The Information Age Publishing new book series, Current Issues in Out-of-School Time, is designed with a purpose to disseminate original research and promising practices that further the Out-of-School Time (OST) field. This first book sets the foundation on which the series rests upon, by offering an analysis of the progress made since the 2000s, as well as by looking toward the future for areas of considerations. Leading OST experts explore latest knowledge, intentionally bridging research and practice, and propose new areas of inquiry within each of the following six sections: (1) OST as a vehicle for young people's development; (2) socio-cultural dimensions of OST; (3) professional development within OST; (4) research- and evaluation-informed field; (5) OST advocacy; and (6) future directions for the OST field. The OST field has grown considerably over the last two decades. Today, we have the frameworks, practice- and research-based knowledge and tools, and burgeoning paths to advance the field across multiple dimensions: demographic, stakeholder groups, contexts, systems and sectors, and disciplines. The hallmark of the OST field has been the ability to remain agile and adaptable to change in a way that complements the field and supports all children and young people in diverse ways. This anthology is designed to be a platform for research-practice discussions and future directions that could further grow, sustain, and improve the field. This book is intended to inspire both reflections and conversations on the OST field. Following a foreword by Dale A. Blyth, this book contains the following chapters: (1) Introduction (Helen Janc Malone); (2) 15 Years After Community Programs to Promote Youth Development (Sandra Simpkins, Yangyang Liu, and Nickki Pearce Dawes); (3) High Quality OST Activities and Programs: Using the RISE Approach (Relationships, Interest and Sparks, Empowerment) to Promote Thriving in Youth and Their Settings (Peter C. Scales); (4) Access to Out-of-School Time Programs for Underserved Youth (Nickki Pearce Dawes); (5) Responding to Shifting Demographic Contexts (Judith Cruzado-Guerrero and Gilda Martinez-Alba); (6) The Role of Out-of-School Time Programs in Bridging the Diversity Gap and Improving Educational Opportunities for African American Students (Mavis Sanders, Karen Lewis-Watkins, and Keshara Cochrane); (7) The State of Professional Development: Past, Present, and Future (Elizabeth Starr and Ellen S. Gannett); (8) Core Competencies for the OST Field (Gina Hilton Warner, Heidi Ham, and Melissa S. Pearman Fenton); (9) Taking It to a New Level: Inquiry-Based Professional Development as a Field-Building Enterprise (Sara L. Hill, Joy Connolly, Thomas Akiva, and Anne McNamara); (10) The Leadership Imperative (Elizabeth M. Fowlkes and Tony McWhorter); (11) The Growth, Evolution, and State of OST Evaluation (Christina A. Russell); (12) Innovative Use of Data as Game Changer for OST Programs: The Example of STEM (Gil G. Noam, Patricia J. Allen, Ashima Mathur Shah, and Bailey Triggs); (13) Exploring the Need for Research-Practice Partnerships (Ken Anthony); (14) Building Quality in Out-of-School Time (Jaime Singer, Jessica Newman, and Deborah Moroney); (15) Meeting the Growing Demand for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs: The Role of Federal Education Policy in Closing the Opportunity Gap (Jen Rinehart and Nikki Yamashiro); (16) Closing the Summer Gap (Sarah Pitcock); (17) Out-of-School Time Learning and 21st Century Skills: Building on the Past to Shape the Future (Elizabeth Devaney and Deborah Moroney); (18) Knowing Better, Doing Better: Three Gaps to Fill in the Next Decade of Research in Out-of-School Time (Joseph L. Mahoney and Shannon Haley-Mize); and (19) Securing the Future: Pivoting OST from Where and When to What and How (Karen Pittman). The conclusion was written by Tara Donahue.