Building Statewide Out of School Time Intermediary Infrastructure

Creativity can change everything, and Big Thought has proven that for nearly four decades. By connecting imagination and skills, they harness creative learning to drive opportunity for young people across North Texas. Big Thought supports the OST ecosystem through both direct-to-youth programming and learning systems that equip partners to deliver high-quality, community responsive programs.

Big Thought’s Opportunity Youth Incubator initiative continues to gain momentum. This summer, they partnered with Education Design Lab and Jobs for the Future to host Frontline to Future-Ready, a convening of more than 60 cross-sector leaders focused on building pathways from frontline retail jobs to high-demand tech careers for youth ages 16-24 disconnected from school and work.

Looking ahead, Big Thought is strengthening youth voice by working with their new youth board members to restore a Community Action Team—an advisory group where young people can shape decisions and gain leadership skills in the process.

As the only bi-national OST intermediary in Texas, the BOOST Network connects providers across two countries, three states, and two languages to strengthen the quality and reach of youth programs. As a hub for out of school time providers in the Paso del Norte region, BOOST offers professional development, resource sharing, and data-driven quality improvement assistance. They help organizations build capacity and strengthen staff skills to better support youth and engage families.

In September, BOOST hosted a successful Quarterly Meeting, bringing together over 70 professionals to engage in an insightful session on cyberbullying prevention and awareness led by a guest speaker from Crime Stoppers.

BOOST is gearing up for its Lights On Afterschool 2025 event series, which kicks off in El Paso in partnership with the public library, continues at the Boys & Girls Club of Las Cruces, and concludes with a Day of the Dead–themed celebration at La Rodadora in Juárez. These events will highlight the importance of OST programs while celebrating youth and community.

When school lets out across Houston, the Center for Afterschool, Summer, and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids steps in to turn out of school time into possibility, ensuring that young people and their families have access to safe and supportive spaces. As a branch of the Harris County Department of Education, CASE for Kids acts as a regional broker and capacity builder. They manage funding, provide training, coordinate program quality, and partner with schools, nonprofits, and community organizations to expand access to OST programming across the county.

CASE for Kids is rallying around recent wins—from the release of federal funding that supports critical afterschool and summer programs to celebrating convocation, to the success of the Houston Urban Debate League.

Looking ahead, CASE for Kids plans to expand the debate team by exploring new ways to increase corporate engagement and focus on efforts that deliver the greatest impact for youth participants.

Dallas Afterschool believes that access alone isn’t enough; quality is what transforms lives. Through providing professional development, sharing data and insights, and mobilizing community partners, they work to ensure all Dallas kids have access to impactful learning beyond the school day. Dallas Afterschool delivers training, coaching, and technical assistance to OST providers while advocating for critical funding to support the OST workforce and expand youth opportunities.

Dallas Afterschool was recently honored with a donation from CashSwipe. Employees across the country voted on which organization to support, and Dallas Afterschool was chosen for its proven impact in the region.

Dallas Afterschool will continue celebrating and amplifying the impact of out of school time at their upcoming Lights On Afterschool convening. In partnership with Dallas College, The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation, and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, they will unveil the 2025 Dallas Afterschool Student Outcomes Report, rally around what’s at stake for the field, and drive the future of OST programs forward.

In San Antonio, data and relationships are more than strategies—they’re core to the mission. Excel Beyond the Bell, an UP Partnership network, works with partner organizations to co-create standards, scale promising practices, and embed continuous improvement across youth programs. Through data-sharing agreements with local school districts, Excel pushes network partners to move beyond anecdote and use evidence to refine program design, attack gaps, and celebrate successes. 

This year, the Excel Academy, Excel’s multi-year community of practice (CoP), was featured in Youth Today for its innovative approach to professional development. Based on this successful model, Excel published a new implementation guide to help other organizations facilitate CoPs that are rooted in relationships and drive collective impact.

Excel and UP Partnership are now working with partners to strengthen their Future Ready Plan—a plan to guide shared action that aims to increase postsecondary enrollment of Bexar County high school graduates in a degree or credential program to 70% by 2030.

Fort Worth SPARC is a small but mighty organization that works closely with community partners to address critical needs with immediacy. Through advocacy, resources, and collaboration, SPARC aims to ensure that kids in under-resourced communities across Tarrant County have equitable access to excellent out of school time programming. 

This summer marked SPARC’s sixth year of collaboration with the City of Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, and it was their most successful yet. Together, they hosted a record number of students at programs across the city that focused on connecting core academic learning to real-world applications. Youth engaged with professionals ranging from architects and veterinarians to financial advisors and community safety experts.

On the horizon, SPARC is collaborating with the Red Cross, YMCAs, and local school districts to launch a youth lifeguard training and certification program and expanding their FUEL (Food Uplifts Engaged Learners) program, which provides both nutritious food and free books for kids.

Learning doesn’t stop when the school bell rings, and working together can yield stronger systems for OST learning. Anchored by the Andy Roddick Foundation, the Learn All The Time network convenes and connects out of school time providers and equips them with the tools and training they need to close gaps and spark opportunity for Central Texas youth.

In early 2025, Learn All The Time successfully relaunched its bi-annual All-Member Convenings. This September’s Back-to-School Convening drew a strong turnout and positive feedback, welcoming new partners, leaders, and staff for in-person networking and collaboration.

Learn All The Time recently expanded their capacity with a new quality specialist and is excited to offer more professional development opportunities in the year ahead, starting with their new OST Program Quality Essentials series. Participants will receive a badge for completing multiple sessions that focus on the core elements needed to build and sustain a high-quality OST program.

As a citywide network led by United Way of Greater Houston, Out 2 Learn connects providers, funders, and families to build a stronger, more coordinated out of school time system for all. Out 2 Learn offers capacity-building resources, training, coaching, and learning networks designed to support OST providers. When families in Houston search for safe, high-quality afterschool and summer programs, Out 2 Learn helps them find the right fit with their Program Finder tool.

Recently, Out 2 Learn hosted their Positive Minds, Positive Impact Mental Wellness Workshop, an inspiring event that placed mental health at the center of out of school time. OST professionals explored creative strategies for supporting both youth and staff well-being through sessions filled with energy, reflection, and practical tools. 

Coming up, Out 2 Learn is kicking off their fall Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) cohort to help OST sites strengthen programming, identify opportunities for growth, and equip their teams with proven strategies to create safe and engaging spaces for youth.

The Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Centers of Texas help turn potential into promise in towns statewide. Red Shield Youth Centers provide afterschool and summer programs focused on mentorship, leadership, academic support, and character development. They partner with local communities, funders, and volunteers to run camps, youth institutes, college-readiness workshops, and recreational activities that support the whole child.

This summer, Red Shield Youth Centers of Texas partnered with the World Literacy Foundation and Atmosphere Press on a statewide literacy initiative designed to combat summer learning loss. The collaboration provided books, learning tools, and support to inspire youth to stay engaged and boost their imagination all summer long.

Looking ahead, the Red Shield Youth Centers of Texas is preparing for their annual statewide conference in San Antonio. The convening will bring program leaders, officers, and practitioners together to attend trainings, share strategies, and exchange best practices—all to strengthen their collective capacity to support the young people they serve.

The Texas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs is a statewide movement to help every Club deliver stronger, high-quality programming for Texas youth. The Alliance helps Clubs expand their capacity, access funding, share best practices, and coordinate advocacy. 

The Texas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs recently moderated a successful Youth Town Hall hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. The event brought together elected officials and more than 100 attendees, creating a powerful platform for youth to talk about issues that matter most to them. The event drew media coverage and was celebrated across the movement as a model for youth civic engagement.

Coming up, the Alliance is launching a new mental health grant for Clubs to host wellness programs and events or invest in staff and youth training opportunities. They are also exploring new partnerships that would create opportunities for young people to become community health workers, advancing workforce readiness and community impact across Texas.

The local “Y” might look different in every city, but the Texas State Alliance of YMCAs ensures all their branches have a coordinated voice across youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. The Alliance fosters statewide collaboration and communication while building capacity and advocating on behalf of local Ys. Their work helps YMCAs improve and expand youth development programs like afterschool, camps, swim lessons, and more.

In just the past few months, the Alliance has celebrated remarkable growth through new partnerships across the state. In Midland, the local YMCA was selected as Midland ISD’s official afterschool program, and in Port Arthur, the district is providing transportation for students to Port Arthur YMCA afterschool programs. 

The momentum continues as the Alliance prepares for another wave of expansion. In Bay City, they’re building a brand-new facility and aquatics center with childcare. There are also plans to bring YMCAs to the Rio Grande Valley and south of San Antonio—all to strengthen communities for Texas youth and families.