Resources for Afterschool Professionals

The PASE Explorers program offers activities that allow 4th – 6th grade youth in afterschool programs to experience global learning through local exploration. PASE Explorers provides young people the opportunity to explore the strengths of their own and other neighborhoods through activities such as neighborhood mapping; interviewing; digital photography projects; oral, written and digital presentations; and reflection exercises, among others. Through this experience, youth are able to see the larger context of the world in which they live. At the same time, this approach helps young people build skills essential to be successful global citizens including critical thinking, technology, teamwork, creativity, and communication.

This three session curriculum and accompanying Young Adult Guide to Saving and Investing for Retirement is designed to provide 18-to-24 year olds with crucial information about the value of saving, especially for retirement, and enable them to create a more financially secure future for themselves and their families

Codeacademy has launched After-School Programming, a free kit for educators or youth in middle and high school who want to start afterschool programming clubs. The kit includes a curriculum with interactive lessons, fun projects, and access to a community of teachers around the world. During the first semester, youth build personalized websites, and during the second, they build adventure games. No background in programming or computer science is necessary. Read more about this initiative, and sign up to receive the kit.

The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding has developed for afterschool practitioners a curriculum guide and fact sheets on Park51, the proposed Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero, and the recent controversy over its proposed location. These free materials can be used to look at that issue specifically or use it as an avenue to discuss conflicts, historical “phobias” in the United States and ways to employ conflict resolution and mediation tools.