21st CCLC Century Community Learning Centers NTAC National Technical Assistance Center -

EXTERNAL RESOURCE LIBRARY

Here you’ll find free resources from government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and others in the field, curated by our team with 21st CCLC professionals in mind. The external resource library includes videos, web pages, publications, and more to help you learn about and implement evidence-based strategies and best practices. All were screened for their relevance to out-of-school time, and many are specific to 21st CCLC programs.

Featured External Resources

Looking for a resource in one of these 21st CCLC NTAC priority areas? Select each link to see a highlighted resource in that area.
Note: Selecting a link will take you to an external website.

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External Resource Library

Sustaining Efforts to Boost Regular Student Attendance

This two-page information sheet describes selected federal education funding sources, tools, and technical assistance that can be used to combat chronic absenteeism and boost regular school-day attendance. Out-of-school time programs may find some of these resources useful to make an impact on their programming in other ways. 

  • Source: U.S. Department of Education
  • Resource Type: Policy/Guidance Documents
  • Year: 2024
Promoting Student Reengagement: High-Quality Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs

This information sheet, or excerpts, can be used by out-of-school time programs to help city leaders understand ways they can support local afterschool programs and potential benefits for students, families, and the community. Note: You must register to access this resource, but it's free.

  • Source: National League of Cities (NLC)
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Evidence-Based Practices, Leadership and Management Practices
Every Day Counts Summit: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Increasing Student Engagement

This succinct web page shares information and resources from the Every Day Counts Summit. It includes links to several resources out-of-school time programs may find useful.

  • Source: The White House
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies
  • Year: 2024
Supporting Students with Chronic Health Conditions in School-Based Out of School Time Programs

This issue brief presents policy and programmatic considerations for students with chronic health conditions who attend public school-based out-of-school time (OST) programs. The brief highlights the importance of communication and

coordination between OST programs, school-day staff, students, and caregivers.

  • Source: CDC
  • Resource Type: Implementation Strategies, Leadership and Management Practices, Policy/Guidance Documents
  • Year: 2023
Title VIII, Part F of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965: Equitable Services for Eligible Private School Children, Teachers, and Other Educational Personnel, Non-Regulatory Guidance

This guidance document only addresses equitable services to eligible private school children and educators in covered ESEA programs under Title VIII. It provides information on the requirements of ESEA section 8501 and other applicable requirements in Title VIII. Programs governed by Title VIII include certain formula grants, including Title IV, Part B - Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

  • Source: U.S. Department of Education
  • Resource Type: Policy/Guidance Documents
  • Year: 2023
Youth Service Knowledge Center

The Youth Changing the World toolkit and implementation guide can help students develop and engage in service-learning activities. Grants also available: https://ysa.org/grants/afterschool/

  • Source: Youth Service America
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Implementation Strategies, Leadership and Management Practices
What Can Young People Teach Us About Out-of-School Time?

This three-part podcast series shares findings from a student-led study on improving out-of-school-time programs. Topics include making programs accessible, creating a sense of belonging, and welcoming and supporting youth workers.

  • Source: The Wallace Foundation
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Research
  • Year: 2023
Violence Prevention: Resources for Action

This collection of evidence-based violence prevention resources is intended for anyone involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating violence prevention efforts. Topics include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), child abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, suicide, and youth violence.

  • Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies, Innovation and Best Practices, Leadership and Management Practices, Research
  • Year: 2022
Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools for Students

This web page includes a searchable database of activities and practices that can support student and staff members' well-being. 

  • Source: UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Research
Summer Learning Toolkit

This toolkit includes more than 50 tools and samples used by five urban districts and their partners to plan summer learning. Each tool includes guidance on why it's important and tips for effective use.

  • Source: The Wallace Foundation
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies, Innovation and Best Practices, Research
  • Year: 2018
Take Action Toolkit

This toolkit includes links to federal resources that support adolescent health and well-being, encourages making local connections, and provides processes and tools to help programs accomplish a "triple dividend" -- health for adolescents now, a healthy adult life, and better health for the next generation. 

  • Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Population Affairs
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies
  • Year: 2023
Supporting Recovery With Evidence-Based Practices: Building and Using Evidence in Summer, Afterschool, and Other Out-of-School Time Settings

This web page is formatted as a five-step checklist with links to resources for designing and implementing out-of-school time programs that support students' academic recovery.

  • Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies, Innovation and Best Practices, Research
Sustaining Efforts to Boost Regular Student Attendance

This two-page information sheet describes selected federal education funding sources, tools, and technical assistance that can be used to combat chronic absenteeism and boost regular school-day attendance. Out-of-school time programs may find some of these resources useful to make an impact on their programming in other ways. 

  • Source: U.S. Department of Education
  • Resource Type: Policy/Guidance Documents
  • Year: 2024
Promoting Student Reengagement: High-Quality Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs

This information sheet, or excerpts, can be used by out-of-school time programs to help city leaders understand ways they can support local afterschool programs and potential benefits for students, families, and the community. Note: You must register to access this resource, but it's free.

  • Source: National League of Cities (NLC)
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Evidence-Based Practices, Leadership and Management Practices
Every Day Counts Summit: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Increasing Student Engagement

This succinct web page shares information and resources from the Every Day Counts Summit. It includes links to several resources out-of-school time programs may find useful.

  • Source: The White House
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies
  • Year: 2024
Supporting Students with Chronic Health Conditions in School-Based Out of School Time Programs

This issue brief presents policy and programmatic considerations for students with chronic health conditions who attend public school-based out-of-school time (OST) programs. The brief highlights the importance of communication and

coordination between OST programs, school-day staff, students, and caregivers.

  • Source: CDC
  • Resource Type: Implementation Strategies, Leadership and Management Practices, Policy/Guidance Documents
  • Year: 2023
Title VIII, Part F of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965: Equitable Services for Eligible Private School Children, Teachers, and Other Educational Personnel, Non-Regulatory Guidance

This guidance document only addresses equitable services to eligible private school children and educators in covered ESEA programs under Title VIII. It provides information on the requirements of ESEA section 8501 and other applicable requirements in Title VIII. Programs governed by Title VIII include certain formula grants, including Title IV, Part B - Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

  • Source: U.S. Department of Education
  • Resource Type: Policy/Guidance Documents
  • Year: 2023
Youth Service Knowledge Center

The Youth Changing the World toolkit and implementation guide can help students develop and engage in service-learning activities. Grants also available: https://ysa.org/grants/afterschool/

  • Source: Youth Service America
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Implementation Strategies, Leadership and Management Practices
What Can Young People Teach Us About Out-of-School Time?

This three-part podcast series shares findings from a student-led study on improving out-of-school-time programs. Topics include making programs accessible, creating a sense of belonging, and welcoming and supporting youth workers.

  • Source: The Wallace Foundation
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Research
  • Year: 2023
Violence Prevention: Resources for Action

This collection of evidence-based violence prevention resources is intended for anyone involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating violence prevention efforts. Topics include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), child abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, suicide, and youth violence.

  • Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Resource Type: Best Practices, Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies, Innovation and Best Practices, Leadership and Management Practices, Research
  • Year: 2022
Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools for Students

This web page includes a searchable database of activities and practices that can support student and staff members' well-being. 

  • Source: UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Research
Summer Learning Toolkit

This toolkit includes more than 50 tools and samples used by five urban districts and their partners to plan summer learning. Each tool includes guidance on why it's important and tips for effective use.

  • Source: The Wallace Foundation
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies, Innovation and Best Practices, Research
  • Year: 2018
Take Action Toolkit

This toolkit includes links to federal resources that support adolescent health and well-being, encourages making local connections, and provides processes and tools to help programs accomplish a "triple dividend" -- health for adolescents now, a healthy adult life, and better health for the next generation. 

  • Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Population Affairs
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies
  • Year: 2023
Supporting Recovery With Evidence-Based Practices: Building and Using Evidence in Summer, Afterschool, and Other Out-of-School Time Settings

This web page is formatted as a five-step checklist with links to resources for designing and implementing out-of-school time programs that support students' academic recovery.

  • Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
  • Resource Type: Evidence-Based Practices, Implementation Strategies, Innovation and Best Practices, Research
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This resource was developed by the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC), funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) and administered by Synergy Enterprises, Inc. under Cooperative Agreement No. 287E230009 with the Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the Department or the Federal government. The 21st CCLC NTAC project officers are Dr. La' Shawndra Scroggins and Ms. Andrea Jackson.

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