded learning programs. It echoes much of the research and work done on social emotional learning, character building, non-cognitive skills, growth mindsets, and our most recent knowledge of how the brain works. 

"Inside Out" focuses on the emotions within an 11-year old girl - emotions that battle for control and ways to influence her behavior. The film is an important tool in helping young people understand where their emotions come from, how to identify them, and empowering young people to manage their own feelings and behavior. I highly recommend you see the film. Better yet, take along a young friend who is 6 years or older. 

Below, we cite some of the important takeaways from the film: 

- I HAVE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS: It is important that young people appreciate that everyone has feelings and emotions deep inside. Sometimes these are the result of past experiences we have had but may not even remember. Sometimes we don’t know where they come from. It is especially important that young people develop the language and ability to describe their feelings and emotions. 

Photo Credit: playbuzz.com

- FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS CAN BE CONTRADICTORY AND MIXED: The film beautifully illustrates how different emotions can coexist. We can be both happy and sad. We can also experience anger that is rooted in hurt and sadness.

- FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS CAN EFFECT MY BEHAVIOR: If we want to help young people manage their feelings and behavior, it is essential that they understand what they are feeling and where it came from. Further, that these feelings and emotions can drive behavior.  

- IF I CAN UNDERSTAND MY OWN FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS, I CAN BETTER MANAGE MY OWN BEHAVIOR: Understanding feelings and managing one’s behavior is a skill that needs to be practiced. We want young people to experience the art of not immediately acting out their feelings through meanness or violence. 

Photo Credit: pixarpost.com

- IF I CAN UNDERSTAND MY OWN FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS, I CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND AND FEEL EMPATHY FOR OTHERS: When young people better understand themselves, they can put themselves in the shoes of others, thereby responding with understanding and empathy. 

In a future blog post, we will share some specific strategies to teach these lessons within expanded learning programs. 

For a recent article from the NY Times on the brain science behind the film, click here. For a recent interview by Terry Gross/NPR with film creator, Pete Doctor, click here. For a trailer of the film, click here.

Promoting Social Emotional Skills

By Guest Blogger, Jennifer Peck, Executive Director, Partnership for Children and Youth

(Note: Much of this commentary first appeared on EdSource on April 29, 2015. To view the entire article, along with others, please click here.)

Jennifer Peck

With the introduction of new Common Core State Standards, teachers and administrators can concentrate on helping students develop the ability to collaborate, create, communicate and think critically. There is growing recognition that strengthening students’ social and emotional skills is essential to developing those abilities, and thus critical to success in school, the workplace, and in life generally.

Further good news is that schools don’t have to do this work on their own. In California, a strong network of expanded learning programs – operating after school and in the summer – are already experienced at helping young people build social-emotional skills. Their practices are specifically designed to help children:

• learn about themselves,
• relate to other people, and
• develop confidence about learning.

This work by California’s expanded learning community is guided by new Quality Standards for Expanded Learning. The state is using these standards to inform its decisions about program funding, and schools, program providers and parents can use them to identify high quality programs and practices.

A robust after-school and summer strategy helps ensure that all children are developing the social-emotional skills they need to function well in the classroom. It also adds at least 740 hours to the 1,080 hours of school year learning. That extra learning time is not a luxury. The research on summer learning loss, for example, documents that the failure to use this time well has significant negative impacts on children, particularly those whose families cannot afford to pay for camps, trips, and other enriching activities.

California has more than 4,500 publicly funded expanded learning programs, most of which are located in schools in our state’s lowest-income communities. These programs add great value to the work of schools, but too often work in isolation. As a recent Partnership for Children and Youth report documents, when schools think outside the classroom and develop partnerships that expand the day and the year and offer opportunities to learn in different ways, kids benefit.

Let’s use this additional learning time to make sure all children have the social-emotional skills they need to thrive in school, work and life.
_______________________

Jennifer Peck was a founding staff member of the Partnership in 2001 and became its executive director in 2003.  Through her leadership, the Partnership has developed and implemented initiatives to finance and build after-school and summer-learning programs, and increase access to school meals and nutrition education programs in the Bay Area’s lowest-income communities. Jennifer leads a coalition of California organizations advocating for new federal policies to improve the effectiveness of after-school and summer-learning programs. To learn more about the Partnership and sign up for their e-newsletter, visit their website. 

Having a Conversation About Race in Expanded Learning Programs

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

Several years ago, I sat in a circle of afterschool leaders across the country. This learning circle was hosted by the National Institute on Out of School Time (NIOST) and we met several times. Along with my friend, Greg Roberts, former Director of the Muhammad Ali Foundation, we insisted that it was important that we discuss the impact of race within our conversations and within our programs. 

The recent tragedy in Charleston follows many others and is a stark reminder that we must engage in a discussion of race with our staff and our youth. To this end, Temescal Associates and LIAS sponsored a number of film screenings of Finding the Gold Within for the afterschool community in the Bay Area. This is a documentary about young men in transition to college, the support they received from their afterschool program, Alchemy, Inc., and their confronting the issue of race. These screenings were followed by discussions led by the young men portrayed in the documentary and the film’s director. These screenings were very powerful and the discussions that followed were very important. If you are interested in screening this film and supporting conversation afterward, please email us, and we can share our learnings and loan you a blu-ray DVD of the film. 

Photo credit: NY Daily News

Below, we offer a statement from a leader from the Alameda County Office of Education, followed by a few comments from afterschool stakeholders.

“I was truly honored to have the opportunity to again work with and support this project.  I believe that this can be one of those rare transformative experiences, that allow youth and supportive adults to look both internally and externally at themselves and their environments and decide to engage in agency, for the betterment of themselves and their communities.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and getting to know Karina and I’m definitely interested in supporting getting this film and conversation/study guide into schools and afterschool programs.”  

- Joe Hudson,

Region 4 Lead & Program Manager

Expanded Learning Program Office

Alameda County Office of Education 

“I had been especially bowled over by Darius in the film, so imagine my delight that he was one of the representatives there. I was so impressed by how well articulated all their struggles were, and by the ways that Alchemy is working to shepherd these boys and young men through the dangerous waters of society and through the shoals of their own emotions.  Anyway, I just wanted to say ‘Bravo’.  This film goes a long way to expressing how imperative learning outside of the confines of school is.  And so much more.”

“Amazing vantage point for an issue that has exploded across America.”

“Thank you so much for making this screening happen! It is a beautifully crafted film – great stories and great breaking down of stereotypes. I love the Alchemy program – myths and drumming, young black men, multi-generational.”

“Powerful. Honest. Painful. Real. Thank you for insisting we hear and see this rare perspective.”

“The film was very moving because of the strong sense of community displayed in the movie.”

“Well done. You can really feel the struggle and journey of the young men and get a glimpse of where they were at the time. Thank you for introducing us to Alchemy, it seems like a powerful program.”

“This film broke stereotypes of young black men; the need for society to set higher expectations for young black men and view them as the gold within.”

“A sensitive and authentic portrayal of the Alchemy program. I’d love to have access to this film in a medium for use with men’s circles.”

“Great focus on emotion and long-lasting impact.”