Professional Development and Research Opportunities

Thank you to our inaugural mentor program volunteers!

Volunteer to Become a Mentor or a Mentee (Deadline Jan. 29th)

As part of the 10th anniversary, the OST SIG launched a mentoring pilot program dedicated to match emerging and established OST researchers within our SIG to promote support and collaboration. We thank the following mentors for their support: Dr. Dale Blyth
College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota; Dr. Jacquelynne Eccles, School of Education, University of California, Irvine; Dr. Georgia Hall, National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Wellesley College; Dr. Gil Noam, Program in Education, Afterschool & Resiliency (PEAR), Harvard University; Zakia Redd, MPP, Child Trends; Dr. Deborah Vandell, School of Education, University of California, Irvine. Be on a lookout this Fall for the call for the 2016-17 mentoring program.

AERA Grants

Dissertation and Research Grants. (Due Jan. 20, 2016)

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Educational Research Association (AERA) is pleased to announce the continuation of the AERA Grants Program, which provides small grants and training for researchers who conduct studies of education policy and practice using quantitative methods and including the analysis of data from the large-scale data sets sponsored by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and NSF.

AERA Dissertation Grants.

AERA provides dissertation support for advanced doctoral students to undertake doctoral dissertations using data from the large-scale national or international data sets supported by the NCES, NSF, and/or other federal agencies. Applications are encouraged from a variety of disciplines, such as but not limited to, education, sociology, economics, psychology, demography, statistics, and psychometrics. The selection process is competitive. AERA Dissertation Grants are awarded for one-year for an amount of up to $20,000. The next application deadline is in the Fall 2016.

AERA Research Grants.

AERA provides small grants for faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and other doctoral-level scholars to undertake quantitative research using data from the large-scale national or international data sets supported by the NCES, NSF, and/or other federal agencies. Applications are encouraged from a variety of disciplines, such as but not limited to, education, sociology, economics, psychology, demography, statistics, and psychometrics. The selection process is competitive. AERA Research Grants are awarded for one or two years, for an amount of up to $35,000. The next application deadline is in the Fall 2016.

For further information about AERA and the Grants Program, visit the AERA Grants Program website at http://www.aera.net/grantsprogram/. You may also contact George L. Wimberly, AERA-Grants Program Co-Principal Investigator, at [email protected] or (202) 238-3225.

Call for Papers

The Journal of Expanded Learning Opportunities (JELO)
The Journal of Expanded Learning Opportunities (JELO) is a peer-reviewed, online, open access publication of the Central Valley Afterschool Foundation that focuses on research in the area of expanded learning (After School programming, Summer programming and/or any learning during out of school time). The JELO connects research and promising practices throughout California and the nation, fostering a dialogue that engages both researchers and practitioners in the field. JELO can be accessed here: http://centralvalleyafterschool.org/index.php/about-afterschool/jelo-project

The journal solicits original papers in two categories:

Research-based: presentation of new research using data that includes an abstract, an introductory paragraph, a brief literature review, methods (quantitative and/or qualitative), results and implications. An example would be an academic or field study.
Practitioner-based: presentation of an essay or brief focused on a specific promising practice that includes an abstract, introductory paragraph, discussion of the practice and recommendations for implementation, sustainability and scaling. An example would be a review of a program project/activity.

Your support for this journal can be presented in the following ways:
1.     Disseminating the link above to expand and raise awareness of the journal’s readership.
2.     Submission of proposals for either research-based or practitioner-based papers.
3.     Volunteer support to serve as peer-reviewers for the journal.
4.     Support via an internship to enhance the journal’s web link and further promote it as a resource for the field.

For questions/support interest please contact Kim Boyer, Ed.D at [email protected] or 559-326-2165

Afterschool Matters

Afterschool Matters seeks scholarly work, from a variety of disciplines, which can be applied to or is based on the afterschool arena. The journal also welcomes submissions that explore practical ideas for working with young people during the out-of-school hours. Articles should connect to current theory and practice in the field by relating to previously published research; a range of academic perspectives will be considered. Articles should be relevant and accessible to both practitioners and academic researchers. Any topic related to the theory and practice of out-of-school time programming will be considered. The journal is particularly interested in manuscripts that offer practice recommendations and implementation strategies related to the featured research.

Suggested topics include:

• Physical activity and healthy eating

• STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program delivery or STEM staff professional development

• Expanded or extended learning time and the OST hours

• School-community partnerships that support OST programming

• Innovative program approaches

• OST programs and civic engagement, social and emotional development, arts development, or academic improvement

• Research or best-practice syntheses

• OST program environments and spaces

• Key aspects of program leadership and administration

• OST system-building such as cross-city and statewide initiatives

• Special needs youth in OST

• Immigrant and refugee youth in OST

• Youth-centered participatory action research projects

• Gender-focused research and policy initiatives related to OST

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word or Rich Text format. Submissions should not exceed 5,000 words. Include a separate cover sheet with the manuscript title, authors’ names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. The names of the authors should not appear on the text, as submissions are reviewed anonymously by peers. Follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition (July 2009), for reference style guidelines. Present important information in the text and do not use extensive footnotes. Visit: http://www.niost.org or email [email protected]