“On Friday, education leaders discussed how after-school programs throughout the state can bolster students’ academic success, confidence, and sense of belonging. They are not a fix-all solution to all that ails Idaho’s youth, but they do provide a way to move forward.
The panel was part of a two-day Idaho Out-of-School Network conference that was held on the Fort Hall Reservation. Nontraditional after-school and summer program educators from across the state convened to explore the best ways to help Idaho’s children, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
‘All of us are concerned about the wellbeing of kids,’ Emily Allen, a policy associate for Idaho Voices for Children, said. “We always see tremendous resilience in kids, but some of us are getting tired of demanding (that) from kids.’”