Students Learning Spanish After School

First and second graders in the Mary K. Goode School in Middleboro, Massachusetts will be learning Spanish afterschool as part of their participation in the Global Child Program for the second year in a row. Since research shows that children in the first and second grades are better able to learn another language, Middleboro and 25 other communities in Massachusetts are making this opportunity available. For more information, check out the Global Child website.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Launches Inner City Afterschool Program

Inspired by a countrywide program in Venezuela that brings music to several hundred thousand low-income children, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has launched OrchKids. OrchKids will be piloted initially in an elementary afterschool program where students will be taught the basics of music in the first year and will choose an instrument to study in subsequent years.

JC Penney Customers Contribute $840,000 for Afterschool Programs

Last month, the JCPenney Corporation embarked on their Afterschool Round-Up Campaign. Over a 10-day period, JCPenney customers had the option of rounding up the amount of the purchases to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to JCPenney's Afterschool Fund. As a result, customers donated $840,000 in which JCPenney contributed an additional $500,000 to make available $1.3M for afterschool programs nationally.

BOSTNet and United Way Sponsor Families Matter 2008 Conference - June 6

Just a reminder that BOSTNet and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley will be sponsoring the Families Matter 2008 Conference next Friday, June 6 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the United Way. This conference will focus on the tools, tips and techniques for afterschool providers who work in the field.

Click here to register.

BOSTNet's Inclusion Network

BOSTNet's has developed an important resource for afterschool program providers who work or want to work with children and youth with special needs. The Inclusion and Referral Network provides information in the following areas:

* Arts and Inclusion
* Behavior and Inclusion (coming soon)
* Literacy and Inclusion
* Sports and Inclusion

They have also created an interactive map where you can locate a specific disability resource based on the disability that a child has.

Afterschool providers can also join a group where "members [can] communicate ideas, latest trends, resources or ask questions and create partnerships. You can join this group by clicking this link: http://groups.google.com/group/bostnetinclusion

Sharing What Works: Sustainability Models and Plans

I attended a great meeting yesterday where a cohort of MA 21st CCLC Project Coordinators shared their sustainability plans. Skillfully facilitated by Beth Newell, folks were able to share what inspires them as they work in their communities to sustain their quality afterschool programming.

Barbara Sargent, Worcester's 21st CCLC Coordinator, shared a model created by Harvard's Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) called the PELP Coherence Framework. This framework is designed to "help leaders identify the key elements that support a district-wide improvement strategy and to bring these elements into a coherent and integrated relationship. School district leaders leverage this framework to develop strategies that work towards improving student performance throughout the district."

And how does this relate to sustaining afterschool programs? As ably described by Ms. Sargent, this framework contains all the components that are necessary to successfully operate quality afterschool programs as well. It has an added benefit of building off the educational trajectory that starts in the school day so that young people can benefit from a great educational experience after school.

Exciting work is being done across the MA 21st CCLC sites to sustain this important work. Your ideas, plans, and models will continued to be shared here, in the newsletter and in meetings so that we can all continue to learn what works!

Massachusetts Senate Increases Funding for Afterschool Programs

The Massachusetts Senate voted last night to increase funding for the ASOST Quality Grant Program by $450,000. Earlier this month, the Massachusetts House of Representatives increased funding for this important program by $3M. Overall this means that $5.45M will be available for afterschool programs in FY09, an increase of $3.45M from last year.

Co-Chairs, Senator Thomas McGee and Representative Marie St. Fleur, Co-Chairs of the Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time are to be commended for their leadership during the budget debate. These additional resources is a very exciting development for the field, particularly considering the difficult fiscal climate the state is facing this coming year.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, who administers the ASOST Quality Grant Program, will continue to work on the grant requirements for this coming year. Look to this blog for additional details as they become available.