This article describes Philadelphia’s systemwide approach to project-based learning. First, we review the scholarly literature to define the strategy and discuss its outcomes. Next, we describe Philadelphia’s systems approach to project-based learning in OST and outline its successes. Finally, we discuss the challenges presented by a systems approach to implementation, offering recommendations to other cities and their intermediaries that wish to implement project-based learning on a systemwide basis.
By designing accountability systems that fully embrace the notion of afterschool programs as learning organizations and by using research from organizational development, education, and youth development to create effective learning environments, funders and sponsors can help programs to improve quality—and therefore, to succeed in their goal of achieving better outcomes for young people.
This article begins with two examples that demonstrate adult interactions with young learners during conversations in informal learning environments. Family visits to informal learning environments provide opportunities to learn together, interact, engage in conversations, and learn more about one another. This article explores family learning in informal environments and suggests ways for parents to guide young learners in conversations to make sense of exhibit and program content. Parents can maximize learning and draw children into equitable learning conversations through the strategies