This podcast episode was produced by The Wallace Foundation Podcast.

HERE’S HOW THE CREATOR DESCRIBES THIS PODCAST:

In Beyond the Classroom, a podcast miniseries from The Wallace Foundation Podcast, researchers and practitioners discuss the findings from a student-led study on improving out-of-school-time.​

Youth workers from historically marginalized communities serve as important mentors to young people in out-of-school-time (OST) programs. But in a 2020 student-led survey of youth in OST programs, many of these workers reported experiencing racism in the workplace, along with low wages and job instability. In this episode of Beyond the Classroom, researchers and practitioners discuss strategies for addressing these challenges in order to more effectively recruit and retain skilled youth workers.

Host: Ben Kirshner, professor and program chair of learning sciences and human development at the University of Colorado Boulder

Guests:

• Bianca Baldridge, associate professor of education at Harvard University
• Vanessa Roberts, executive director of Project VOYCE
• Deepa Vasudevan, a researcher at Human Services: Youth, Family, & Community Development, American Institutes for Research (AI​R) ​
• Sarai Hertz-Velázquez, a student at Wellesley College

About The Series: Out-of-school-time programs offer opportunities for young people to develop interests, skills, and social connections beyond the classroom. Despite years of research on the benefits of OST programs, studies have shown that many young people from lower-income families do not have the same access to programs as young people from higher-income families. To explore barriers to participation in programs and the experiences of young people who participate in them, The Wallace Foundation commissioned a student-designed study consisting of focus groups and a survey to help surface young people’s insights into how to improve the sector. The research team was made up of 12 high school and college students from New York, Colorado and Kentucky and was advised by four university researchers. This podcast series brings together members of the research team and OST practitioners to discuss the findings of the study and offer solutions. Listen for thoughts on making OST programs more accessible, improving staff recruitment and retention, and building spaces where young people want to spend time.