We have exciting news to share. BellXcel has launched the Sperling Center for Research and Innovation (SCRI). Named in honor of our longtime board chair, Laurene Sperling, the Center is dedicated to increasing the quality and impact of youth-serving organizations by making evidence actionable.

Too often, organizations lack the means to connect research and evidence to their everyday programs and practices. Day-to-day operations can be overwhelming, offering little time to learn from research, investigate and test new approaches, and document what works. That’s where SCRI comes in – evidence-based practice is our specialty. We mine evaluation data and conduct and review research to understand what works. We empower programs and communities to reach more young people where they are, through the adults they know, with strategies that have been tested and proven.

SCRI will expand upon BellXcel’s nearly 30 years of innovation to ensure schools and nonprofit partners have what they need to implement high-quality, impactful summer and afterschool programs. SCRI is uniquely positioned to increase the influence and visibility of OST programs as key pieces of a young person’s development and later-life success. Our deep experience transferring knowledge and skills to partners is the impetus for launching SCRI – we know we have a larger role to play to help youth-serving organizations achieve greater success.

We look forward to this new chapter and invite you to visit us online to learn more about SCRI and stay connected. We’re dedicated to sharing our insights to help others hone their practice, beginning with an analysis of what young people say about social-emotional skill development in summer, In Their Own Words. Stay tuned for more updates.

Thank you for your partnership.
Lauren Sanchez Gilbert, CEO, BellXcel