Resources

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."
—Jack Welch

HBR, LinkedIn, TED, Fast Company, fill-in-the-blank. We dive into so many resources looking for the recipe on effective leadership and how to build it in others. Each of us are paving our own path, making both minor and gigantic mistakes and hopefully picking ourselves back up to learn and lead again. Along the way, most of us are discovering our own recipe for effective leadership with our teams.

Just like us, children are interested in the current presidential race. KidsHealth.org asked more than 2,000 children and teens throughout the U.S. what they think about recent presidential election and how it might affect them. A whopping 75 percent of kids and 79 percent of teens answered "yes" when asked whether they thought the outcome of an election would change their lives.

Children dependent on smartphones or computers aren't rare. In the classroom and out, technology can be a helpful learning and research tool. Used without care, focus and instruction, however, it could lead to the problem of shortened attention spans.

Animal Winner Family Board Game is a part of the answer.

Twenty million Americans took to streets, parks and auditoriums on April 22, 1970, in an effort to ensure our planet's heath and sustainability. The day marked a rare moment of political alignment as Republicans and Democrats stood together in defense of our environment. On April 22, 2016, the 46th year of this important day will be celebrated. You and your afterschool students could support Earth Day 2016 in a multitude of ways.

STEM covers four specific educational areas: science, technology, engineering and math. SEL focuses on the softer side of development and emphasizes social and emotional learning.

The vibe at NAA's Annual Convention in Orlando was perfectly aligned with its Superhero theme: From the opening night until the final workshops, the unity, inspiration and energy were amazing! Those who participated left feeling supercharged and filled with powerful inspiration, new skills and strategies for their program.

SmartLab Toys has been dedicated to helping children learn through play since 2004. From its Squishy Human Body model to its Weird & Wacky Contraption Lab, SmartLab specializes in creating hands-on learning experiences that kids love to play with. SmartLab's hard work and commitment to quality has earned it more than 50 toy industry awards for creativity and innovation.

"I've read Paul Tough's book and seen Angela Duckworth's Ted Talk, and I'm sold that these noncognitive skills are important. What my school needs is a way to build those skills, but we also need another program like a hole in the head. What can we do?" These are the candid words of a busy high school principal.

Parents today face an enormous challenge as they raise kids who are more tech savvy and comfortable using digital communications and social media than they are. There has been a fundamental shift in the way kids communicate today that previous generations of parents have not had to cope with. The good news is that they do not need to be tech experts to parent effectively online.

Rural communities are diverse areas united by common strengths and struggles. With the support of John Deere, an America After 3PM report, The Growing Importance of Afterschool in Rural Communities, delved into the state of afterschool in rural areas. This special report specifically looked at how the areas' oft-underserved children spend their afterschool hours and how afterschool programs are helping them thrive.