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Many families look forward to an annual summer vacation. Yet for kids living in underserved communities, the excitement of leaving their city or town at all—let alone for a vacation—seems unfathomable.

What happens when a student eats fresh fruit in their school cafeteria—and then learns about the importance of consuming produce through nutrition education in their afterschool program?

The following are remarks from the NAA18 Monday afternoon plenary by Heidi Ham, NAA Vice President of Programs and Strategy.

Spring 2017 was an uneasy time for Gina Warner and her team at the National AfterSchool Association (NAA).

While the goals of social and emotional learning (SEL) and out-of-school time (OST) programming are well-aligned, relatively few OST programs focus primarily on developing SEL skills.

The National AfterSchool Association and the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents have recently published their first double issue of the Journal of Youth Development.

Still not comfortable with the reality of millennials in the workplace? You may get your mind blown by the Generation Z cohort—your next class of interns. According to Forbes, Generation Z made up 25 percent of the U.S. population in 2015, making them a larger cohort than baby boomers or millennials.

Most goal-setting experts and programs would tell youth to set realistic goals for their future, yet one company's programs are empowering the next generation of leaders by instructing them to shoot for the unrealistic.

From preparing young people with the 21st-century skills they—and in turn, America—will need for the careers of tomorrow, to the unique talents and environment that afterschool provides for fun hands-on STEM enrichment that inspires excitement along with understanding, the case for STEM activities Afterschool is well documented and researched.

Educational sessions and learning content continue to be the No. 1 reason afterschool professionals and leaders participate in NAA's Annual Convention.