- “The New Cool,” by Neal Bascomb, published by Broadway Books, 2011, 352 pages. The story of first-year teacher Amir Abo-Shaeer who developed the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy to instill in his students a love of learning.
- “I Dream for You A World: A Covenant for Our Children,” by Charisse Carney-Nunes, published by Brand Nu Words, 2007, 32 pages. This picture book details community-driven solutions to support African-American youth.
- “Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools: The Politics of Education Reform,” by Jack Jennings, published by Harvard Education Press, 2015, 264 pages. This is a thorough accounting of past federal education policy that also offers innovative, much-needed solutions to revitalize a troubled national public school system.
- “Time to Care, Redesigning Child Care to Promote Education, Support Families, and Build Communities,” by Joan Lombardi, published by Temple University Press, 2003, 248 pages. Parent and leading child-care expert Joan Lombardi describes how the problems with America’s child-care system can be fixed.
- “Expanding Minds and Opportunities, Leveraging the Power of Afterschool and Summer Learning for Student Success,” Executive Editor Terry Peterson, Ph.D., Collaborative Communications Group, 442 pages. A compendium of essays, reports and research studies by over 100 authors supporting the importance of quality after-school and summer programs in making a positive difference for students.
- “Brooklyn Castle” (film). An inspiring real-life look at the power of after-school and advocacy.
- “Underwater Dreams” (film). A powerful chronicle of how an after-school robotics program taught two sons of undocumented Mexican immigrants to build an underwater robot using Home Depot parts — and defeated engineering powerhouse MIT in the process.
About Jodi Grant:
Jodi Grant is the executive director of Afterschool Alliance, an advocacy organization working to create and expand quality after-school programs on local, state and national levels. Before joining the Afterschool Alliance, Grant served as director of work and family programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families, where she worked to expand the Family & Medical Leave Act and was a member of the team that defended the law before the U.S. Supreme Court.
An honor graduate from Yale and Harvard Law, Grant also served as general counsel to the Senate Budget Committee and as staff director for a Senate Committee. She currently serves as a trustee of the America’s Promise Alliance and as an advisory board member of Time Warner Cable’s “Connect a Million Minds” campaign. Grant, her husband and two children live in Bethesda, Md.
