National Institute on Out-of-School Time

04/06/2026

Check out our new issue brief on OST STEM workforce recruitment!🔬🧪🧬

We are excited to share NIOST’s latest project to build stronger evidence for recruiting, training, and retaining a high-quality STEM workforce.

A huge thank you to our partners on this study:
National AfterSchool Association (NAA), Alaska Afterschool Network, Boston After School & Beyond, Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network, Wyoming Enrichment Network, and Ignite Afterschool.

Read the full brief here: https://www.niost.org/NIOST-News/new-niost-project-to-build-stronger-evidence-on-recruiting-training-and-retaining-a-high-quality-ost-stem-workforce

National Institute on Out-of-School Time

03/04/2026

We’re looking forward to exhibiting in the NAA26 Learning Expo this March, and if your organization supports the afterschool field, it’s worth taking a serious look.

With dedicated Expo hours and thousands of engaged OST professionals in one place, NAA26 offers real opportunities for connection and visibility.

Hope to see more partners join us at as we Dream. Dare. Do.

08/11/2025

🔍 New Publication! The National Institute on Out-of-School Time has published its Spring issue of Afterschool Matters, a national, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting professionalism, scholarship, and consciousness in the field of afterschool education.

Check out this issue's topics below, and read the issue here: https://www.niost.org/Journal/Afterschool-Matters-Spring-2025/

🎒

04/23/2025

🌟 It’s Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week! 🌟

This week is all about recognizing, appreciating, and advocating for the incredible individuals who work tirelessly with young people during out-of-school hours. 🙌💡

To celebrate, I’d like to spotlight a chapter from "The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation" that captures the heart of this work: "The science of youth work is well established in the theories...the art of youth work can be discerned most clearly by listening to the voices of youth workers...They give us metaphors of artists working with the canvases of young people's hearts or of creating windows where walls existed."

If you're familiar with the Current Issues in Out-of-School Time series, you know how powerfully it showcases the passion and purpose of this field. If not, explore the catalog here:
https://www.infoagepub.com/series/Current-Issues-in-Out-of-School-Time

Let’s continue to lift up the voices and efforts of afterschool professionals — this week and every week! 🌟🎉

About the Book Series The Current Issues in Out-of-School Time (OST) series, published by Information Age Publishing, promotes and disseminates original theoretical and empirical research, promising practices, and policy perspectives from practitioners to further grow and develop the OST field. The....

04/08/2025

👋 Hey OST Program Directors — we still want to hear from you!
The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) invites you to participate in a brief national survey. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card in our weekly raffle! 🎉

👉 Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ProgramDirSurveyonOST_STEM
📣 And feel free to spread the word!

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

02/26/2025

Please share!
Are you an OST Program Director? The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) invites you to participate in a brief national survey for Program Directors. By completing the survey, you will be entered into a weekly raffle for a chance to win a $25 gift card!
Take Survey Here:

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

02/18/2025

Are you ready to make an impact? Join us at as a sponsor, exhibitor, or advertiser! We’re connecting with 2,000+ OST professionals at the convention who are passionate about afterschool, out-of-school time, and youth success.

Don't miss this unique opportunity! Learn more: https://loom.ly/9bduoTI

02/18/2025

Please share!

Are you an OST Program Director? The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) invites you to participate in a brief national survey for Program Directors. By completing the survey, you will be entered into a weekly raffle for a chance to win a $25 gift card!

Take Survey Here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ProgramDirSurveyonOST_STEM

01/08/2025

Congratulations to Layli!

11/14/2024

11/04/2024

Check out Patricia McGuiness-Carmichael's article "For the Love of Literacy" to discover how creating literacy-rich environments in out-of-school programs can cultivate a love for reading in children and engage them in various literacy activities.

✨Through simple and practical changes, we can make literacy a natural part of everyday life for young learners. ✨

Read more here: https://www.wcwonline.org/entry/for-the-love-of-literacy-creating-literacy-rich-environments

What better place to foster a love of reading and engage children in a variety of literacy activities than in out-of-school time (OST) programs? Research shows that OST programs can support the development of and excitement about literacy in a settin