[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-586547-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-586547-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","designing-library-based-out-of-school-time-programs-program-strategies-and-recommendations","Designing Library-Based Out-of-School Time Programs - Program Strategies and Recommendations","","Evaluation findings from Policy Studies Associates (2019) focus on the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program (LEAP), identifying program strategies that strengthen early literacy in preK-12 participants. The report highlights dedicated OST staffing models, targeted training to address gaps in early literacy instruction, and intentionally designed activities that embed reading across homework help, arts, and STEM. It also describes how LEAP operates within Philadelphia’s broader out-of-school time system, supported by strategic planning, oversight, data management, and resource-rich library environments.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/designing-library-based-out-of-school-time-programs-program-strategies-and-recommendations/586547/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/designing-library-based-out-of-school-time-programs-program-strategies-and-recommendations/586547.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Angel","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-01","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",5,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What was the focus of the 2019 LEAP evaluation?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The evaluation examined strategies in Philadelphia libraries that support early literacy development within LEAP, aiming to inform both the Free Library and other public libraries running out-of-school time programs.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does LEAP staffing support participants day-to-day?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Each library’s LEAP is led by a part-time Afterschool Leader or Maker Mentor, supported by Teen Leadership Assistants and under librarian guidance, helping create a welcoming environment and stronger connections to the program.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What training needs did LEAP staff and librarians report?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Despite monthly curriculum training and biannual meetings, 48% of LEAP staff and 53% of librarians reported that too little training was provided in early literacy, indicating a need for more targeted instruction-focused training.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},586547,1792942424,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":55,"preview_page_count":4},687207412472,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Designing Library-Based Out-of-School Time Programs  \nIn 2019, Policy Studies Associates conducted an evaluation of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program (LEAP), focused on identifying program strategies to support early literacy development. The recommendations that emerged from this evaluation for the Free Library can also inform the efforts of other public libraries hosting out-of-school (OST) programs.  \nThe Free Library of Philadelphia is committed to delivering highquality OST programming to young people in grades preK-12 through LEAP. The Free Library’s Youth Services and Programs division makes significant investment of human and financial resources towards the program, including:  \n• Managing the hiring and onboarding of part-time Afterschool Leaders and Teen Leadership Assistants  \n• Offering monthly curriculum training  \n• Purchasing, developing, and disseminating activity kitsand materials  \n• Hosting periodic all-staff meetings  \nHire dedicated staff for OST programs  \nIn Philadelphia, at each library LEAP is directed by a parttime Afterschool Leader or Maker Mentor who manages day-to-day programming supported by two or three Teen Leadership Assistants, high school students hired for between 4 and 10 hours per week. These LEAP staff work under the guidance and supervision of the librarian, with administrative management and professional development from the Free Library’s Youth Services Division.  \nThe presence of these dedicated staff—without additional library responsibilities—ensures that all children who come to LEAP are welcomed and supported by staff who actively engage with children on a personal level, instilling trust and bolstering young people’s connections to the program. Creating a sense of community and an environment that can foster learning does not occur by happenstance: an important part of the role of LEAP staff is to forge connections with new and returning participants.  \nThe number one thing is to make [a new participant] feel as welcome and included as someone who has been here 30 days. How are you, where do you go to school, what grade are you in? It’s trying to be friendly and generous and giving. Help a kid become comfortable in learning in a new space.  \n–Afterschool Leader (ASL)  \nProvide training to bolster the instructional competencies of OST staff  \nMany part-time OST staff do not have a background in education or training in children’s literacy to draw on when providing individualized homework help or delivering enrichment programming. LEAP staff were eager for more targeted training to build their capacity to support literacy and learning. Although the Free Library offers monthly curriculum trainings and biannual professional development meetings, 48 percent of LEAP staff and 53 percent of librarians said that too little training was provided in early literacy.  \nWhen I am helping a child read, I am going on my memory of learning phonics. It would be helpful to have a refresh on that ... I don’t know a lot about that instruction.  \n–Afterschool Leader (ASL)  \nDesign programs that intentionally promote learning for children and families  \nLibrary-based OST programs offer safe, literacy-rich environments, but environment is not enough to advance literacy and learning. The LEAP evaluation examined strategies used across Philadelphia libraries to support literacy competencies—including love of reading—for children in grades PreK-3 .  \nAlthough LEAP, by design, is not a learn-to-read or literacy tutoring program, staff strive to “connect literacy to everything we do” and embed literacy in activities ranging from homework help to arts. Staff also:  \n• Regularly read with children, providing individual attention and encouragement to young readers.  \n• Integrate reading in fun arts and STEM activities, such as creating “space slime” after reading a book about Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to go into space, or creating squares for a Free","cbCaihx0eF8PUJFX","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihx0eF8PUJFX","pdf",372922,"English","# LEAP Evaluation Purpose and Scope\n## Dedicated OST Staffing for Consistent Support\n## Training to Strengthen Early Literacy Instruction\n## Designing Programs that Promote Learning for Children and Families\n## LEAP within Philadelphia’s Out-of-School Time System\n## Library Resources and Ongoing Program Support","[{\"question\":\"What was the focus of the 2019 LEAP evaluation?\",\"answer\":\"The evaluation examined strategies in Philadelphia libraries that support early literacy development within LEAP, aiming to inform both the Free Library and other public libraries running out-of-school time programs.\"},{\"question\":\"How does LEAP staffing support participants day-to-day?\",\"answer\":\"Each library’s LEAP is led by a part-time Afterschool Leader or Maker Mentor, supported by Teen Leadership Assistants and under librarian guidance, helping create a welcoming environment and stronger connections to the program.\"},{\"question\":\"What training needs did LEAP staff and librarians report?\",\"answer\":\"Despite monthly curriculum training and biannual meetings, 48% of LEAP staff and 53% of librarians reported that too little training was provided in early literacy, indicating a need for more targeted instruction-focused training.\"}]","Designing Library-Based Out-of-School Time Programs - Program Strategies and Recommendations | PDF",1792058305]