National Institute on Out-of-School Time

Links: Federal Resources

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is responsible for federal programs which promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development supports a program called Ounce of Prevention Program (OPP) which helps local organizations in and around Federal Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities (EZ/ECs) link their public safety, community planning, and youth development efforts to similar ones in surrounding neighborhoods.

U.S. Department of Education works to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans. President George Bush’s program, No Child Left Behind, works to provide that educational excellence. Federal dollars will be spent on effective, research programs and practices. Funds will be targeted to improve schools and enhance teacher quality. Parents will have more information about the quality of their child's school.

Featured Resources

NIOST is pleased to be among the forces behind the new site, SparkAction.org, an online journalism and advocacy center by and for the child and youth field. SparkAction brings together three high-traffic websites -- Connect for Kids, the Youth Policy Action Center and the National Youth Development Information Center -- to form a one-stop site for stories, news and resources across a range of child and youth issues, and high-tech, interactive tools to make your voice heard.

Check it out and subscribe to the biweekly e-newsletter, The Update, and see how it can help you make a difference!

SparkAction is managed by the Forum for Youth Investment in partnership with the National Collaboration for Youth and the Campaign for Youth, and with the support of a range of organizations across the country. Join the us!

The American Camp Association ® (ACA) is a national nonprofit association working to preserve, promote, and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. ACA endorses camp as an essential element in a child's total development. It complements the academic skills that are learned in school with experimentially-based life skills. With up to 300 health, safety, and programming standards, ACA is the only national association that accredits camps. ACA-Accredited® camp programs ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities.

For more information on Camps as Out-of-School Time Learning Opportunities click here.