Every day across America, millions of people work or volunteer in the many settings where young people play, learn and grow outside of school. Afterschool coordinators build spaces for connection and support and help with homework. Camp counselors and outdoor educators take young people on adventurous and educational trips. Volunteers serve as mentors, coach athletic teams and organize reading programs at public libraries.

These are just some of the committed individuals who make youth development happen. They include vibrant and robust groups of social workers, music teachers, librarians, museum staff and numerous other professionals and volunteers who enrich children’s lives daily.

But the system they work in is fragmented. Funding for youth services is often inadequate, pay is low and there is a lack of clear career pathways. Critical information that other sectors know about their workforces has never been gathered. A first step in making the youth development ecosystem more connected and cohesive is to collect basic data about those working on behalf of children. For example: 

Who they are: What is their age, gender, race and socioeconomic status?

What are their skills and experience: What degrees and certificates have they earned? What other jobs have they held? What professional development do they currently receive, and what do they need to help them improve?

What is their compensation: Are they paid? How much do they make? What benefits do they receive? How does their salary compare with the compensation earned by professionals in similar positions in other sectors? If they volunteer, what motivates them to do so?

Right now, there is only fragmented or limited localized data about the community of workers who contribute to the growth of the nation鈥檚 children and youth. To gather reliable and comparable data about who is serving today’s youth 鈥� information that is necessary to improve and support the youth development fields 鈥� the American Institutes for Research and the Wallace Foundation, in partnership with , launched the . This national research effort is designed to learn more about the staff and volunteers working with youth beyond the classroom.

In addition to uncovering basic facts about demographics, compensation and workforce skills, the survey collects information that will create a comprehensive map of the workforce across national, state and local organizations and inform rapidly changing policies and practices across the field.

The American Youth Policy Forum will use the survey results in educating and engaging policymakers and local nonprofit leaders to understand career and volunteer opportunities and create pipelines for career growth.

In many ways, the field is playing catch-up. Professionals such as lawyers, doctors and teachers have similar information readily available, allowing them to set career goals, identify professional development opportunities and create personal financial plans. Right now, only a few sectors in youth services can access that type of information, and when they do, it鈥檚 incomplete. For example, the Early Childhood Workforce index provides state-by-state data and other information that enables practitioners to plan and advocate for future needs and funding. 

Tutors, coaches, afterschool staff and volunteers, and the many other professionals serving children and youth deserve similar information to help them advance their careers. For volunteers in particular, the data could help them evaluate whether there are enough adequate opportunities for high-quality jobs to make a full-time commitment to improving the lives of young people.

The survey will also provide data that will be a launching point for analysis by researchers, economists studying the workforce and policymakers working to improve youth services. 聽In addition, the American Institutes of Research聽will write case studies聽with the National Institute of Out-of School Time聽that will illustrate the diversity of youth-serving fields, profile real-world successes and allow youth services workers and volunteers to tell their stories.

This research is not a panacea. It alone will not fix all systemic problems in youth services. But it will be an important step in the right direction. It will begin to provide a professional development and career roadmap for those currently serving the nation鈥檚 youth, and provide guidance and incentives to a new generation who chose a career in helping America鈥檚 greatest treasure: its young people.

For so long, educators and youth advocates have dreaded summer slide, the deterioration of skills over summer, when children without access to enriching activities fall further behind their peers. This is the year to change that. The pandemic is widening the racial equity gap for children of all socio-economic backgrounds 鈥� it’s the perfect opportunity to extend the traditional school year and have academic enrichment this summer that can close this persistent divide.

Picture this: With all the disruption of this COVID-plagued school year, students could get another several weeks of learning, probably outside, in camp-like settings, where they could creatively work on math, science, writing, reading and the arts, get meals and snacks every day and engage in physical activity. It鈥檚 the right time and the right solution for bridging the gap, particularly for Black and Latino students.

It鈥檚 also a long-needed solution for working parents. Many have struggled to keep their jobs and paychecks during the last year. So, come summer, if students go to vigorous, engaging programs to catch up or continue learning, then their parents can work with less worry about their children. That valuable extra time can make up for what was missed amid the frenzy of on-again, off-again remote learning, hybrid classrooms and in-person disruptions. With about 20 percent of Boston public school students not even logging into school, there is a large population that would benefit from more structured time.

My organization, YMCA of Greater Boston, along with our partner groups 鈥� Inquilinos Boricuas en Acci贸n (IBA), The BASE and Latinos for Education 鈥� have a model for this and believe it could be the beginning of a much-needed reimagining of education in Boston.

We actually came together before the pandemic, encouraged by local philanthropists to take a 鈥渕oonshot鈥� approach to more equitable education in the city by forging a collaboration between nonprofits and the school district. But when the pandemic struck, our Community Learning Collaborative had a chance for a test run.

Each collaborative partner is guided by a leader of color who has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to education, youth development and community engagement. We share our talents, expertise and resources to provide comprehensive and equitable learning opportunities for low-income students and families in Boston.

We are currently running 12 equity pods, organized by age and grade level, with 125 students spending the day with an educator in a community-based setting within walking distance of home. Each location is equipped with high-speed Internet, laptop computers for those who don鈥檛 have them and headsets so students can focus on their classwork with their Boston Public School teachers. We know from students, parents, teachers and even grandparents that young people are excelling and thriving. Now, we want to keep going and take the lessons we are learning into summer with fun, academically enriching programs at facilities run by the YMCA, The Base and IBA.

We are seeing the impact of high-quality academic support, social-emotional development, health and wellness, recreation, arts, movement and food in a fun and engaging environment. Students, parents and teachers report that they like the pods and students are excelling, keeping up with their schoolwork and enjoying learning. Smaller settings with individualized attention are working to meet students鈥� needs. Our whole-child approach includes culturally appropriate curricula, taught and supported by leaders and teachers of color, which contributes to positive self-identities for children of color. Students see themselves and their experiences reflected by the caring adults around them. We are also combating food insecurity and hunger by providing healthy and nutritious meals and snacks.

To gather data, we have brought in Bellwether Education Partners survey students, parents and teachers, so we have a complete analysis of how our pods are working and what we can learn from them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated disparities experienced by low-income Black and Latino children. These inequities often result from limited access to academic, enrichment and out-of-school opportunities available to children of wealthier households. As a result, Black and Latino children are less likely to graduate from high school, attend college, secure gainful employment and accumulate wealth 鈥� all outcomes that can be mitigated with equitable access to educational opportunities. Children’s potential is equally distributed, but opportunity is not.

We are reimagining public education in Boston. Our resolve is fueled by the fierce urgency of now and knowing that if society fails to educate all of its children, then it has failed all of its children.

James Morton is president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston. Community Learning Collaborative leaders Amanda Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of Latinos for Education; Robert Lewis, president and founder of The BASE; and Vanessa Calder贸n-Rosado, executive director of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acci贸n, also contributed to this essay.