In partnership with the National AfterSchool Association, we are happy to introduce this supplemental issue. Whereby each issue of New Directions for Youth Development usually presents research on one topic, this special issue was open to article submissions that could address any topic of youth development and after-school education. Interestingly, the majority of the papers we received clustered around the topic of youth programming and offer a window into the innovations of this fast growing field of study. We welcome any feedback.

Explore the complexity of teacher-student relationships in secondary school settings and learn how these largely unscripted relationships function for students and teachers in their learning and socioemotional development.

For teachers, the relationships provide a foundation for pedagogical and curricular endeavors and lead to their increased investment in students' growth, development, and academic success. Students who have such relationships feel more comfortable in their learning environments, interested in the material, and motivated to perform well.

We discuss what...