Healthy Out-of-School Time (HOST)

In January 2009, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College, together with the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) and the YMCA of the USA, collaborated to found the Healthy Out-of-School Time Coalition (HOST). 

The vision for this national coalition of leaders in the OST field is to foster health and well-being practices in afterschool programs nationwide, using science-based standards for healthy eating, physical activity, screen time, and social supports for these behaviors including staff, family and child engagement.

HOST Goals:  

1) Develop a process to seek consensus on language for national quality standards that will lead to strengthening out-of-school time in the areas of health and well-being, including which best practices are needed by practitioners and leadership in the youthwork field.  

2) Explore a Research Agenda needed to further the work.

HOST Coalition Members

Healthy Out-of-School Time Resources

Curricula and Toolkits

Research Reports and Articles

Standards and Guidelines

Media Coverage

Links to Other Resources and Websites

Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Annotated Bibliography