ANNOUNCEMENTS:
MacArthur Foundation Project: Connect Winners
Sixteen museums, libraries and nonprofit institutions were awarded $150,000 in all to engage young people in improving their online experience.
How Kids Learn, October 23, San Francisco, CA
This conference will focus on learning in out-of-school time through play, creativity, tinkering, and the arts. Register here.
Summer Changes Everything, Nov. 11-13, Orlando, FL
The National Summer Learning Association’s conference theme this year is demonstrating outcomes in a data-driven age. Join CBASS for a mini-plenary. Registration is now open.
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CBASS News
Peer Learning Strengthens System Building
Mayor Paul Soglin of Madison, WI, writes on Expanded Learning Perspectives that participating in The Wallace Foundation’s “Better Together” conference helped strengthen his city’s OST system. Read the conference report and watch a video of the opening session.
Chicago's Summer of Learning 
Mayor Rahm Emanuel launched a citywide initiative to engage young people in hands-on learning—and award them digital badges along the way. He recently toured the STEAM Studio (right), where After School Matters teens were working on arts, technology, and science projects.
PYD Named Founding Partner of Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund
The Partnership for Youth Development (PYD) in New Orleans is one of 21 organizations to receive funding as part of a national Aspen Institute initiative to bring 6.7 million young Americans back into education and the workforce.
Middle School ExTRA in New York City
Two-thirds of eighth graders can’t read proficiently. TASC and the NYC Department of Education hope to change that. They've launched Middle School ExTRA, a collaborative, $20 million, three-year initiative to expand the day and offer intensive literacy tutoring in 20 NYC middle schools.
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Policy Update
ESEA Reauthorization
There’s been a lot of movement on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In June the Senate education committee passed a reauthorization bill; in July, the House passed its own bill. Read a Policy FAQ and blog post by Jennifer Peck of the Partnership for Children and Youth to learn more about what the bills mean.
Immigration Reform and STEM
The immigration reform bill passed by the Senate in June not only addresses undocumented immigrants and border security, but also expands work visas for high-skilled foreigners. Around $200 million from fees on those visas could support STEM education and job training. The bill's outcome is still uncertain as debate shifts to the House.
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What We're Reading
Community Schools and ELO Blog Series
Expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) can take place anytime, anywhere. Community schools have the structure and systems in place to innovate, scale and sustain ELO practices. A blog series from the Coalition for Community Schools highlights some examples.
Social and E motional Learning: The Missing Piece
Eight of ten teachers nationally believe social and emotional learning (SEL) helps students stay on track in school, graduate, and become workforce ready. Read more in The Missing Piece, a report for the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
Community Philanthropy on the Rise
Around the world, there is renewed interest in community philanthropy as a vehicle for development. A new report describes how the practice builds and deploys local assets, develops capacity, and strengthens trust.
Game-Changers and Assessment in Afterschool Science
Out-of-school time STEM education is on the rise—and it doesn’t look anything like traditional school science. But we lack the right tools for measuring quality and impact, says a new paper from the Program in Education, Afterschool, and Resiliency (PEAR) [pdf].
Summer Reading Interventions Improve Literacy
Sounds obvious, right? But what kinds of interventions work best? A review of 41 home-based and classroom interventions found that research-based practices had the greatest impact, and low-income children benefited more than those from mixed-income backgrounds.
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What We're Watching
Getting Credit for Expanded Learning
Providence high-school students can now earn school credit for expanded learning opportunities (ELOs), thanks to initiatives like the Hub and digital badges. Bryan Norato, a Hub alum, recently participated in a White House Google+ Hangout on this subject. Hear Bryan's thoughts firsthand.
Show Me the Budget
You’ve decided you want to expand learning opportunities for children in your community. But how will you pay for it? This video animation shows how one New York ExpandED school and its community partner tapped a variety of public and private education and youth development funds.
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