Host & Guests
Host: Connor Flick, Student, Gatton Academy High School, Kentucky
Syeda Tabassum, Student, Macaulay Honors College, New York
Sam Mejias, Associate Professor of Social Justice and Community Engagement, Parsons School of Design - The New School
Daniela DiGiacomo, Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky School of Information Science
Spandana Pavuluri, Student, duPont Manual High School, Kentucky
It's really important to make sure that young people are part of the constitution and design of these out-of-school-time programs. Unsurprisingly, like adults, young people feel more invested and committed to the program if they're a part of its design.
— Daniela DiGiacomo
About the Series
Research shows that an inclusive environment is an important factor in a young person’s decision to participate and stay in an out-of-school-time program. But a 2020 student-led survey of youth in OST programs found 45 percent of participants reported having sometimes been treated differently from others in programs because of their race, ethnicity, gender identity or religion. In this episode of Beyond the Classroom, student and adult researchers explore various strategies for building a sense of belonging and inclusion in OST spaces, beginning with centering the youth voice in the program’s design.
