On June 11, 2018, education leaders from Boston and across the country gathered at Boston University for the second annual ACT Skills Summit. Together, we discussed strategies to advance skill development, learned from leading researchers in the field, and shared best practices generated from Boston's network of 230 program providers.

• ACT Summit 2018 Report
• ACT Summit 2018 Agenda
• ACT Summit 2018 Workshop Descriptions
• ACT Summit 2018 Attendee List
• ACT Summit 2018 Plenary Deck
• ACT Summit 2018 Keynote - Dr. Stephanie Jones, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Critical Thinking - Research Presentation, Dr. Amalio Nieves & Brooke Childs, Boston Public Schools
• Growth Mindset - Research Presentation, Caitlin McCormick, PEAR Institute
• Growth Mindset - Resources Handout, Caitlin McCormick, PEAR Institute
• Growth Mindset - Partner Presentation, Breakthrough Greater Boston, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Steppingstone Foundation
• Teamwork - Partner Presentation, Harlem Lacrosse
• Teamwork - Partner Presentation, Kenny Cats
• Teamwork - Research Presentation, Dr. Fritz Ettl Rodriguez

On November 16, representatives from Boston's largest summer network to date gathered to celebrate and debrief the 5th Quarter summer learning initiative -- a nationally-recognized, research-based effort to re-envision traditional summer education for city youth. Boston Public Schools also announced the timeline for its new 5th Quarter Portfolio process for 2018. Materials from the event are provided below.

• Summer 2017 Data Presentation
• 2017 State of Summer Report
• Summer Debrief 2017 Event Agenda
• 5th Quarter Portfolio One-Pager
• Understanding Your PRISM Slides

On September 21, new and returning school year program partners gathered to kick off school year 2017-2018. Providers reflected on the network's impact data from the previous year and learned about Boston After School & Beyond's partner initiatives including the Teen Expanded Education Network (T.E.E.N.), BoSTEM, and the Partnership in Social Emotional Learning Initiative. Here are the materials from that event.

• School Year Kick-Off Presentation
• BASB Events Timeline
• New Partner Measurement Orientation Presentation
• Teen Professional Development Calendar
• Observer Certification One-Pager

These are materials for the 10 sites that will implement middle school badging in summer 2017, stemming from a kickoff breakfast on June 13, 2017. All follow up materials are included here.

• Meeting Presentation
• Meeting Summary
• Badging Practice Brief
• SAYO T Summer 2017
• Example Badge Poster
• Image for Achievement in Critical Thinking
• Image for Growth in Critical Thinking
• Image for Achievement in Perseverance
• Image for Growth in Perseverance
• Image for Achievement in Teamwork
• Image for Growth in Teamwork
• Image for Achievement in Communication
• Image for Growth in Communication

On June 5, 2017, education leaders and program practitioners collaborated on best-practices concerning the research-based ACT Skills Framework for social-emotional learning. The event included presentations by experts and policymakers, and workshops run by partners on how to best cultivate the skills necessary for young people to Achieve, Connect, and Thrive.

• Achieve, Connect, Thrive: Preparing Youth for College, Career, and Life
• BASB Presentation
• Event Agenda
• Achieve Workshop Materials: Phillips Brooks House Association (presentation)
• Achieve Workshop Materials: Sociedad Latina (presentation)
• Achieve Workshop Materials: Sociedad Latina (handout)
• Achieve Workshop Materials: The PEAR Institute (presentation)
• Connect Workshop Materials: Scholar Athletes (presentation)
• Connect Workshop Materials: Scholar Athletes (handout)
• Connect Workshop Materials: Courageous Sailing (SAIL through Conflict handout)
• Connect Workshop Materials: Courageous Sailing (Mindfulness handout)
• Connect Workshop Materials: The PEAR Institute (presentation)
• Connect Workshop Materials: The PEAR Institute (handout)
• Thrive Workshop Materials: The PEAR Institute (presentation)
• Thrive Workshop Materials: The PEAR Institute (handout)

On March 20, Boston After School & Beyond hosted a workshop to discuss how to translate data into compelling messages for different audiences. The event featured actionable tips for effective communication, coupled with interactive activities and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.

• Communicating Data Presentation
• Communicating Data Handout
• Research Directory (updated April 2017)

On May 17, Boston After School & Beyond held a Partnership Breakfast to continue expanding our network. Boston After School & Beyond our approach to closing the opportunity gap and explained the variety of ways in which partner programs can get involved including innovative initiatives, program measurement, and professional development. Below are the materials provided at the meeting. For questions on how to get involved or learn more, please contact Kelsey Cowen at kcowen@bostonbeyond.org.

• BASB PARTNERSHIP BREAKFAST PRESENTATION
• DATA REPORT FROM SUMMER 2016
• INTENTIONAL PROGRAM PRACTICES BUILD SKILLS
• SAMPLE SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM DATA REPORT
• SAMPLE SUMMER PROGRAM DATA REPORT
• MEASUREMENT TOOLS OVERVIEW

On January 27, summer program leaders met to explore best practices to increase student attendance. Three programs with historically high attendance rates, Achieve, Camp Harborview, and Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, shared their proven strategies and facilitated break-out groups for attendees to discuss methods for improving attendance at different grade levels.

• Maximizing Attendance in Summer Programs Presentation
• Maximizing Attendance in Summer Programs Key Takeaways

At this event, BASB shared baseline data findings from SY16-17, offering recommendations to spur improvement for the spring semester. Then BASB launched a live demo of the Insight Center to connect data to practice, and captured feedback on how to make the platform more relevant for school-year partners. Next, BPS and BASB provided an overview of a new citywide social-emotional learning initiative, supported by the Wallace Foundation. Finally, BPS led an interactive workshop enabling attendees to dive into the district's Partnership Effectiveness Standards.

• AQP Winter Summit Presentation 2017
• ACT Handout_SY Fall 2016
• Partnership Effectiveness Self-Assessment

A seminar which unpacked ​f​indings​ from the largest ever study​ on summer learning.​ Additionally, we looked at local trends based on the participation of 127 Boston summer programs.​

• Summer 2016 Data Report
• Summer 2016 Sample PRISM
• Upcoming Measurement Events
• ACT Handout
• Summer 2016 Data Findings