Youth Development
AIR’s youth development work is based on the idea that evidence-based and practice-informed solutions can foster conditions for thriving youth and families, supportive schools, and community development. Our domestic and international youth development work includes many topics that are interrelated and contribute to thriving and equity, including how and where young people learn and develop.
AIR experts lead work in this area that includes but is not limited to:
- School-based afterschool and expanded learning programming;
- Community-based out-of-school time programming, including before and after school, as well as during the summer;
- Community schools and other place-based initiatives;
- STEM programming; and
- Experiential learning, including play-based education, environmental education, arts programming, and mentoring.
Our youth development work is connected to AIR’s work on whole child learning and development, including social and emotional learning and related frameworks, school climate and conditions for learning, and other youth-serving systems.
Our Services
Our team of youth development experts inform practice and policy implementation and improvement by using knowledge gleaned from our work in measurement, research, evaluation, and technical assistance.
Supports for Improving Practice and Making Informed Policy Decisions
- Data use and interpretation, reporting, goal-setting, and action-planning
- Training, technical assistance, and coaching
- Professional learning as well as resource and tool development that applies evaluation and research findings to real life contexts
Measurement, Evaluation, and Research
- Survey development, psychometrics, administration, processing, and analysis
- Rigorous implementation and outcome evaluations that answer questions about program practice and effectiveness
- Research studies that yield generalizable knowledge and contribute to AIR’s field-building work