After the School Year Ends: Key Findings from a Statewide Parent Survey

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

• Wes Moore, bestselling author of The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates
• Gary Huggins, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association

For more information, contact Joseph Morra.

ACCOLADES FROM THE FIELD

“Kelly Whaley is a true champion of expanded learning opportunities for children and youth. She has an enormous capacity for determination and drive to develop and implement new approaches to program design that engage students in their own learning.  I know Kelly has faced challenges along the way, and yet she approaches these potential barriers with grace and creativity to make sure the programs that she manages are high-quality, responsive to kids and families, and linked to student learning.  Kelly seems to work magic at building partnerships to ensure that community resources and expertise are put to work in the best interest of student learning that is experiential, hands-on, and fun!” – Jackie Ascrizzi, Rhode Island Department of Education

“Kelly is hard working and dedicated. Her ability to work well in the community has proven to be a success with the partnership with the YMCA for afterschool and summer programming. She has worked in collaboration with many city partners to develop Camp XL and address the issues of summer learning loss.  As her YMCA partner I am truly excited about working again with Kelly to put forth a well-rounded and fun Camp XL this summer.” – Lisa Kennedy, Cranston YMCA

AN INTERVIEW WITH KELLY WHALEY

What brought you to the afterschool field?

Before working in the afterschool field, I was fundraising for nonprofits in Rhode Island. While I enjoyed what I was doing, I was hoping to work more directly in programming and connect more with the community I was working with. I also always enjoyed working with youth and had volunteered with the RI Mentoring Partnership. So, when I was offered the opportunity to work at the Cranston Community Learning Center it was kismet. It was a perfect fusion of what I had been doing to date, but also, would allow me to work with youth on a daily basis, which is what I enjoy most!

Who are the teachers, mentors, or heroes that shaped your career and guided your practice or principles?

Mr. Miller, my high school English teacher, was my first and only real mentor growing up. I would have to see him after school to ask questions about schoolwork and he always used that time as an opportunity to talk with me about college, inquire about what I wanted to major in, offer advice about classes to enroll in and internships to look for, etc. I didn’t realize it at the time but he was really helping me think through an important time in my life. I will always remember him for that reason and I hope I can return the favor by, hopefully, being the same kind of resource for students in my programs.

What makes Rhode Island a compelling place to work in afterschool?

Being so small, the afterschool community is pretty close-knit. One of the advantages of this is that we all seem to work together pretty well: helping each other trouble-shoot, collaborating, sharing resources, etc.

But, one of the greatest things I have seen is that we all rally around the same issues. The afterschool community in Rhode Island has made a collective push to be taken more seriously: better communicating with districts about being a resource to help bolster student achievement, producing outcomes, better evaluating our programs, using data, etc. I think in a few years the afterschool field will have made some great accomplishments and contributions to education. So, being in this field now and working on these kinds of initiatives is very exciting.

What is your ultimate dream for afterschool in Rhode Island and beyond?

My hope would be that afterschool (for lack of a way to say this better) is taken more seriously. I think afterschool and all out-of-school time programming (summer too!) can be used in a real way to align with educational goals and also provide supports and resources for students outside of the classroom. Like I said, it’s an exciting time because we are making a push in this direction. I think, in a few years, we’ll look back and see how far we’ve come.

PAST CHAMPIONS

Jackie Ascrizzi, Rhode Island Department of Education

Brad Fesmire, RiverzEdge Art Project

About Dr. Chen

Dr. Milton Chen is a senior fellow and executive director emeritus of The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF), a nonprofit operating foundation founded by the filmmaker in 1991. GLEF utilizes media, especially its multimedia website and documentary films, to tell inspiring stories of how interactive technologies are transforming America’s schools.

Dr. Chen’s book, Education Nation: Six Leading Edges of Education in Our Schools, explores the “edges” in education—the places where K-12 learning has already seen revolutionary changes through pioneering reform and the use of technology. An afterschool and summer learning advocate, one of Dr. Chen’s “edges” concerns innovation in out-of-school time.

Prior to joining GLEF in 1998, Dr. Chen was the founding director of the KQED Center for Education & Lifelong Learning (PBS) in San Francisco. He has served as a research director at Sesame Workshop in New York, where he worked on PBS children’s series including Sesame Street, The Electric Company (reading), and 3-2-1 Contact (science). He also served for two years as an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research interests focus on educational innovation and the role of new technologies and media, especially the Internet.

Dr. Chen received an A.B. in social studies from Harvard College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in communication research from Stanford University.

STEM & Afterschool

ACCOLADES FROM YOUTH

“As a five-year participant and employee of RiverzEdge, I have had the great pleasure of working for and with Brad Fesmire.  Everyday, no matter what the situation, through bad or good, Brad demonstrates great and responsible leadership that is unrivaled. His optimistic attitude and positive influence on all the staff and participants bring out the best in everyone. Whether through singing, whistling, or just having a good time, Brad always inspires proficient work. If there is a project that seems impossible to achieve in a short time, Brad is always the first to jump in and get working.  [...] RiverzEdge would not be the same without Brad!” — Robert Coveney, Visual Arts Studio Participant, age 17

“Feeling the warm greeting of Bradley Fesmire every Monday to Thursday is what keeps me motivated. He sets goals you would never believe. You may think you can not achieve that goal, but with Brad by your side, you [want to] go above and beyond to impress him. “ — David Gomez, Visual Arts Studio Participant, age 16

“Brad has been a true role model. He has helped me a lot with my painting, and he has been someone to talk to when things aren’t going right. It’s good that he’s there when they don’t go right.” — Kassandra Sylvestre, Visual Arts Studio Participant, age 17

At the library in the Worcester Historical Museum conducting research for the "Stories of Access, Stories of Denial Project"

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRAD FESMIRE

What brought you to the afterschool field?

Honestly, it was an accident that landed me in this field. After finishing my MFA in Painting, I had my bags packed and I was about to move to New York. A week before I was leaving, I was forwarded a job posting for a Painting Studio Instructor at a small nonprofit called RiverzEdge Arts Project. A few days later, I was in the studios teaching painting and mentoring twenty youth in Woonsocket. Seven years, many workshops, and a wealth of experiences later, I have had the great fortune to work with hundreds of the greatest youth on the planet, great partners, and fellow colleagues in a field that presents new challenges and excitement, and has enriched my life in ways I never thought possible.

Who are the teachers, mentors, or heroes that shaped your career and guided your practice or principles?

There are too many people to name that have shaped my practice and principles working with youth and directing an afterschool program. Every day is an opportunity to learn from other people with different skill sets and expertise outside of my own. There have been three specific mentors that have guided me through the years. The first was Michelle Novello, the founder of RiverzEdge. She introduced me to the idea of this work and taught me to take the unique challenges of working with youth with humor and as much grace and possible. She also helped me to foster the highest expectations for all youth in and outside of our programs. She helped me to see the young adult in all of them and to have a delicate yet direct approach when working with teens. Another invaluable mentor has been Rebekah Greenwald-Speck, current Executive Director of RiverzEdge. She provides meaningful leadership every day and has helped me to think through every idea, obstacle, and initiative, in deep, informed, and innovative ways. She continues to show me there is no “box” and to always do what is right for our youth, the community, and our partners, no matter the political or financial barriers. Her idealism continues to foster mine. The biggest heroes and mentors that continue to guide my principles are the youth I have had the utmost privilege of working with over the years. I literally learn something new every day from them  and they make me listen differently, see art more acutely, and see the world through a new lens.  They guide my practice by telling me (indirectly) what they need, and that listening makes a difference, and doing what you say makes all the difference. Thirty seconds of attention and respect means the world to them and that’s never too much to give. They change your life in unexpected ways and keep you coming back for more.

What excites you globally about working in afterschool?

The critical and innovative work we do in Rhode Island translates across communities, cultures, and countries. This was made very clear to me recently when RiverzEdge hosted a group of afterschool stakeholders from Singapore. They were in Rhode Island to see a few afterschool arts programs and spent an afternoon with us talking about afterschool in Singapore, issues of youth engagement, programs they have, ones they want to develop, and outcomes they were looking to achieve. They have a 99% high school graduation rate, but still deal with similar issues of youth disengagement, malaise, and a creative sector vacuum. In Rhode Island, we wish we had that 99% graduation rate, but no matter the variety of factors in the lives of youth, globally, they share the same insecurities, growing pains, and search for their place in this world. During our conversation, nothing was lost in translation because we spoke the same “afterschool language” and, at the end of the day, we all strove to affect the lives of youth in profoundly positive ways. This is truly something global.

What makes Rhode Island a compelling place to work in afterschool?

I am from a state where it takes five hours to get from border to border and communities are geographically large and disconnected. Here, I walk up the street, talk to the Mayor, meet with the Superintendent, and constantly collaborate with other community partners that are around the block and at the other end of the state. These genuine partnerships make Rhode Island unique and a compelling place to create innovations in programming and linkages to highly enriched learning. Partners like NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission, and the City of Woonsocket, among many others, have made developing innovative projects, reform initiatives, and genuine outcomes for youth exciting, enriched, and the highest quality. I feel very fortunate to work in a state where these collaborations take place across the landscape, and I think we can’t take this for granted. It is truly a unique and remarkable setting for afterschool.

What is your ultimate dream for afterschool in Rhode Island and beyond?

I am very interested in breaking down the imaginary barriers between community-based programs, our schools, and the public discourse. I dream to see the day when CBOs, schools, and municipalities across the landscape work in meaningful and collaborative ways to help our students succeed and communities redeveloped into healthy social and cultural epicenters.  To accomplish this, we would have access to the appropriate and abundant resources (this is a dream, right?), whether they are financial-, technological-, or expertise-based.  I look forward to a time when afterschool is not “after school” and its connotation is one that insinuates, all day, every day learning experiences that are valued in all sectors. This blend of resources and discourse would level the playing field for all youth and we would see all of them that we care so deeply about carve their own path of success and cultural wealth in this world.

ACCOLADES FROM THE FIELD

“I admire Brad’s enthusiasm and commitment to hands-on learning. He understands how to work with youth to help them see how much they matter, and he is dedicated to expanding youth opportunities throughout the state. He is a model for all of us.” — Elizabeth Ochs, Expanded Learning Opportunities Coordinator, Central Falls High School

“It is both an honor and a pleasure to work with Brad. I witness every day the mentor and role model he is to hundreds of youth, staff, and colleagues. I receive the benefit of his “can do” attitude and unusual ability to keep all engines running at top speed, week in and week out, as we pursue the next “crazy” thing that can’t be done–that we then do. In any given week, Brad facilitates a graduate level art project among high-school-age youth that helps them take their talent to the next level; he crafts the vision for our next grant; he attends 3 different leadership meetings to help improve schools and out-of-school-time programs; he communicates with caregivers and social service partners to help find solutions or champion the causes of the 75 teens we serve on site. [Brad is truly] a superhero for teens, Woonsocket, and education reform. Finally, at the end of the day, Brad goes home to his own art studio, his artistic practice, and his budding fame and glory as an artist. On top of it all, Brad is humble and kind. He uses his unusual smarts and talents to find ways to make others shine.  He is a natural born leader, but leads first by example and then by communal challenge. I truly feel, working with Brad, that we are in all aspects of running this organization together, and I could not do it without him. I am grateful for his existence as an artist, his commitment to service, and his long-term vision for RiverzEdge. There is not another more deserving than Brad.”   — Rebekah Greenwald Speck, RiverzEdge Arts Project

PAST CHAMPIONS

Jackie Ascrizzi, Rhode Island Department of Education

Sponsored by the Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance, the Providence After School Alliance, the RI STEM Center at RIC, and the Rhode Island Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative.

Seven different workshop topics will be offered at this low-key, high-quality event which will take place on the Rhode Island College campus. All workshops will focus on inquiry learning and connect to STEM-based concepts.

The registration fee for the mini-conference will be an affordable $10.00.

Please note the following guidelines surrounding registration:

• You must pre-register for the conference. On-site registrations will not be accepted.
• Online Registration is now available!
• There are a maximum of 130 seats at the mini-conference; therefore, to secure your seat, please register early.
• Space restricts the number of registrations from one organization to three (3) individuals only.
• The deadline for registration is Tuesday, March 13.

If you have any questions, please contact Joseph Morra via email or by calling 401.444.0615.

PROJECT MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Project Manager, Communications and Outreach will be responsible for managing all aspects of RIASPA’s outreach to the afterschool field and to school officials. This non-managerial position includes the drafting and production of research and policy briefs, event planning, and production of materials highlighting RIASPA’s work and the importance of afterschool and summer learning. The Project Manager will also coordinate RIASPA’s high school expanded learning work, and will positively represent RIASPA when working with various local and statewide audiences.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Write, edit, and disseminate all publications produced by RIASPA. This may include policy briefs, white papers, one-page summaries, and other works designed to educate various constituent groups about afterschool.
• Oversee and implement field outreach strategies that educate, activate, and grow RIASPA’s membership. Examples of these strategies include the publication of the RIASPA e-newsletter, maintaining RIASPA’s website, managing RIASPA’s social media, managing RIASPA’s membership database, and highlighting exemplary afterschool programs.
• Manage RIASPA’s High School Expanded Learning Initiative, which works with schools across the state to plan and implement expanded learning opportunities for high school graduation credit. This includes convening and managing a policy work group.
• Provide research assistance on a range of issues related to afterschool and summer programming, expanded learning, youth development, and education.
• Plan and/or organize meetings and events for RIASPA committees and the general RIASPA membership.
• Present the work of RIASPA and its partners at workshops, panels, conferences, and other events.
• Attend state, regional, and national conferences as necessary.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s preferred or equivalent experience.
• Two to five years of related experience.
• Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of the afterschool and expanded learning field, or education and youth development programs generally.
• Excellent writing and production skills. Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign and Photoshop) a plus.
• Ability to synthesize research and complex data to create materials that are accessible across a broad range of audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, problem-solve, and work independently.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to work in a fast-paced, team environment.

Application Process

Send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements by Friday, March 9 to:

Evelyn Thomason
United Way of Rhode Island
50 Valley Street, Providence, RI 02909
evelyn.thomason@uwri.org

In the interest of promoting equal educational opportunities for all children, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, formerly known as No Child Left Behind) was signed into law in 1965. A critical issue on Capitol Hill, ESEA legislation authorizes several vital funding sources for the afterschool community, including (but not limited to):

• 21^st Century Community Learning Centers Federal Afterschool Initiative
  (21st CCLC)

This is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to afterschool programs. Each state receives funds based on its share of Title I funding for low income students. Grants support afterschool programs that provide youth with academic enrichment activities and complementary programming (e.g., arts, recreation, counseling, technology, etc), and their families with literacy and educational development services.

• Title I Funds

Targeted to schools with concentrations of children from low-income families, these grants help local education agencies and schools better teach children who are failing or at risk of failing and to help those children meet challenging state academic standards. Title I funds may be used for Supplemental Educational Services, which provide extra help to students in reading, language arts, and math via tutoring, afterschool services, and summer programs.

• Full Service Community Schools

This program encourages the coordination of academic, social, and health services through partnerships among public elementary and secondary schools; the schools’ local education agencies; and community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other public or private entities. Full Service Community Schools provide comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, their family members, and community members, and result in improved educational outcomes for children.

Official hearings and discussions of ESEA reauthorization began in Congress in 2006 and as of 2007 the Act was officially up for reauthorization. Currently, staff for the authorizing committee are working through the Act in a bipartisan manner to reach consensus on a host of key issues. On March 13, 2011, the Obama Administration released its blueprint for reauthorization. To stay abreast of ESEA reauthorization, check out the U.S. Department of Education’s blog here: http://www.ed.gov/blog/topic/esea-reauthorization/. (

Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs)

Expanded Learning Opportunities or ELOs offer children and youth access to academic enrichment through hands-on, experiential learning programs outside of traditional school hours. These activities and approaches often involve partnerships between schools and community-based organizations. ELOs include a variety of models: afterschool, summer learning, extended day/year programs, full-service community schools, school-community networks, online learning, and alternative high school credit programs.

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA)

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) was established by the state legislature in 1967 to raise public interest and participation in the arts and to serve as the liaison to the state arts community.

Afterschool providers can benefit from using the following RISCA resources:

• Apply for one of their program development grants.
• Search for an arts learning enrichment provider for children and youth via their RIARTS map.
• Visit their community toolkit dedicated to promoting arts education in Rhode Island by engaging community members and providing resources to support the importance of arts learning in and out of school.
• Check out their Youth Voices page, where youth can contribute their own digital stories.

Rhode Island Program Quality Assessment Tool (RIPQA)

In response to afterschool providers’ desire to learn more about quality improvement and outreach, the Providence After School Alliance (PASA) convened a working group of 25 afterschool providers to develop a set of standards and indicators to help define quality afterschool programming. Additionally, PASA scanned the country for existing afterschool standards and indicators as a starting point. The working group set out to customize these standards and indicators for Rhode Island providers under five broad categories: (1) Health, Safety, and the Environment; (2) Relationships; (3) Programming and Activities; (4) Staffing and Professional Development; (5) Administration. PASA then partnered with RIASPA and the HighScope Educational Research Foundation to develop an assessment tool built as a hybrid between a nationally recognized and validated assessment tool and a supplementary component addressing the unique needs and priorities of Rhode Island afterschool providers. The resulting tool was Rhode Island Program Quality Assessment Tool (RIPQA), which has been used in over 100 afterschool and youth development organizations to improve the quality of their programs.

Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM)

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The STEM fields are those academic and professional disciplines that fall under the umbrella of the acronym. Because these fields are expected to be the underpinnings of the global economy of the future, many educators and advocates believe it is crucial to improve K-12 student achievement in these fields nationwide. Afterschool and summer learning programs can easily and creatively integrate STEM concepts into hands-on, interactive activities, thereby helping to prepare students to pursue careers as scientists, engineers, and innovators.

ACCOLADES FROM THE FIELD

“Jackie is a champion because she is steadfast in her vision of afterschool. She never wavers in her commitment and always has a critical ‘eye on the prize’—quality afterschool programs that support and nurture kids and their families.” — Kai Cameron, Facilitator for Community Partnerships, Providence Public Schools

“As the Director of all things related to 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Jackie is afterschool’s biggest cheerleader at the Department of Education. I am constantly amazed by her ability to effectively manage, organize, and supervise all programming in Rhode Island while keeping a great sense of humor.”  — Dana Borrelli-Murray, Director of Expanded Learning Time at Highlander Charter School

Anne Marie Silvia, Wes Moore, Midge Sabatini, and Jackie Ascrizzi at the 2011 Lights on Afterschool Breakfast of Champions

AN INTERVIEW WITH JACKIE ASCRIZZI

What brought you to the afterschool field?

My graduate work focused on the intersection between health and education, and that lead me to the full service community school model, a strategy to address the education, health and social service needs of children and youth and their families at school, in the community, and at home.  Afterschool programs are a key component of the full service model.  Afterschool programs provide expanded learning opportunities that address these issues through an afterschool system of activities and services that focus on youth development.  Youth development is the combination of education and health in its purest form.

Who are the teachers, mentors, or heroes that shaped your career and guided your practice and principles?

The mentors and heroes that continue to shape my career in afterschool are the people doing the work on the ground.  I am in constant awe of the program managers, coordinators, providers, teachers, artists, and others that seem to have an unending source of energy, commitment, and a can-do attitude that seems to overcome the most confounding obstacles to success.  I have never worked with a more committed and passionate group of professionals, always willing to take on a challenge, share lessons learned, and build fabulous opportunities for the children and youth of our state to grow and learn in safe, nurturing, and engaging environments.

What most excites you globally about working in afterschool?

Youth development is meaningful everywhere around the world, in every culture, in all contexts and circumstances.  Imagine a world where all children and youth had opportunities to participate in music, theatre, art, sports, hands-on science, book clubs, math games, chess, swimming, community service, and more.  Imagine a world where all kids were surrounded by caring adults that mentored and nurtured each child to try new things, identify their challenges, find their strengths, and make friends.  That’s afterschool.  What a world that would be!

What makes Rhode Island a compelling place to work in afterschool?

Partnerships, partnerships, partnerships!  Rhode Island’s small size allows us to know each other, to know what resources exist or are needed, to understand the value of working together to reach common goals.  I am privileged to be a partner among so many organizations, funders, teachers, evaluators, data-crunchers, yogis, artists, book-worms, coaches, and others who work together to make the world a better place for our children and youth.  Rhode Island seems to attract smart, innovative, and forward-thinking individuals and the afterschool field is like a magnet for these folks.  The field of afterschool provides opportunities to think outside the box, to find ways to give kids what they need to be happy, productive, engaged learners.  Rhode Island is the Promised Land of afterschool.

What is your ultimate dream for afterschool in Rhode Island and beyond?

Ah, the dream.  All schools have robust afterschool programs that provide expanded learning opportunities that inspire, engage, motivate, and give hope that a meaningful future direction in life is waiting for each and every student.  Funding is plentiful to ensure high-quality programs, with highly trained staff, in safe and comfortable environments.  Collaboration between schools, community organizations, students, and families is alive and palpable.  Afterschool programs are places where kids are safe, nurtured, and supported; where adults know and care about the well-being and academic success of each child; where kids have fun, make friends, and find the doors are wide open to their dreams and possibilities.  Wouldn’t that be something?