Today we celebrate Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide event to showcase afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families, and communities. As we tune in to unique events and celebrations in programs across the country, we are happy to play our own role in helping youth-serving organizations and schools achieve greater influence, visibility, and success.

This month’s SCRI Asks features a discussion with Christina Russell and Corey Newhouse, editors of the just-released book Measure, Use, Improve! Data Use in Out-of-School Time.

Measure, Use, Improve! is written with out-of-school time leadership-level staff in mind, especially those who are thinking about deepening their own learning and evaluation systems, yet aren’t sure where to start. This book is the fifth volume in Information Age Publishing’s Current Issues in Out-of-School Time Series, adding to a set of inspiring and insightful resources for OST practitioners, policymakers, and researchers alike.

My colleague Bryan Hall and I were pleased to co-author a chapter for the volume, Beyond Youth Outcomes: Thinking Outside the Logic Model. We’re even more pleased to have Christina and Corey weigh in on our experience at BellXcel, share practical examples of how they use data in out-of-school time, and offer advice to colleagues.

We hope you enjoy the conversation, and join us as we send our congratulations to the thousands of afterschool programs shaping young leaders and learners all across the country. We encourage you to consider submitting a book idea for a forthcoming volume of Current Issues in Out-of-School Time! The latest Call for Book Ideas is available through December 1, 2020.

Brenda McLaughlin, Managing Partner, SCRI