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Cutting Cost, Keeping Quality: Financing Strategies for Youth-Serving Organizations in a Difficult Economy

Posted in General, tagged on March 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Financing and Sustaining Youth Programs/New Strategy Brief from The Finance Project

Cutting Cost, Keeping Quality: Financing Strategies for Youth-Serving Organizations in a Difficult Economy

Due to the economic downturn, many youth-serving organizations are facing budget reductions while also experiencing increased demand for their services.
To maintain high-quality services with limited resources, youth-serving organizations need to embrace a strategic and proactive approach to their financial management.

This brief highlights financing strategies that successful youth-serving organizations are using to maintain quality services despite difficult economic times.
Drawing on interviews with leaders of 17 successful youth programs, the brief illustrates how organizations have aggressively managed costs, creatively generated new revenues, and created partnerships to mitigate the effects of funding cuts.  In-depth examples help leaders understand how to implement and adapt these strategies to their unique context.

CLICK HERE FOR BRIEF

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The National AfterSchool Association and the National Association of Elementary School Principals Release a Joint Statement about Leading a New Day for Learning

Posted in Advocacy, General, Research, Resources, tagged on January 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

There simply isn’t enough time in a typical school day for children and youth to learn everything they must know and be able to do for future success in their world of work. We also know that kids learn every minute of the day. So it makes sense, now more than ever before, that all educators ­— particularly principals and afterschool program leaders — work together to structure students’ varied and diverse learning times and experiences in and out of school for maximum effect.

 Shrinking budgets are requiring Americans everywhere to use resources more efficiently. The economic recession is also a good time to look at what already exists with an eye toward innovation. The National AfterSchool Association believes that the time and places kids learn out of school are more vital to their success than ever before. We recognize that our work with children and youth must be seamlessly aligned with the efforts of educators during the regular school day. 

The boards of directors of both the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) have released a joint statement designed to lead the development of a new learning day not bound by place, time, or conventional ways of acquiring knowledge and skills. NAESP and NAA are committed to offering support and assistance to our members as they work collaboratively, side-by-side, to help all children by increasing their opportunities and access to enriching learning experiences. We challenge our members to think of leading a new learning day as a means to achieving innovative reform for both school and afterschool — not just another responsibility added to their workloads. Together we can achieve our mutual goals for children. We believe this visionary statement will guide principals and afterschool directors — those who are most directly involved and responsible for children’s day-to-day learning experiences — as they move the vision from concept to reality across the nation.

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Leading a New Day for Learning aligns is an outcome of a report entitled A New Day for Learning, released by the Time, Learning, and Afterschool Task Force in January, 2007, and funded by the C. S. Mott Foundation. To learn more, visit newdayforlearning.org. To learn more about the National Association of Elementary School Principals, visit naesp.org.

Listen to former NAA President and CEO, Judy Nee, as she interviews NAESP Executive Director, Gail Connelly, about the development of the joint statement on NAA Radio. Click HERE.

Please go to http://naaweb.site-ym.com/?page=JointStatement.

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Arizona Named a Top 10 State for Afterschool Programs

Posted in Advocacy, General, Resources, tagged , , on October 15, 2009| Leave a Comment »

The Afterschool Alliance just released state data from their America After 3PM national survey.

The AZ After 3PM Fact Sheet, news release, and a Top Ten report can be found here: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM_states.cfm?state_abbr=AZ&level=1

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New Issue of Afterschool Matters Journal

Posted in Professional Development and Training, Research, Resources, tagged , on October 5, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Afterschool Matters is a national, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting professionalism, scholarship and consciousness in the field of afterschool education. Published by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time with support from the Robert Bowne Foundation, the journal serves those involved in developing and managing programs for youth during the out-of-school time hours, in addition to those engaged in research and in shaping youth development policy.

Afterschool-Matters-Fall-2009

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2010 Leadership for Equity and Excellence Forum

Posted in Advocacy, Events, Professional Development and Training, tagged on October 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Phoenix – February 16-17, 2010

Educators, policy makers, students, parents, advocacy groups, and community members will gather to share current research and best practices about building and strengthening systems of educational equity. Areas of focus include civil and educational rights, disproportionality in special education, school-family partnerships, organizing schools for inclusive education, and more. Please check back often for updates!

This exciting 2-day forum brings educators around the country together to share their work, build coalitions for equity, and learn from each other. Be part of the Equity Vanguard! Our featured speakers bring exciting research from law, multicultural education, and educational anthropology.

http://www.equityallianceatasu.org/ea/conference/overview#

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Nominate Now for Afterschool Awards of Excellence

Posted in Events, tagged , on August 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Monday, September 14 is the deadline to nominate your favorite afterschool professionals, programs and leaders

The 8th annual Spotlight on Afterschool Awards of Excellence is your opportunity to recognize and celebrate the quality programs and afterschool professionals that use creativity, innovation, structure, and discipline daily to instill a love of learning in the children they serve.

You know who is having a lasting impact on our children’s lives.  While they do it for their love of children, the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence wants to see them receive the recognition they so rightfully deserve and spotlight the best in afterschool programming.

Don’t delay! Nominate an outstanding afterschool professional, outstanding afterschool program or outstanding afterschool leader.  Then plan to join the celebration on Wednesday, October 14 at the Tempe Center for the Arts for the celebration and presentation of the awards.

Eddie and Nadine Basha will be recognized for their lifetimes of advocacy for Arizona’s children and quality education programs at all levels.

For further information, call Kim Morgan at 602.279.7102.

2008 winners are featured on the AzCASE website.

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Arizona is One of Five Statewide Afterschool Networks to Hold State Mayoral Summits

Posted in Advocacy, Events, tagged on July 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence was selected as one of five statewide afterschool networks to receive funding from the National League of Cities to hold a mayoral summit on afterschool.  The Center will organize a statewide event to help brand the afterschool movement in Arizona and develop a group of city champions.  The goals of the event include highlighting best practices, showcasing the impact of high-quality programs and discussing the role that cities can play.  Tucson Mayor Robert E. Walkup will host the statewide summit, and representatives from the City of Phoenix and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns will serve on the summit planning committee. 

 Read more from the National League of Cities here: http://www.nlc.org/articles/articleItems/NCW71309/MayorsAfterSummits.aspx

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New Marketing Tool Available For Arizona Afterschool Programs

Posted in Resources, tagged , on June 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence in collaboration with the Arizona statewide Youth Development Task Force is proud to announce the creation of the Arizona Afterschool Map, a web based, afterschool map and directory designed to be an invaluable tool for all Arizona afterschool providers.

 This, first of its kind, Arizona afterschool mapping project allows all afterschool programs, large AND small, non-profit AND for profit, licensed AND licensed exempt, to log on to http://azafterschool.test.gatesix.com and click on Afterschool Directory to easily enter the data requested regarding their program.  There is no charge for including your program or programs on the Arizona Afterschool Map.   It takes only a few minutes to enter program details and programs with multiple sites have the capability to enter each site individually.   The afterschool map also allows afterschool providers with summer programs to list the details of their summer programs separately.

 If you find your program is already listed in the directory, please confirm the accuracy of information listed because the data found was initially imported to the design test site months ago and may no longer be accurate.

 Once the site is populated with programs from across the state, hopefully within the next 30 days, , the site will be launched and promoted to the public in time for parents to make informed decisions before enrolling their children in afterschool programs for the fall.

 Parents looking for afterschool programs for their children will be able to log onto the site, enter their home address and search for all programs operating within three, five or fifteen miles from the address entered.  All programs within the geographic radius selected will then pop up and parents can then click on individual program names to see the full details regarding the programs in their area. 

 If you have any questions or need additional information about this incredible, new afterschool tool, please call the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence at 602.279.7100.

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New Searchable Website of Assessment Tools for Informal Science Learning

Posted in Resources, tagged , on June 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

A new resource designed to help practitioners, evaluators, researchers and policymakers select instruments to assess science learning and child outcomes in out-of-school programs is now available.  PEAR, a Harvard University-McLean Hospital team led by Dr. Gil Noam, has developed a searchable database of assessment tools for evaluating program quality and outcomes.

Afterschool programs are gaining recognition as settings that hold great potential for increasing scientific literacy and engagement in youth.  Yet some questions remain:  How do we know when afterschool programs achieve their goals?  What evaluative tools should we use when assessing afterschool science programs?  How can we be sure the evaluative tools we use are valid and reliable — are they appropriately measuring science programming and outcomes?

Evaluating afterschool science programming is essential for ensuring and improving the quality of informal science experiences for youth.  Sites that assess science programming are also better positioned to gain additional resources and are more attractive to funders and potential partners.  The Noyce Foundation, a leading strategic funder in the afterschool science field, requisitioned a yearlong study on the current state and needs of the informal science assessment world. The design for the PEAR study is based on an evaluative framework developed in a recent National Science Foundation report by Alan J. Friedman, David A. Ucko and committee. The PEAR study yielded an in-depth, analytical review of existing evaluation tools.  Results are documented in a report “Toward a Systemic Evidence-Base for Science in Out-of-School Time: The Role of Assessment”   – http://www.noycefdn.org/publications.html .

The new, searchable ATIS website http://atis.pearweb.org/ makes information about these assessment tools easily accessible.

Come explore the website at http://atis.pearweb.org/.  Read reviews and ratings by practitioners who are using these tools.  You are also invited to write reviews on instruments that you are using.  The site will be continuously updated in collaboration with youth development researchers at 4-H.

For further information about this website, please contact us or visit http://pearweb.org/ .

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Sharing the Dream Grants to Foster School-Community Relationships

Posted in Funding Opportunities, tagged , , on June 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Sponsor: MetLife Foundation

Deadline: 7/8/2009

Amount: $3,000

Type: Education, Social & Economic

Description: A program of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the MetLife Foundation, the Sharing the Dream Grants competition is designed to support elementary and middle school principals in their work to foster and encourage strong school-community relationships.

The program provides support to principals working to develop programs committed to heightening community leadership, communication, ownership, and involvement in their schools with the goal of improving achievement for all students. Program grants allow principals to test ideas about involving and engaging their communities to build greater ownership for the work of their school by sharing leadership and decision-making, by keeping all stakeholders informed about all school news, and by creating a school climate that fosters open communication, safety and security, and respect for every individual.

Elementary and middle school principals in the United States and its territories are eligible to apply.

Selected principals will receive a $3,000 grant to initiate a project designed to actively engage their communities.

Complete program guidelines can be download at the NAESP Web site.

Website: Link to RFP

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