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The Afterschool for All Challenge: A Research Perspective

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The Afterschool for All Challenge: A Research Perspective

Now that I can finally catch my breath after an exciting two days of afterschool advocacy, I thought it would be good time to share myAfterschool for All Challenge experience. This year, I ran and participated in two workshop sessions at the Challenge: “Middle School Innovation: Policy and Practice” and “Become an Afterschool Expert”.  Both sessions were well attended with full rooms of over 60 people each, and the attendees were highly engaged in the issues at hand, making for two great research-focused sessions. 

During the morning session, “Middle School Innovation: Policy and Practice,” I was joined by three program directors from our 2010 MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Award winners: Rob Abbott (CHENY Beacon), Molly Calhoun (Bridge Project) and Jim Pugliese (LeAp 22).  In the role of moderator, I discussed major policy initiatives relevant to middle school programs including the recently re-introduced Success in the Middle Act, which is sponsored by one of our afterschool champions this year, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.  Additionally, I discussed some middle school-specific research that could help make the case for an increase in middle school programs across the country.  After a brief discussion amongst the session’s participants about the challenges the middle grades bring to afterschool care providers and a viewing of an Edutopia video concerning the successful Providence Afterschool Alliance After Zones initiative, I then introduced our first speaker: Rob Abbott, the Director of Youth and Family Services at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation in Brooklyn, NY, who helps to run the Cypress Hills/East New York (CHENY) Beacon afterschool program and talked about his role in the program and the Beacon’s innovative and comprehensive model. Next, Molly Calhoun, executive director of the Bridge Project in Denver, CO, talked about her STEM-related afterschool offerings at Bridge, including the use of digital technology to document science experiments.  Molly also discussed the student-centered approach at Bridge, providing children with a number of different opportunities to grow through project-based learning.  Finally, Jim Pugliese from LeAp 22’s art program in Bronx, NY, discussed how to start a successful afterschool program, stressing that patience and determination are the keys to quality.  Jim also described the importance of instilling a passion for learning and discovery in children so that they remain engaged in their education.  All three of the presenters were truly enlightening and provided the attendees with a rich knowledge base of how an effective middle school program is run.

The “Become an Afterschool Expert” session in the afternoon was focused on how to use the wealth of results and research on afterschool to make the case for funding and increased support for programs both nationally and locally.  To begin the session, Jen Rinehart from the Afterschool Alliance team spoke about the importance of research and then conferred some of the main findings from a number of afterschool evaluations, all of which are included in our recently updated Evaluations Backgrounder.  The main findings from Jen’s presentation were that afterschool programs have positive effects on academic outcomes such as standardized testing and engagement in learning as well as behavior outcomes such as reductions in truancy and improved health and wellness.  Following Jen’s discussion, I detailed findings from our America After 3PM studies including statistics on participation in afterschool and summer learning programs.  Finally, PR consultant Matt Freeman educated the audience on how to effectively use research to craft an advocacy message and engage media.  Jen, Matt and I provided the audience with useful research and media tips which hopefully will help them better promote and evaluate their afterschool offerings in the future.

The next day, after an energizing and inspiring "Breakfast of Champions," I embarked out on a handful of Hill visits with other afterschool advocates. Meeting with Hill staffers in offices from Nevada to New Jersey, I was able to see advocacy in action with impressive efforts from all of the advocates on hand.  It was truly a great day for afterschool programs.

All in all, the two day Afterschool for All Challenge was a busy but rewarding time for me, and I look forward to utilizing what I learned at the Challenge to help promote afterschool programs throughout the rest of the year.