It Takes an Ecosystem

Thomas Akiva, University of PittsburghKimberly H. Robinson, Forum for Youth Investment

It Takes an Ecosystem offers a powerful and timely engagement of the possibilities and challenges facing the Out-of-School Time sector…this book charts a path forward for scholars, practitioners, community members to imagine OST anew---in ways that are socially just and affirming, centered on the optimal development of youth and the power of community."" — Bianca Baldridge, University of Wisconsin Madison""The book's emphasis on an ecosystem approach, anchored in commitments to equity and racial justice, combines evidence-based analyses with a future-oriented call to action for the allied youth fields. This book will be a must-read for those committed to radically re-thinking how we bring sectors together to support thriving for children and youth."" — Ben Kirshner, University of Colorado

• Dedication.Foreword; Karen Pittman.Section I. An Ecosystem Of Youth-Serving Fields.Chapter 1. Introduction: A New Way Forward; Kimberly H. Robinson and Thomas Akiva.Chapter 2. Using a Learning and Development Ecosystem Framework to Advance the Youth Fields; Thomas Akiva, Marijke Hecht, and Dale A. Blyth.Chapter 3. Why Narrow Definitions of How, Where, and When Learning Happens Undermine Equity: How OST Leaders Can Help; Karen Pittman, Jill Young, David Osher, Rob Jagers, Hal Smith, Merita Irby, and Poonam Borah.Chapter 4. Mattering in Allied Youth Fields: Summoning the Call of Black Lives Matter to Radically Affirm Youth Through Programming; Roderick L. Carey, Camila Polanco, and Horatio Blackman.Section II. The People And Practices That Support Healthy Learning And Development Ecosystems.Chapter 5. Fostering, Facilitating, and Connecting: Families are a Critical Part of Young People's Learning and Development Ecosystems; Lori Delale-O'Connor.Chapter 6. The Power of Simple, Ordinary Interactions in Developmental Relationships Across Contexts; Junlei Li and Dana Winters.Chapter 7. Who are the Adults Who Work with Youth? Unpacking the Occupational Identities of Library and Afterschool Workers in the Context of Learning and Developmental Ecosystems; Sharon Colvin and Annie White.Chapter 8. Organizing for Equity: Addressing Institutional Barriers and Creating Learning Opportunities; Fatima Brunson, DaVonna Graham, Tanja Burkhard, and Valerie Kinloch.Section III. Possibilities: Tools And Structures For Shaping Learning And Development Ecosystems.Chapter 9. Just Quality: How Youth Justice Programs Can Inform Program Quality Efforts to Support Equitable Learning & Development Ecosystems; Alicia Wilson-Ahlstrom and David J. Martineau.Chapter 10. The Role of Out-of-School Time Intermediaries in Contributing to Equitable Learning and Development Ecosystems; Priscilla Little and Jessica Donner with Wokie Weah, Mike Snell, LaRon Henderson, Jessica Werner, and Eddie Cleofe.Chapter 11. From System to (Eco)System: Policy Examples that Foster Cross-Sector Collaboration; Michelle J. Boyd-Brown, Jill Young, and Deborah Moroney.Section IV. Places: Case Studies Of Learning And Development Ecosystems.Chapter 12. The Role of Philanthropy, Research, and Evaluation in Shaping Learning and Development Ecosystems: The Case of Creative Learning in Pittsburgh; Mac Howison, Esohe Osai, and Thomas Akiva.Chapter 13. Connected Learning & Libraries: An Essential Part of the OST Ecosystem; Linda W. Braun and Lance Simpson.Chapter 14. The Growing Role of Out-of-School Time in Driving Equitable Career Exploration and Preparation; Candace Brazier Thurman and Saskia K. Traill.Chapter 15. Expanded Learning as a Vehicle to Advance Whole-Child, Whole-Family Health and Wellness; Jeff Davis.Section V. Looking Ahead.Chapter 16. Building Forward Together: Toward Equitable Ecosystems for Young People; Merita Irby, Karen Pittman, Hal Smith, and Deb Moroney.Biographies.